Blind Date by SBK
A/N: 2nd installment for the Richonnefics' Date Night Series. Hope you like it.
Rick Grimes checks his watch once again, not liking the anxiety that rolls through him. He'd been talking with the young lady he was meeting for two weeks and should be glad they were finally going to see each other face to face. He specifically took the day off from work just to ensure that he wouldn't have to rush or even get called away unexpectedly although the latter could still happen. The profession of a sheriff's deputy could entail round the clock service if needed.
He takes a sip of his coffee, frowning as it has grown too cool to appeal to him any longer. He hadn't realized he'd been there that long or maybe it wasn't as warm as it should've been initially. He shakes his head, knowing he was distracted and why. He checks his watch again and searches the crowd for a blue dress. She said she'd be wearing a blue dress.
His eyes pop as he spots the color blue but frowns when he realizes it's a gray haired grandmother with two kids. Nope. He didn't really give her any identifying features about himself only that he'd be in a ball cap and jeans. He starts as a woman in a blue dress steps up to the coffee/tea counter of the sandwich shop. He tries his best to zero in on her voice, knowing he'd recognize the intonation of the woman he's been conversing with but the noise surrounding him interferes. He decides to take in her other features to see if anything would resonate.
She waits for her order, turning to face him, her eyes zeroing in on his. He gives her a nod and turns away to search the area again. He cringes inwardly as he hopes she isn't Michonne. For some reason, he wasn't expecting a blonde with blue eyes. He already knows he wouldn't be able to contain his disappointment if he is wrong.
He takes a deep breath and looks at his phone, contemplating calling her but doesn't want to appear over eager. He decides to give her a few more minutes before he takes his leave.
Across the way, a young lady is watching him curiously, wondering if he could be the guy she is supposed to meet. She is sure to stay hidden, wearing a black cardigan over her blue dress, wondering when her friend would return. She knows she should've grilled Sasha's brother for more details about his co-worker but never thought anything would come of their association.
Andrea makes her way back to Michonne and sits down hurriedly. "I think it's him. He's alone. He's wearing a ball cap and jeans. Who else could it be?" She takes a sip of her coffee, looking to see what her friend's decision would be.
"I don't know. I feel so stupid going through all of this. Maybe I should just text him and say something came up."
"Would you look at him? He's not bad at all and he's been sitting there for a while so I'd say he really wants to meet you." Andrea knows she should've told her friend she was being overly cautious but she wanted to see what this mystery guy looked like as well, so she went along with Michonne's plan for the both of them to wear blue dresses. If she wasn't interested on sight and Andrea was, well no harm done right? She surmises that he is cute but the way he casually looked her over and kept searching the shop let her know he wasn't interested in her at all.
"I don't know."
"What are you so afraid of? You're only going to meet him and maybe eat a sandwich in front of him. What's the big deal?" Andrea asks.
Michonne takes a deep breath. "You're right." She looks over at his table again to see that he is lifting to a stand and preparing to leave. "Shit." She pulls off her black cardigan, tossing it Andrea's way, and rushes over to follow him. She was just about to tap him on the shoulder when she looks up to see that he is going into the men's room. She makes an about face and moves toward the table he vacated.
Rick turns around, having sensed someone behind him only to see the back of a petite woman in a blue dress walking away from him. How many women are wearing blue dresses today? His eyes drop to the sway of her hips before he journeys on into the restroom. He exits moments later, checking his phone one last time before he decides to leave.
He looks up to see a female seated at the table he previously occupied and is immediately hopeful. He makes his way there and stares into the prettiest brown eyes he has ever seen. "Michonne?"
"Rick?"
He smiles. "Hey. It's finally nice to meet you."
She tries to play it cool but looking at him close up puts Andrea's description of 'he's not bad at all' to shame. She takes in the deep blue eyes, the broad shoulders, and the seemingly well-defined pecs underneath his T-shirt and desperately tries not to allow her eyes to drift lower. "Nice to meet you too." She offers her hand and he grasps it gently.
He takes the seat across from her. "So how's your day been?" He knew she was meeting him during her lunch hour and now he wonders if that will be enough time. He is mesmerized by the flawlessness of her skin, her deep chocolate eyes, her full lips. His eyes drop to the hint of cleavage her dress reveals before he looks away quickly.
"Busy as usual but I made a point of breaking for lunch today."
"Good. I'm glad you did. You ready to order?"
She agrees and they make their way to the counter, making small talk before returning to their table to await their food. She looks up to see Andrea walking towards the exit with a slight smile on her face. She knows she will be bombarded with questions as soon as she makes it back to the office.
Looking at him across the table makes her wonder why she was ever nervous about meeting him. Conversing with him came so easily over the phone so it would make sense that the same would happen face to face.
"Do you frequent this place?" He asks as their food arrives and they start to dig in.
"Not particularly but I heard it was pretty decent. Plus it's in close proximity to my building just in case you turned out to be a nut job."
They both laugh.
"So the late night talks did nothing for my credibility? Maybe I should've had a plan B just in case you turned out to be not so….likeable."
"Come on Mr. Grimes. I took you as a pretty organized and prepared type of guy. You should always have a plan B," she returns.
He nods thoughtfully. "Surely blind dates aren't a frequent thing for you?"
She smiles knowingly. He's fishing for information which could mean he's interested. Her insides do a flip flop as she admits that she's interested too. "As a matter of fact they aren't but I have a plan B for everything." She considers her question for only a moment then asks, "Do you go out on blind dates often?"
"This is my first. I don't really go for this type of thang but I think talking to you first made the difference for me."
"I think you have a point. I've enjoyed talking with you but it's nice to finally put a face with the voice," she offers.
"And is the face what you expected?"
She takes her time, studying his face with unabashed admiration. She clears her throat. "I'm not sure what I expected but I'm pleasantly surprised."
He smiles widely. "Well thank you. That's a relief." His eyes bore into hers before he slowly drops his gaze lower and just as slowly lifts his eyes back up to her face. She tries her best not to squirm underneath his intense perusal but finds herself holding her breath in anticipation of his next words. "You are gorgeous."
She exhales with a small giggle. "Thank you."
Lunch ends all too soon and Rick walks with her down the street to her building. They exchange parting pleasantries and promise to talk later.
An hour passes before Andrea makes her way to Michonne's office to get the details. The latter shakes her head at her friend, knowing the only reason she wasn't waiting in her office is because she had a meeting with their boss.
"Well?" The blonde demands.
Before Michonne could utter one word, a knock sounds at her door and her assistant, Jeannette, is walking inside carrying a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers.
Jeannette sets the arrangement on her desk with a smile. "For you. They were just delivered."
Michonne frowns with confusion but a feeling of anticipation fills her as she reaches for the card. She watches as Andrea vacates her chair to stand next to Jeannette and take a sniff of the flowers' fragrance. She opens the card and reads, "Lunch was way too short. Dinner? Rick."
She takes a deep breath and tries to contain her smile but she can't.
"Don't keep us in suspense. Who are they from?"
"Rick Grimes."
"The guy you just met for lunch?" Jeannette asks.
With Michonne's nod, Andrea interjects with, "That must've been some lunch."
She ignores them as they start asking more questions and grabs her cell phone. She sends him a text with a simple, "Yes."
He calls her just prior to 4:00 to confirm their plans, asking if he can pick her up at 7:00. She agrees, trying to keep the giddiness out of her voice. After the call, she prepares to leave for the day, mentally perusing her closet trying to think of the perfect dress to wear.
He arrives promptly, knocking on her door at 6:55. She allows him inside, asking if he'd like anything to drink before they depart. He declines and looks around her apartment to keep from ogling her too obviously.
"Thank you so much for the flowers. They are really beautiful. Adds a great touch to my office," she admits.
"You're welcome. I was hoping you'd like them." He gives up the fight and eyes her from head to toe, appreciating the way the purple dress clings to her body. "You look amazing."
She smiles with the compliment and allows herself to check him out in a dark colored suit with a lighter toned button down, no tie. "You look pretty amazing yourself." She loves the subtle flirting and wonders why she didn't suggest that they meet each other earlier. "You ready?"
He shakes his head as if he is remembering that they were supposed to be leaving. "Yeah. Let's go. Our reservation is for 7:30."
They make it to the prestigious restaurant and are promptly shown to their table. Michonne is most impressed with his choice as the cuisine is excellent and they have an extensive wine selection. They enjoy each other's company, picking up on a previously discussed topic that they are both passionate about being professionals in the law system.
She can't believe the time has flown by as quickly as it has and 10 pm is approaching. They both have work tomorrow but neither is ready for the night to end. They leave the restaurant, opting to walk around to offset the dessert they divulged in. Rhythmic thumps can be heard not far away and they realize a live band is playing in a bar down the street. He looks to her curiously and she answers, "Why not?"
They make their way to the bar and find a table in a corner. A waitress walks over and asks if they'd like anything to drink. They both know they probably shouldn't since they had wine with dinner but surmise that one more drink wouldn't hurt.
Midnight finds them leaving the bar after a night of laughing and dancing and genuinely having fun. They walk slowly down the street, noticing other patrons departing the bar as well. She is carrying her heels in one hand as her feet started hurting during their dancing and she couldn't abide the discomfort any longer.
"I had such a great time tonight," she admits.
"So did I. It's been a long time since I've been out this late and surprisingly, I'm not the least bit tired."
"Neither am I."
"I should get you home though. We do have work tomorrow," he suggests.
"Yes we do."
He offers her his hand and she obliges as they continue to walk in companionable silence to his car. A clap of thunder followed by bright lightning has them jumping and looking to the skies. They share a look right before the clouds open up and a heavy downpour ensues. They start running hand in hand, trying to find shelter, realizing that they are closer to the restaurant than the bar but most businesses are shut down at this hour.
They laugh in disbelief before he leads her toward a store front canopy, trying to shield her from the rain but noticing that they are both nearly drenched. They huddle together, still amused at being caught in the rain. The thunder and lightning continue but he notices just how close he is standing to her. He looks down at her, searching her eyes and gazing at her delectable lips.
The moment grows serious as they recognize the desire in each other. He clears his throat and says, "Would you mind very much if I….kiss you right now?" His heart races even more as the anticipation of her answer takes hold.
She smiles up at him. "I'd like that….very much."
He returns her smile before lifting a hand to her chin and dropping his lips gently to hers. The kiss is short but thorough and they both look at each other shyly, wishing there could be more but not wanting to rush.
"I uh….how about I go get the car and come back for you?"
"Ok." She would much rather wait it out with him but knows she wouldn't be able to resist kissing him again.
"Be right back." He makes a mad dash into the rain, running the short distance to his vehicle, getting in as quickly as possible and driving to her. Moments later they are inside the safety of his car, too happy to be concerned about their drenched hair and clothes.
They arrive at her apartment building and she invites him in, offering to dry his clothes and to make some coffee. He declines politely, telling her it would only take him a short time to get home. He sees her safely inside before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Good night."
"Good night."
She was sitting on the edge of her bed, towel drying her hair when her cell phone rang. It was Rick. She smiles as she answers. "Hi. You made it home safely."
"Yeah. Thank goodness."
"Dry yet?"
He laughs. "Almost there. You?"
"All but this hair that I refuse to blow dry at this hour. It'll be fine." A slight pause ensues before she continues. "Tonight was rather special. Thank you."
"Does that mean the rain didn't spoil it for you and you'd be willing to go out with me again?"
"For some odd reason, I didn't mind the rain at all and I'd be delighted to go out with you again," she answers.
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Great. Well I guess I should let you get some rest. Talk to you later?"
"Yes, we'll talk later."
They disconnect the call and Rick can't help it as he fist punches the air in his excitement. He is beyond happy with the day's events realizing that this blind date was the best date he's ever been on, blind or otherwise. He'll have to thank Tyreese for putting them in contact with each other. He finally gets to a place of rest, lying back in bed, counting down the hours before he will hear her voice again.