Tracing her finger on the rim of the wine glass, Olivia gazed out the window. It will be fun, her friends encouraged. Go for it.
How is being on a blind date when the guy hasn't appeared fun? Dating when one has a career that moves no-stop did not seem enjoyable. Being along in a restaurant was not fun either. They set her up - the last resort. Olivia Pope did not entertain the thought of dating and surprises were not her forte. Everything about her was well-calculated; plans and endgames were her way of coping and staying in control. With another year behind her, Olivia had to try something new, because her track record was laughable.
But time was running out. Especially for this particular night. This person was twenty minutes late - Olivia was sure that she was being stood up. She was not given a number or a name - her friends knew her very well, so she had no choice but to wait or pay for her wine and leave.
It was not like she didn't try. Although it had been fourteen months since she went on any kind of romantic outing, Olivia remembered how to give a stellar impression. She was wearing her favorite green dress and black pumps, and her hair was down. A clear departure from her business attire of power suits and cleanly wrapped buns.
The meeting spot was a restaurant she had been to a few times. Upscale, but not too fancy. Tonight wasn't as crowded as usual, so the likelihood of being recognized among her peers was slim.
Now, all of this was a waste and she was looking extremely foolish. This was the final time she would allow her friends to organize a meeting like this. Because this was ridiculous. She began to text Abby, Harrison, and Stephen, collectively.
This guy's not here. Don't even know his name! Why didn't you tell me? Y'all are dead meat. I'm giving him five minutes tops and I'm out. So screw you all.
"Olivia?"
The voice that called her name was rich, deep, and surprisingly comforting. Prying away from her phone, Olivia searched for the voice's owner.
"Yes?"
A man had approached the table. He was tall, with brown hair that displayed hints of grey, slicked back, and a pair of striking blue eyes. It took Olivia by surprise, because he was very handsome and distinguished. She observed his wardrobe - crisp blue sports jacket, white dress shirt that left a few buttons opened, and slacks.
Not bad, she thought, but good looks can only go so far on a first date.
"I am so sorry. My friend never gave me your number. I would have called to let you know that I was on my way."
Olivia continue to watch him as he spoke. There was a smooth quality to his mannerisms. He appeared to be contrite, but still optimistic about the situation at hand. Her brown eyes moved to his right side. Not to check him out, but seeing that a boy was flush to his leg. They were holding hands.
Her eyebrows lifted - it keeps getting better .
The man interrupted her train of thought. "My babysitter bailed on me. So I had to bring my son and I got here as fast as I could. I apologize for making you wait."
Olivia didn't know what to think. On any other night, the lists of excuses that was presented to her would have prompted her to rise and leave. But she wasn't that much of a bitch. His child was there.
"I'm Fitz," he introduced, extending his hand. "If you want to walk out, I am okay with that. Believe me, I am not the ideal date, so your first impression of me must be abysmal."
Olivia returned the gesture. "No, I'll stay. I appreciate your honesty and you did come all this way. That would be very rude on my part to leave."
"Are you sure," Fitz asked. "I won't be offended."
Nodding, Olivia offered the seat across from her. "Please, come sit. I'm glad you arrived."
Fitz grinned, pulling back the chair. The boy followed suit and crawled up onto his father's lap. The side of the restaurant they occupied was full of couples and groups. No children. Plus, their table only had two chairs. It was a little embarrassing, but Olivia didn't want to draw more attention to the blatant awkwardness.
Looking around, Fitz commented, "Our friends picked a good spot."
"Mmhmm," Olivia curtly agreed, perusing the menu. Subduing her confusion and frustration towards her crew, Olivia was thinking of ways to deflect this wreck of a blind date. Her friends were always on her case about being extra blunt.
She smiled at the boy, who appeared to be somewhat timid. "Hi there, I'm Olivia. What is your name?"
The two made eye contact; the boy must have realized that she wasn't a threat. He proudly stated, "Theodore, but everyone calls me Teddy." His eyes were brown but she noticed the similarities with his father. Intense and expressive, but could soften in a heartbeat.
"Nice to meet you, Teddy. How old are you?"
The boy replied, "Four and a half."
As Olivia nodded, Teddy added to his response, "How old are you?"
"Teddy," Fitz scolded, tapping his son on the arm. "It is not nice to ask a lady for her age."
The boy quickly retreated into his father's chest. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"It's alright. Tough hitting questions," Olivia quipped, flipping her hair back. "Since I like you already, I'll let it slide this once. I'm thirty-three."
Teddy looked to his father for approval, who gave a reassuring nod. "Oh ok, that's a nice age. Cool! Daddy's older than you."
"Is that right," she grinned, shifting her gaze towards Fitz. He rolled his eyes and took a sip of water.
The cheeky preschooler exaggerated his answer, "Yeahhh…he's thirty-eight!"
Olivia laughed as Fitz shook his head. "What a bold son, you have. And by the way, Teddy, that's a good age too."
Before Fitz could respond, a server greeted him.
"May I offer you another glass, Ma'am?"
The server turned to Fitz and Teddy, giving a hesitant smile. "You sir?"
"I'm more of a scotch kind of guy," Fitz smirked, bouncing Teddy on his lap, "but wine would be great. I'll have the same. And if it's not much of a trouble, this guy would like a cup of your finest apple juice."
Seeing the contagious joy on Teddy's face made Olivia smile.
Olivia and Fitz exchanges more pleasantries, divulging in quick factoids: where they attended college, hobbies, what they did for work. He was a West Coast guy, the East was her mainstay. She worked in PR; he was a partner in a law firm. Cooking and music were his favorite pastimes, while she liked to swim. They found out that Harrison was the X factor to their meetup.
"You live in the city?"
"Yes," Olivia answered. "My place is three minutes away from here."
"Nice. I'm further out. Chevy Chase. Hence the traffic tonight."
Olivia lifted her hand to stop him. "Fitz, it's okay. I'm not mad about what happened. It wasn't your fault. Let's just enjoy our meal and the company."
When she saw Fitz quickly turn towards Teddy, she winced. Olivia was hoping her statement wasn't too harsh. But she didn't know how else to let him know that her agitation had dissipated.
"See anything you like?"
He didn't answer.
Teddy glanced at Olivia, then tugged at his father's hand.
"Daddy, she's talking to you."
Fitz was startled. "What?"
Olivia smiled, pointing to the menu. "Find anything? I'm pretty sure our server will be back at any moment."
Fitz ordered a bowl of spaghetti bolognese for Teddy and himself, while Olivia chose grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus. While they waited for their meals, she was able to use the time to observe the two. They were adorable. He was enamored by his son. Olivia picked up on some of their secret language and quick glances. It was as if Teddy was the only thing worth living for.
After a round of cordial questions and icebreakers, Olivia chose to go deeper.
"Do you go on dates often?"
Fitz gave Olivia an incredulous stare, then scoffed. "Oh no. Fatherhood and my work takes precedence. I don't have as much time to socialize as I used to. Not that I'm complaining. I guess the guys took pity on my lonely ass and Harrison said he knew the right lady for me."
"Well, I hope you're not disappointed," she joked, fidgeting with her napkin. "I'm very rusty in the dating game. Like you, I don't have time. Rather, I don't make time. A lot of men find me to be intimidating and sometimes it's exhausting to meet new people."
"I'm not disappointed and I think you're doing great," Fitz grinned.
She wasn't expecting the look he sent her way, realizing that his gaze was of the same intensity and affection when he watched over Teddy. It threw her off completely. No one had looked at her like that.
"I'll be right back."
Olivia excused herself to freshen up, but he must have known that she was dodging something. The path to the restrooms seemed like an eternity. She had to pull herself together. How could one man just pay attention to her and be someone she actually wanted to spend time with? This wasn't how her evening was supposed to go. How could her tough demeanor melt away in an hour?
Deep breaths. A promise to stay true to who she was, a pep talk to herself that it was okay to change her mind about everything, was all it took for her to get back to the table. When she returned, Olivia was greeted with a pair of toothy grins. Mischievous and downright cute, Teddy must had a juicy tidbit to share, given his excitement. Fitz mouthed to him, "Go on."
"Miss 'Livia, do you want to share dessert with us?"
"Are you trying to win me over with dessert?"
Teddy gave a thumbs up. "Yes, I am."
Olivia scrunched her nose in amusement. "Sure. Let's do it."
It was decided that a large brownie and two scoops of ice cream would be the best choice. Fitz handed Olivia a dessert spoon, not realizing that their fingers touched during the transaction. She gasped, immediately embarrassed that something so miniscule could affect her greatly.
Fitz was a great conversationalist, he knew how to work the crowd. When a couple stopped by because they recognized him, he graciously engaged them. Introducing her as "my friend, Olivia," and gesturing towards her anytime he had a chance, she realized Fitz was someone she could "work with".
"Looks like Mr. Teddy is down for the count."
"Yeah," Fitz replied, checking on the drowsy state of his child, who was being cradled in his arms. "I guess it's past his bedtime."
Olivia sweetly agreed, "I bet."
When the check was delivered, Fitz grabbed the bill. Olivia groaned.
"Seriously?"
"Olivia, you waited for me, tolerated me, and was extra nice to my son. It's the least I could do." Fitz winked at Olivia, which simultaneously built an army of butterflies in her stomach.
"This wasn't what I expected," she whispered.
"What were you expecting?"
Olivia admitted, "I thought I was going to be bored and not find any connections with you."
Fitz lowered his voice, "Well?"
"My assumptions were wrong."
They locked eyes - her brown and his blue - and she could tell that she would not forget his for a long time.
"I should probably go."
"You should probably head out," Olivia blurted at the same time. The two exchanged sly grins. The way his mouth upturned to show his smile was so captivating - she couldn't tell if this felt like more than a regular date. There was something different.
"Where are you parked?"
"Oh, I walked," Olivia replied. "But I'll accompany you two to ensure your safety."
Hearing Fitz chuckle gave her the confidence she needed.
He encouraged Teddy to walk but the request was futile, so hoisting Teddy on his back, Fitz crooned,"C'mon, buddy. We're going home."
It was a quiet journey. Whether it was gravity or some other force, they had become awfully close as they walked down the street. Olivia could feel their fingertips swipe as their arms swung back and forth. And she longed for their hands to touch or bump or something. Being in his presence created a safety she hadn't experienced in years. What she didn't know was that he hadn't felt so at ease with a woman since his marriage had fallen apart three years prior.
"Here we are. Buddy, stand for me. I need to unlock the door," Fitz instructed. Teddy yawned, almost tipping over.
"Say goodbye to Miss Olivia."
Olivia extended her hand for Teddy to shake. "Good night, Teddy. I'm glad you joined us."
The boy sleepily reached out towards Olivia, giving her a hug.
"G'nite 'Livia."
She wasn't expecting this - she didn't interact with children often. So, to know that Teddy was comfortable around her was a highlight. Rubbing his back, she gave him a kiss on the forehead.
Fitz secured Teddy in his booster seat and closed the door. Olivia crossed her arms, keeping herself warm against the cool breeze.
"Thank you," Fitz began, with sincerity in his eyes. "I haven't had this fun in a long time."
Olivia agreed, "I had a good time. Thanks for meeting me here."
Fitz was rocking on his heels while she clasped her hands, searching for a distraction. The silence was killing both of them. Where to go to next? There was more to say, but the night was over.
"Ya know," he interjected, "I'm lowkey pissed at Harrison for not introducing us before tonight. Why didn't I meet you sooner?"
Olivia could feel her heart beat fast while her' jaw dropped, stunned by Fitz's admission. "Oh?"
"Yeah." Fitz's voice softened. "There is something about you that makes me want to talk to you forever. Be with you. Just, I don't know. I don't intend to scare you off but I think you're an incredible woman."
He had left her speechless again.
Fitz leaned in to kiss Olivia on the cheek. Having his lips on her skin almost made her collapse.
"Maybe I'll get Harrison to give me your number sometime. I hope to see you soon."
She couldn't move as he stepped back. Thinking she didn't agree, he nodded, grasping the door handle.
"Fitz?"
"Yes?"
Olivia closed her eyes for a second, willing herself to take a chance again on something could be very good for her.
"Take my number."
