Blind Date?
Eilley Clacher rung the bell of her son's brownstone home. It was early Saturday morning and she imagined he would be home-if she remembered his routine properly. She had a habit of being slightly scatter brained, something her husband teased her about mercilessly. (Which explained perfectly why she had named her son's stray cat-Cupid, Greek Kitty of Love-forgetting that Cupid was a Roman god.)
She had her golden locks twisted up into a sophisticated bun. It was befitting of her age, fifty-nine come June, and drew attention away from any grays that might have shown. She tilted her head, clutching her small purse in one hand, as she waited for him to come to the door. Truthfully she was a bit nervous about how he would take what she had to tell him. She had made it a rule, one her husband often neglected when it came to their daughters, to never stick her nose or mess with her children's social lives-love lives-and she wasn't sure he'd be open to her doing so.
Still she pasted on a bright smile, apples of her cheeks making her sparkling blue eyes squint slightly, so as to avoid suspicion. She flicked at the bangs above her eyes when the door opened.
"Ryan, darling! You shouldn't keep your mother waiting so long!" she greeted him with a bubbly laugh and a one-armed hug. She pulled away and looked up at him, a slight frown pulling at her lips as she tutted. "Why do you like that-that," she twiddled her fingers at the stubble decorating his chin, "sandpaper growing on your face?" She sighed, "You would look much more handsome without it."
With a chuckle, Ryan motioned his mother inside into the foyer. He considered seating her in the study but then remembered the mess of papers he was grading in there. Gently taking her arm in his, he escorted her into the family room where he offered her a seat.
"Would you like a drink?"
"No, but thank you for asking, dear." She smiled demurely at his exquisite manners, crossing her ankles as she sat on the couch. "How-" she started to inquire as to his well being when the sleek one-year old Havana Brown her son had found at the tail end of the previous year leaped up onto her lap.
Despite the fact that Mrs. Clacher had stuck him with the moniker that tempted people to giggle, he had a fondness for the woman. He purred and meowed at her, waiting for a morning greeting of a scratch behind his ears, before sprawling out beside her. Close enough that she could stroke his soft fur but not so close as to shed chocolate hairs onto her avocado green skirt.
Eilley smiled down at Cupid, trailing her land lazily down his side, before turning back to her son. "How are you?"
"Well I haven't managed to squander the family fortune or get myself trapped in an illicit love affair," he teased. "I'm good, much as I was when I saw you for dinner four days ago." He raised a brow at her in obvious question. He loved his mother, enjoyed seeing her, but it was rare that he saw her more than once a week, what with living a two hour drive from where he lived. "What brings you here?"
"Oh I was in the neighborhood to run some errands," she attempted to shrug it off but her mischievous blue eyes gave her away. He sometimes wondered why so many people he knew had mischievous blue eyes that sparked as though shot by some wayward arrow of strife from Ate. His mother, both of his sisters, and even his best friend Gideon all seemed afflicted with the trait. All though his family was far from the league that Gid was in, what with his rust red hair and fondness of expletives (something he did he best to keep hidden around his sisters and mother, though his father found it rather amusing).
"I know you better than that. Out with it."
"Keep in mind, dear, this was not my idea. I came to tell you that Miss-" she blinked as the name escaped her. "Well one of the women you know from those charity for the arts events. Apparently a woman asked about you and she thinks you two would be a lovely couple. She'd like to set the two of you up on a blind date." She shifted a bit under his gaze, "She was over for dinner the other night and hadn't had a chance to get in touch with you. I've been meaning to come see Siusan's new apartment so I thought the least I could was stop by for Miss-well, whatever the dear's name is."
Ryan chuckled. That could be one of a hundred meddling women that knew him from regular attendances. It wasn't completely out of the blue for one of them to want to set him up but rarely did he find himself interested in it, save as just a fun attempt at dating. He'd only accepted a few invitations and he really didn't know if he could accept this one. He had papers to grade and not knowing which woman was setting them up was not a good sign.
"As much fun as it'd be, I'm not sure I have the time right now. I have papers to grade and-"
"Oh, papers. Don't you have a teaching assistant for that? Basil or Bartholomew?"
Ryan bit down roughly on his tongue to stop himself from bursting out laughing. Bartholomew? There was no way Brooklyn, a young man who tended to go by his middle name of Jacob, would have imagined someone calling him that. Basil was bad enough but Bartholomew?
He shook his head, "Brooklyn. He was chosen for the study abroad program and I haven't found a suitable replacement yet."
"I think you can manage one date. She sounds like a lovely woman and Miss Garland seemed so sure the two of you would get along. Not to mention the woman lost her husband and, well you are very good at lending a shoulder," she pointed out.
He sighed, running a hand through his short brown hair, feeling a touch of guilt for considering turning down someone who was probably feeling lonely and grieving. He imagined if she had asked about him, she must want to move on and there wasn't any harm in going on a date.
"All right. Do you have either of their numbers? I'll give one or both of them a call and see if we can't set something up."
"That's my boy," Eilley beamed, eyes squinting in delight. "Now, don't arrange anything for the thirtieth, we're throwing Siusan an apartment warming. And don't forget to pick up Caoimhe on the way there," she added as she rose. She gave Cupid an affectionate pat on the head before embracing her son and handing him the numbers she'd been given at dinner the other night. Then she allowed him to escort her out, dropping the latest news about his father and sisters before heading off to Siusan's.
He shut the door and then went to call Siusan and warn her of their mother's visit. He had a feeling she would want to get Mahon out or dressed before an unexpected knock on the door. Especially when he recalled how he had found out about his sister's latest boyfriend. As the phone rang, he glanced at the notepaper with the information on it.
Angela Morningstar. It was a rather intriguing name. He didn't think he had ever met her and wondered what she was like. He hoped he wouldn't be a disappointment, that whatever she was looking for he could help her find.
She had her golden locks twisted up into a sophisticated bun. It was befitting of her age, fifty-nine come June, and drew attention away from any grays that might have shown. She tilted her head, clutching her small purse in one hand, as she waited for him to come to the door. Truthfully she was a bit nervous about how he would take what she had to tell him. She had made it a rule, one her husband often neglected when it came to their daughters, to never stick her nose or mess with her children's social lives-love lives-and she wasn't sure he'd be open to her doing so.
Still she pasted on a bright smile, apples of her cheeks making her sparkling blue eyes squint slightly, so as to avoid suspicion. She flicked at the bangs above her eyes when the door opened.
"Ryan, darling! You shouldn't keep your mother waiting so long!" she greeted him with a bubbly laugh and a one-armed hug. She pulled away and looked up at him, a slight frown pulling at her lips as she tutted. "Why do you like that-that," she twiddled her fingers at the stubble decorating his chin, "sandpaper growing on your face?" She sighed, "You would look much more handsome without it."
With a chuckle, Ryan motioned his mother inside into the foyer. He considered seating her in the study but then remembered the mess of papers he was grading in there. Gently taking her arm in his, he escorted her into the family room where he offered her a seat.
"Would you like a drink?"
"No, but thank you for asking, dear." She smiled demurely at his exquisite manners, crossing her ankles as she sat on the couch. "How-" she started to inquire as to his well being when the sleek one-year old Havana Brown her son had found at the tail end of the previous year leaped up onto her lap.
Despite the fact that Mrs. Clacher had stuck him with the moniker that tempted people to giggle, he had a fondness for the woman. He purred and meowed at her, waiting for a morning greeting of a scratch behind his ears, before sprawling out beside her. Close enough that she could stroke his soft fur but not so close as to shed chocolate hairs onto her avocado green skirt.
Eilley smiled down at Cupid, trailing her land lazily down his side, before turning back to her son. "How are you?"
"Well I haven't managed to squander the family fortune or get myself trapped in an illicit love affair," he teased. "I'm good, much as I was when I saw you for dinner four days ago." He raised a brow at her in obvious question. He loved his mother, enjoyed seeing her, but it was rare that he saw her more than once a week, what with living a two hour drive from where he lived. "What brings you here?"
"Oh I was in the neighborhood to run some errands," she attempted to shrug it off but her mischievous blue eyes gave her away. He sometimes wondered why so many people he knew had mischievous blue eyes that sparked as though shot by some wayward arrow of strife from Ate. His mother, both of his sisters, and even his best friend Gideon all seemed afflicted with the trait. All though his family was far from the league that Gid was in, what with his rust red hair and fondness of expletives (something he did he best to keep hidden around his sisters and mother, though his father found it rather amusing).
"I know you better than that. Out with it."
"Keep in mind, dear, this was not my idea. I came to tell you that Miss-" she blinked as the name escaped her. "Well one of the women you know from those charity for the arts events. Apparently a woman asked about you and she thinks you two would be a lovely couple. She'd like to set the two of you up on a blind date." She shifted a bit under his gaze, "She was over for dinner the other night and hadn't had a chance to get in touch with you. I've been meaning to come see Siusan's new apartment so I thought the least I could was stop by for Miss-well, whatever the dear's name is."
Ryan chuckled. That could be one of a hundred meddling women that knew him from regular attendances. It wasn't completely out of the blue for one of them to want to set him up but rarely did he find himself interested in it, save as just a fun attempt at dating. He'd only accepted a few invitations and he really didn't know if he could accept this one. He had papers to grade and not knowing which woman was setting them up was not a good sign.
"As much fun as it'd be, I'm not sure I have the time right now. I have papers to grade and-"
"Oh, papers. Don't you have a teaching assistant for that? Basil or Bartholomew?"
Ryan bit down roughly on his tongue to stop himself from bursting out laughing. Bartholomew? There was no way Brooklyn, a young man who tended to go by his middle name of Jacob, would have imagined someone calling him that. Basil was bad enough but Bartholomew?
He shook his head, "Brooklyn. He was chosen for the study abroad program and I haven't found a suitable replacement yet."
"I think you can manage one date. She sounds like a lovely woman and Miss Garland seemed so sure the two of you would get along. Not to mention the woman lost her husband and, well you are very good at lending a shoulder," she pointed out.
He sighed, running a hand through his short brown hair, feeling a touch of guilt for considering turning down someone who was probably feeling lonely and grieving. He imagined if she had asked about him, she must want to move on and there wasn't any harm in going on a date.
"All right. Do you have either of their numbers? I'll give one or both of them a call and see if we can't set something up."
"That's my boy," Eilley beamed, eyes squinting in delight. "Now, don't arrange anything for the thirtieth, we're throwing Siusan an apartment warming. And don't forget to pick up Caoimhe on the way there," she added as she rose. She gave Cupid an affectionate pat on the head before embracing her son and handing him the numbers she'd been given at dinner the other night. Then she allowed him to escort her out, dropping the latest news about his father and sisters before heading off to Siusan's.
He shut the door and then went to call Siusan and warn her of their mother's visit. He had a feeling she would want to get Mahon out or dressed before an unexpected knock on the door. Especially when he recalled how he had found out about his sister's latest boyfriend. As the phone rang, he glanced at the notepaper with the information on it.
Angela Morningstar. It was a rather intriguing name. He didn't think he had ever met her and wondered what she was like. He hoped he wouldn't be a disappointment, that whatever she was looking for he could help her find.