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Benny couldn’t believe that he had agreed to this. He remembered what happened the last time Bull set him up, but somehow Bull had talked him into it again. He just hoped that the food was good.
He wasn’t a picky eater, but he always wanted to eat at the best restaurants for blind dates. That way if the date sucked, at least the food was good. He supposed that some would call him a gourmand since he loved food of pretty much any kind, but he did his best not to overindulge and when he did he was quick to exercise and work it off.
He’d been told his blind date would meet him at Le Bernardin and that the reservation would be under DiNozzo. He’d considered wearing one of his lawyer suits, but he didn’t want to come off too stiff for a date. Still he’d gone for a pair of sleek black pants that he knew did wonders for his ass and a glittery shirt that would look good on the dance floor.
He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants as he walked into the restaurant. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. “DiNozzo?”
“Ah yes, Monsieur. Your other party is already here. This way, please.”
Benny followed the maitre de to his table and was surprised by who he saw there. “Jason?”
“No, Anthony DiNozzo. You must know my twin.”
Benny gave this Anthony DiNozzo a fully body glance. The guy looked startlingly similar to Dr. Bull, though there were differences. “You’re not at all what I expected when I agreed to a blind date setup by Jason.”
“No? What were you expecting?”
“Well female for one.”
“You’re straight?”
“Not strictly, but it’s my normal as Bull is well aware of.”
“You know, Jason. He loves to push the envelope. Sit. I promise I don’t bite, much.”
Benny chuckled and sat across from Tony. “I have to admit this date is already going better than the last one Jason set me up on.”
“Well that’s good I think.” Tony smiled one of his dazzling smiles.
“Oh, it is. Don’t worry.”
“Jason assured me he would cover the bill, so don’t worry about price. Just order whatever you want.” Tony grinned as he opened the menu.
“What’s good here?”
“Everything.”
Benny chuckled. “You’re really nothing like what I expected?”
“Has Jason been telling tales about me?”
Benny shook his head. “I didn’t even know he had a twin.”
“Surprise!”
“You’re like a younger, funner version of him, somehow.”
“Thanks.” Tony flashed another of his brilliant smiles.
They placed their orders when the waiter came by before quickly returning to their conversation. Benny was surprised by how smoothly the conversation flowed. It was rare for anyone to understand his work, though Benny guess that Tony had a leg up on others due to his relation to Dr. Bull.
Even more than that, though, they found they had a lot in common. Tony’s love of movies was something that Benny would like to explore a lot more. Benny wasn’t sure about a romantic relationship with Tony, however.
Don’t get him wrong, the guy was hot and filled out the suit he was wearing very well. That wasn’t the problem. It wasn’t that he was related to Dr. Bull either.
No, Benny just wasn’t sure if he was ready for a relationship with another man. He’d been attracted to other men, but never actually dated any of them. Startling Benny out of his thoughts, Tony asked, “Would you like to dance?”
Benny glanced at Tony’s face and then down at his hand. Taking a deep breath, he replied, “Sure. But I’m not a very good dancer.”
“Don’t worry. I can follow pretty much anyone.”
“You’re very sure of yourself.”
“It’s just a dance. Come on.” Tony led him out to the dance floor.
Benny was surprised how easy it was to move with Tony in his arms across the dance floor. He noticed some other couples doing a practical bump and grind, but Tony was keeping an appropriate ballroom form. There wasn’t a lot of space between them, but a lot more than some of the other couples.
Tony was a dream to lead. He followed better than most women that Benny had danced with. Benny definitely wouldn’t mind dancing with him again, but he still wasn’t sure about a relationship.
As the evening drew to a close, Tony bid Benny a good night. He didn’t try for a good night kiss which Benny found odd.
“You don’t want a kiss?”
“I thought I’d save us the awkwardness. I had a really good time tonight.”
“What gave it away?”
“Many things, but most noticeably that you didn’t try to dirty dance or do any really close dancing.”
“Sorry.” Benny grinned sheepishly.
“It’s no problem. I really did have a good time and if you ever want to hang out again give me a ring. Friends or more either is fine by me. You’re cute enough.” Tony smiled and waved as he left.
Benny watched him leave and didn’t know what to think. All he knew was that everything that happened tonight was Dr. Bull’s fault and he’d make sure that Jason paid regardless of whether he took Tony up on his offer or not.