Page 13 of Banter & Blushes

“I am. Nice to meet you, Gabrielle.” We shake, but I don’t feel even a tiny tingle of attraction. No zing. No zip. Nothing.

The waiter leaves us with two leather-bound menus and glasses of ice water as we settle into chairs across from each other. A lone candle flickers in the center of the pristine white tablecloth, reflecting off the two place settings of silverware waiting for us to use.

An awkward silence falls between us as we stare at each other. I debate whether to pick up the menu and pretend to read it or try to broach a conversation.

Tingle! Tingle! My nose feels like it does when I’m about to have an allergy attack, but I shrug it off.

“How long are you here in Seabreeze Harbor?” I ask.

“Are you enjoying your stay in Seabreeze Harbor?” She asks.

Gabrielle’s brows slam together when we both speak at the same time. “You go first,” she says in an annoyed tone.

“No, please, you go first.”

Thankfully Gabrielle takes the lead so we don’t have to debate speaking order any further. “My mom lives here, so I’m staying a couple weeks with her. I understand you’re the one brokering the Hugo Sears land sale.”

I’m not surprised everyone in this small town knows about Hugo’s sale. “I am. We’ve had a lot of interest so far. As you probably know, it’s a prime piece of property.” I take a gulp of my ice water, then rest my elbow on the table.

She nods towards my arm. “Mable, Mable, sweet and able, get your elbows off the table.” Her nasally voice sets my teeth on edge.

“Are you the etiquette police?” I tease, thinking she just made a joke.

Her lips purse as she tosses me an unapproving glare. I quickly remove the offending body part from the table, feeling like a misbehaving child who’s been scolded by my spinster aunt.

“I strive for proper etiquette throughout a meal, and I hope you will do the same.”

Ouch!A trickle of sweat runs down the back of my neck.Am I going to use the wrong fork next?

We stare at each other for several beats. This is becoming one of my worst first dates ever. My brain spins as I try to think of an acceptable topic of conversation. “How do you like living in Tampa?”

She shrugs. “I much prefer the west coast.”

When she doesn’t comment further, I blurt, “Less threat of hurricanes, right?”

“My opinion is not due to the weather, it’s because I prefer a gluten-free, eco-conscious lifestyle,” she says, her tone dripping with censure.

Yikes! Two scoldings in the span of two minutes.Maybe I just need to keep my mouth shut. A few seconds later, my nose starts to tingle again, and I sneeze. Loudly.Ahchoo!

“Bless you.”

Ahchoo! Ahchoo! Ahchoo!

Gabrielle slides her chair back as far as possible while still sitting at the table as I try to contain my sneezes behind my hand. “Are you ill?” she asks in an accusatory tone. She picks up the menu and holds it in front of her face like a shield to ward off any germs.

“No. This feels like”—Ahchoo!—“This feels like my allergies have been triggered.”Ahchoo! Ahchoo!Embarrassment floods my cheeks.I wish I had a box of tissues with me.

Her eyes go wide. “What are you allergic to?”

Ahchoo!“Are you wearing musk perfume?” I manage to wheeze the question out between sneezes.Ahchoo! Ahchoo!

She looks down her rather beaky nose and gives me an arrogant look. “Yes I am. My matchmaker suggested musk would be an alluring scent to wear this evening. I’m wearing an eco-friendly brand,” she huffs.

Huh?Eco-friendly or not, I’m obviously still reacting to the perfume. I’m sure I indicated that I’m allergic to certain fragrances on my profile sheet. It seems odd that Gabrielle’s matchmaker didn’t notice that.

Feeling another bout of sneezing coming on, I quickly stand and bid my date goodbye. “Sorry, but we’re going to have to reschedule.”Ahchoo! Ahchoo!

As I stride out of the restaurant, I ponder what just happened. I probably need to schedule another date with the CEO, although we weren’t exactly hitting it off. She seemed pretty put off by my bout of sneezing. Justifiably so. Who wants to be exposed to your date’s germs?

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