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"What?" Joe asked. "I don't have a date."
Joe had finally gotten a table at the newest hippest restaurant in town and had looked forward to trying the food.
"We are sorry," The young woman apologized.
"Joe?" A voice asked behind and Joe turned around to see a familiar face that had hunted him for weeks.
"Nicky," Joe said giving a smile. "What brings you here?"
"Dessert," Nicky replied. "Is there a problem?"
"They have double booked the table I had reserved," Joe replied. "And I'm now eating dinner with someone named Nicolò di Genova."
Nicky gave Joe one of the smiles, that also had hunted Joe for weeks ever since that rainy Thursday morning where he saw Nicky get off his motorbike and had looked at Joe once before smiling at him for the first time and since then Joe had tried to gather the courage to ask Nicky out even coming up with all kind of excuses to go by Nicky's office and talk to him for just a moment or two.
"Is that bad?" Nicky wanted to know.
"I would rather eat dinner with you," Joe admitted.
"Miss, we take the table you reserved for him," Nicky said leaving Joe confused but he just followed after them and sat down at a table near the bar. "Thank you."
Nicky pulled his long hair back into a bun and gave Joe another smile, who tried to enjoy every smile while he also looked over his shoulder.
"What do you want to drink?" Nicky asked as he looked at the wine card but when he didn't get an answer he looked at Joe. "What are you looking after?"
"That bloke the waitress set me up with," Joe replied. "And trying to come up with an excuse so he doesn't chase you away."
"I don't think you need an excuse," Nicky said with a smile. "Unless you're sorry about eating dinner with Nicolò di Genova."
It took Joe a moment to connect the dots.
"You're Nicolò di Genova?" Joe asked.
"Yes," Nicky replied with a smile Joe returned. "So, is it ok that we eat dinner together? I like to think of this double booked table mistake as a blessing in disguise."
"How come?" Joe wanted to know.
"I wanted to invite you out on a date for weeks," Nicky replied as he blushed. "Didn't think I had a chance."
"Funny," Joe replied. "So did I."
They both shared a smile between them as Nicky returned to the wine card.
"You said something about dessert," Joe said. "Is that the reason why you came tonight?"
"I got a second job," Nicky whispered before looking around him to check the staff was out of sight. "I get paid for eating desserts and cake in return for a review of the place. Shh top secret."
"If I get a date in return your secret is safe with me," Joe said hoping he hadn't pushed things too far too soon.
"I would love that so if you order the main course, I'll order dessert," Nicky replied with a smile. "Hope you can live with me being in jeans, a t-shirt, and this old bomber jacket."
"You look more than handsome," Joe said. "I noticed that the jeans do wonders to your ass."
"Well, I had planned to go to a bar later to see if they would bring me luck," Nicky replied. "Guess I only had to stumble upon you to get lucky."
Nicky placed his elbow on the table before placing his face in his hand palm and looked at Joe with a big smile and a warm look in his eyes which Joe returned with a bright smile that showed his dimples and returned the warm look.
"I like the thought about that," Joe replied. "But between us, I do hope we can have drinks somewhere else without loud music."
"If you want, I live only 5 minutes from here," Nicky replied. "Just me and my cat, who only shows up for meals."
Joe took Nicky's other hand in his.
"That would be perfect," Joe replied as gently stroked Nicky's fingers.
"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked.
While they ate they discovered they had more in common than not. Nicky loved whenever he could get Joe to laugh, while Joe loved whenever he could get Nicky to smile.
"Do you know what, Nicky?" Joe asked as they were walking home to Nicky.
"Not unless you tell me," Nicky replied.
Joe pulled Nicky closer to him.
"You're right about that this evening truly has been a blessing in disguise," Joe said as he kissed Nicky in the middle of the street. Seconds after their lips touched it started to rain. They didn't mind because it reminded them about the first time they saw each other.