Eclipse of the Heart

I like being a doctor, but it's taken a lot of time. Time other women might have used to date, get married and have babies. I sometimes think I should have used my time like that, too. Instead of long nights studying there would have been long nights with a lot better memories. I'd like to have wasted just one night studying, have just one crazy memory. I didn't succumb and now at 28 it seems like every relationship is about whether or not you are marriage material.

Not that I had a lot of relationships period. My family was small and distant. Working so hard to become a physician hadn't left much time for anything else. I'd moved around a lot for school, residency, and now to a new town for this job. I had a few friends, but they were hardly what I'd call close. Desperate was the word I'd use to describe how I felt about meeting someone.

When the perky d**g rep, Katie, started in about how cute and smart her friend was, I listened to her. Blonde, tall, runs his own business, the image screamed dateable and it has been so long. I couldn't believe I was going on a blind date. As I pulled my pickup into the fancy steakhouse, Luna Ferus, I was relieved to at least be trying.

It was Sunday so I'd had time to prepare for this date. I'd taken my long blonde hair out of its usually boring ponytail and curled it cute. I tried to accentuate my green eyes and even had something that might pass for lipstick on.

I'm not bad to look at 5'8 with a size C chest and an ample ass. I spent enough time running the stairs at the hospital I trained at I had become proud of my legs. So to be honest, I was showing them off too. I was wearing the one skirt I owned, a hip hugging black number with a slit up the side of my thigh. I tried not to go overboard with the slutty and choose a tasteful red sleeveless number. In deference to the cold I also threw on a thin black sweater.

I had twirled a couple times in the mirror to make sure the colors didn't wash me out too much. I'm pale to start with and by the middle of winter I start to look a little too delicate. I was satisfied with my appearance though. Not too china doll, not too fuck me; just right to get a man's attention.

My date had arrived before I did and had already been seated. The restaurant was known for its service and style. It was a maze of several smaller dining rooms to give the illusion of a quaint eatery. As I followed the hostess to one of the back dining rooms I noticed most of them were empty, most be off season. I was surprised by the large party of men seated adjacent to our table. Only one other couple dotted the wall of the small dining room.

"Elizabeth," my date said, as I arrived, "so nice to meet you!" he had risen and was leaning forward to grab my hand.

His palm was cool against mine and a little damp. Katie had been right about him. Blonde and tall, but I got the impression he put more time into his hair than I had. He also had the strangest, most perfect tan. I assumed that came from the inside of a lighted box.

"Jeff, thank you so much for the invitation. I've always wondered about this place. Everyone speaks so highly of it." I used my hands to gesture to the surrounding walls. I really did not want to continue holding that hand when we sat down across from one another.

Sitting across from Jeff I had even more time to analyze him, mainly because he never stopped talking. The way his charcoal grey suit was tailored I assumed he was making money at, what was it he was talking about? Real estate, how could I forget.

After the first course I dropped my napkin and bent to pick it up. As my eyes wandered across the restaurant I caught the eyes of a man from the large group staring at me. Not looking, not glancing, staring with enough intensity to make my outfit feel see through.

I adjusted the slit in my skirt trying to cover a little more leg and glanced over again. The man had absolutely no manners at all. His eyes were roaming my body freely as he grinned at me and then winked. I looked at Jeff, who was continuing on about some Condo with a beachfront view. He was oblivious.

'Well, it wasn't like I wasn't looking for male attention when I picked out this outfit,' I thought to myself, 'I just thought I might have better aim.'

It became a game after that, for me at least. I looked over Jeff's shoulder at the man every couple of minutes, or whenever Jeffery got a little too engrossed in roofline architecture.

The man was tall, even sitting down I could tell. His hair was black and shiny, it hung in waves to just his ear. His skin was the most wonderful color, a golden olive, he just screamed healthy and outdoor active. 'He'd have to be active to get a build like that,' I thought examining his near perfect physique. Even his hands which were sitting on the table appeared large and muscular.

Despite wearing a simple polo shirt and casual slacks, he had an unmistakable air of authority. Evidently he was known at the restaurant, because the staff seemed to fawn all over him. Owner or rich client, I couldn't tell.

I was obsessed with watching Mr. Tall and Dark as I had dubbed him. He was smiling most of the time, but when Jeff reached out and took my hand; I saw his jaw tense. Feigning a cough I pulled my hand back and got a subtle nod in response. What a strange little dance we had going on.

I quickly fell to daydreaming about Mr. Tall and Dark. I imagined those strong arms wrapped around me, that powerful mouth over mine. I imagined wrapping my arms around his strong neck and pulling him close. I wondered if his male anatomy was would be just as satisfying as the rest of him was to look at.

Our little staring contest seemed to take on a life of its own. I only took breaks to make some sort of contact with my dinner date.

The man's dinner companions never seemed to notice his lack of attention to them. They talked and laughed amongst themselves. Mr. Tall and Dark just continued to stare right at me. Occasionally I noticed he said something to the group. All other conversation at the table stopped abruptly when his lips were moving. Definitely a man in a position of authority I decided.

"..did you live, Elizabeth?" came the question from my dinner partner. Having been staring back at Mr. Tall and Dark I missed the first half of the question. Jeff's baby blues were turned right on me and I had no idea what to answer. What came out was, "On the east side." That must have been an acceptable answer because Jeff smiled and started in about how the east side had seen quite the rise in property values.