Blaine does a double take when Kurt walks by the store about a week later. This time, he's sans baby, and Blaine internally cheers, though he knows it's not really something to get excited about.
But he is, he's excited because he knows it'll be much easier to talk to him without the little one in tow, and this time he's going to get it right and not choke on his words. Blaine had spent the last few days creating and playing scenarios over and over in his head about what he'd say to Kurt if and when he saw him again, but it soon occurs to him that it will all have been for nothing, because Kurt is in fact walking by the store with no intention of entering it.
Blaine thinks fast, checks the clock, and then approaches Jeremiah.
"Is it alright if I go on my break now?" he asks.
His manager scans the store and then turns back to Blaine. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll get Meg to cover for you."
And before Jeremiah is even finished speaking, Blaine is already racing to clock out, anxious to find Kurt and catch up with him, hoping beyond measure that he wasn't on his way out of the mall when he noticed him.
Blaine spots him just as he's about to enter Banana Republic, and he takes wider strides until he's within earshot.
"Kurt," he calls out, slightly breathless.
Kurt turns, his eyebrows rising in surprise, and Blaine suddenly wonders if Kurt even remembers him.
"Blaine," Kurt says after a brief pause. "Hey. Are you working today?"
"Yeah, but I'm on my break." He hesitates, feeling his stomach buzzing with nerves. "So, do you want to - I mean, I'm headed to get something to eat. I hope you don't find this too weird, but would you like to join me?"
"Sure," Kurt says. "I'd like that."
"I only have half an hour, but we can grab a pretzel or something," Blaine says, feeling a little foolish that he can't offer Kurt something better.
"That sounds perfect. I've actually been craving a pretzel with cheese and was going to get one after hitting a few more stores, but there's no harm in getting one now."
They begin to head toward the food court together, and Blaine shoves his hands in his pockets, unsure of what to do with them. He's twenty-three years old and an adjunct professor at a university for christ's sake, and he still feels like a sixteen-year-old on a first date, nervous and awkward, at least, Kurt is making him feel that way.
With only about twenty minutes left to spare, they grab a table to relax at while consuming their hot pretzels, and Blaine finds that Kurt is not shy at all, immediately initiating conversation with an anecdote about his mall parking lot woes.
"So I'm sitting there, and this jerk actually rolls his window down and yells at me. I swear, people are nuts and act like it's a matter of life and death if they have to walk ten extra feet across the lot from their car."
It's just inane small talk, but Blaine laughs; the way in which Kurt tells the story is expressive and full of life, and Blaine is enraptured, but then he realizes that he still hasn't said anything he'd intended.
"Kurt?" he starts, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Blaine is about to ask about Stephen, but then he thinks it might be too presumptuous of him. Instead, he opts for, "I've see you around the mall, but where do you work?"
"Oh, I work over at the revival house here in town. They put on live musical productions in the fall and spring, and I'm head of the costume department. And recently I've even been directing."
"That's fantastic," Blaine says. "I love musical theater. I've been to the revival house for a few movies, but never for a show."
"It's much less glamorous than New York, but at least I'm doing what I love. It was too hard to find work there, not at all like the movies and television make it look, so I'm here. And don't bother making a The Last Five Years joke," Kurt says. "I think about it constantly."
Blaine takes a moment to consider the reference, but he's caught up by the mention of New York. "Were you - did you live in New York?"
"I went to school there for performing arts. NYADA. I'm from Lima, though. Sometimes you just need to return to your roots I guess."
"Yeah," Blaine says dazedly, taking a bite of his pretzel, his mind beginning to wander.
After obtaining his BS in business administration, Blaine felt unfulfilled and stuck. Four years of his life seemed to have gone down the drain, and he'd begun to apply an alternate meaning to his BS degree. He'd spent much of his life in choirs and playing in his school's band, but when it came time for college, it was like he'd just dropped all those years and swept them under the rug, as if they were something to be ashamed of and forgotten.
Blaine had never left Ohio, but he did find a way to recapture a part of his life that was truly important to him despite the sacrifices he had to make to do it. So, although their experiences were much different, he thought he completely understood where Kurt was coming from.
"Now can I ask you a question?" Kurt says, turning the conversation around on Blaine. "I don't mean to pry or get too personal, but did you go to college?"
Blaine is taken aback, but then recovers, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, I did - I mean, I still do. The Baby Gap is only my weekend job if that's what you're wondering. I go to OSU where I'm currently pursuing my Masters in music and completing a fellowship. I teach, college freshmen, mostly."
"Grad school for music and a professor? Nice," Kurt says. "Instrumental or vocal?"
"A little of both. Mostly piano and guitar, but I can play almost anything. I co-directed the women's choir for a semester too."
"That's very impressive. I don't mean this in a bad way, but you work at the Baby Gap...why would someone like you and with your talents and credentials work retail?"
"I need the money."
Blaine absentmindedly checks his watch, and then he jumps up out of his seat when he realizes the time.
"I'm so sorry, Kurt, but my break's over. It was really lovely talking to you and getting to know you. Perhaps we could do this again sometime?"
"Yeah, let me walk with you back to the store," Kurt offers, and Blaine is glad because he doesn't want to cut it short and end their time together in such an abrupt manner.
They arrive at the entrance, and Blaine turns to Kurt. "I'm sorry, I just have to clock back in, and then we can talk for a few more minutes." And then he's off.
Kurt wanders around the store for a few minutes before Blaine is back, name tag on and smiling that same warm smile as before.
"I was hoping that I could maybe get your number?" Blaine dares, knowing that this might be the moment where the truth comes out, and he braces himself.
"I was hoping the same thing. Actually, I was hoping you would be my plus one to something."
"You - you were? To what?"
"Well, you seem to be very good with children, and when I got home after shopping with Stephen, his mother kept asking who Blaine was, so I was wondering if I could interest you in a birthday party? He's turning three next weekend."
"If I can get off of work, I'd love to," Blaine says. And it's not his ideal date, but he's so happy that Kurt is letting him in and wants to spend time with him.
"I should probably give you my number now and let you get back to work. I think your manager is watching you, and I wouldn't want to get you into trouble," Kurt says out of the corner of his mouth.
Blaine pats his pockets as if he'll find something there. "I'm not allowed to have my phone on the sales floor, of course."
"No problem," Kurt says. "Give me yours, and I'll shoot you a text with all the details about the party."
Blaine rattles off his phone number, and Kurt reads it back to him when he's through.
"Perfect." Blaine smiles. "I guess I'll see you around then."
"In a week," Kurt corrects him. "See you, Blaine."
-s-
When Blaine clocks out for the day and grabs his phone, he sees he has a couple missed texts, all from Kurt.
Hey, It's Kurt! Can I admit something to you? I don't usually frequent the mall, I was just hoping I would see you again. I'm happy I did. :)
As promised, the next message contains all the details about the party, including the time, location, and a warning that the host is vegan so "don't bother bringing any food or anything - just come as you are".
Blaine can do that. After years of pretending to be someone else and then rediscovering himself, Blaine is now very good at being exactly who he is and nothing more or less.
