Isaac sat at his computer, shaking his head.
"I can't do it," he said finally.
"You have to," Erica leaned over his shoulder, her blonde hair falling over not only her shoulder, but his as well. "I have Boyd, and it's depressing having you moping around the apartment without anyone."
"It's New York City, I'll find someone else," Isaac stated.
Ever since he'd run away from Beacon Hills - him, his friends Erica and Boyd, they'd been travelling, but they liked Manhattan, and had settled there quite happily. Erica and Boyd had been together since they ran, and now that they had settled, and all actually had jobs, she was pressing hard to find someone for Isaac.
Including pressing him to post a Craigslist Missed Connections ad for someone that he had sort of had a moment with outside of some clothing store the night before.
"Hey, the chances of him actually seeing it are slim," she said with a shrug. "Just post it. The worst thing that happens is the super hot guy that smiled at you writes back, and lets you take him to coffee."
"If you're so sold on this," Isaac said. "You write it."
"Fine." Eric shoved him out of the way, taking over the keyboard. "I will."
"Wait, no, I wasn't serious, I…" Isaac trailed off, because it was too late. Erica was off to the races with the post, and he just sat back, waiting for her to be done.
"Okay, how's that?" Erica asked, moving back.
Friday evening around 7:30/8 ish you were leaving the Zara on 5th Ave and 17th Street. I must've been staring at you for a while, and didn't even realize it until you smiled at me. I smiled back but at that point I was so embarrassed that I quickly walked away, but I've been beating myself up over it all weekend and I wish I hadn't been so shy and would've said something to you. If you see this I'd love to take you for coffee sometime. Tell me what I was wearing so I know it's you.
"What I was wearing?" Isaac asked. "How can I expect him to remember what I was wearing?"
"He gave you the smile," she said with a grin. "He'll remember what you were wearing."
And before Isaac could do anything about it at all, she had hit send.
"And now we wait," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, really gonna hold my breath for that one," Isaac said sarcastically.
And yet, when he checked his e-mail 40 minutes later, there was something in his inbox, subject line "Black boots, dark jeans, white shirt, grey sweater." The exact thing that he was wearing yesterday. He opens the email to read the rest of it.
It's crazy that you posted that, because I actually logged in to missed connections to post about you. Crazy twist of fate, huh? Anyways, as for the coffee. That's a yes. Sophie's on 7th? Tomorrow at 10? And you should wear that grey sweater. It looked incredibly good on you.
Isaac stared at the email dumbfounded when Boyd walked in.
"What are you staring at?" he asked. "Babe, Isaac's staring at his computer with his jaw hanging open."
"Do you have to tell her everything?" Isaac asked.
"Yup." Boyd just nodded as Erica flew into the room.
"Oh my god, he wrote back, didn't he!"
"Yeah." Isaac nodded.
"Oh my god!" Erica swooped in to read the email, and Boyd just walked out of the room shaking his head in that Vernon Boyd fashion that said 'I just don't want to know what's going on.' "Okay. You're going."
"I…" Isaac sighed, reaching up, raking a hand through his hair.
"Nope. You're going. Move." Erica pushed him out of the way again, replying to the email for him.
I'll be there.
"There." She smiled as she hit send. "Now you have to go."
"Jesus, Erica...I don't know, I…"
"I will be right across the street, okay? You can text me if you need an out. I promise I won't throw you into this headfirst, at least not alone, but you're going, and that's that."
She flounced out of the room after Boyd, leaving Isaac to stare at the screen, wondering what the hell was going to happen tomorrow at 10.
Isaac walked into the coffee shop at 10 the next day, biting his lip. He looked around, expecting not to see the gorgeous guy from the other night, but there he was, sitting at a table. Isaac walked over, and when the guy saw him, his face split into a grin, and by default, Isaac couldn't help but smile.
"Hi." The guy rose. "I wasn't sure that you would actually show up."
"I wasn't sure that you would, either," Isaac admitted. In fact, he had been pretty sure that the guy wouldn't.
"I'm Danny," he stated, holding out his hand.
"Isaac," he replied, shaking it.
"So, I believe I was promised a coffee?" Danny tilted his head to the side.
"Oh, yeah, of course. What are you drinking?"
"Chai tea latte," Danny said with a smile, sitting back down while Isaac went to get the drinks.
They started talking, and talking, and talking, and didn't stop for almost two hours, taking a break only when Isaac's phone beeped for the 4th time in quick succession.
"Do you need to check that?" Danny asked.
"I...yeah, maybe." Isaac sighed, checking the texts from Erica, who was asking if he'd been ax murdered. He replied that he was having a good time, and that she could leave, and pocketed the phone. "That was my roommate...I maybe sort of brought her along, you know, in case things didn't go so well...she's across the street at the deli."
Instead of being disappointed, or acting weird, Danny's face split into a wide grin.
"What?" Isaac asked.
"Nothing, that's just...you're cute. You're shy, and you're unassuming, and I really like that."
"Oh." Isaac bowed his head. "Well, I hope you like awkward, too...because I don't have game, but I have plenty of awkward."
"You're in lucky," Danny said with a smile, reaching across the table and taking Isaac's hand, holding it gently. "I happen to really, really like awkward."
"Well I happen to really, really like you, so…" Isaac trailed off, his face turning bright red.
"Good." Danny smiled. "Because I really like you, too."
A/N Alright, this is another little prompt from a real craigslist post! I can't link the post here, but if you want the link, I will figure out a way to get it to you! Anyways, hope you enjoyed!