LJ Idol Season 10, Second Chance Round 1: "Not Throwing Away My Shot"
"Snap Judgment"
"Time!" the facilitator called. "Gentlemen, stand up and move to the next table. Everyone, fill out your cards."
Josh smiled, shook Emily's hand, and marked down another "no" on the response card with a small sigh. Why had he let Steve talk him into this speed-dating thing? This was the exact opposite of his style--he preferred to take the time to really get to know a woman, study them, and fit them into the frame of his life. Five minutes wasn't nearly enough time for that.
"Alright, gentlemen, take your seats. Go!" A bell rang, but Josh barely heard it. Sitting across from him was...a vision. Perfectly curled red hair, mischevious green eyes, lips curled into a beaming smile. She was saying something, but he couldn't make it out. Still, he knew he needed to play it off. After all, as the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
"I'm Josh. Couldn't hear you--what did you say your name was?"
"Helen. Lovely to meet you."
"Likewise."
*****
"So you're a photographer? Have I seen your work anywhere?" Helen was leaning forward, listening intently as she had been the entire time--all three minutes of it, anyway.
"Not unless you're into reading obscure collegiate art journals. But I'm working on finding my audience." Josh knew he needed to stop talking about himself, though--while Helen had charmed him instantly, it was no good unless there was some substance there. "But enough about me. What do you do?"
The next two minutes were a runaway train of words, excitement, and hand gestures. Apparently all it took for her to loosen up was for someone to ask. Normally this would have turned Josh off, but something about her--check that, everything about her--was different. He was taking mental notes, trying to keep up, when--
"Time!"
Josh stood, took Helen's extended hand, and leaned forward to plant a kiss on the back of it. "Lovely talking to you."
Helen blushed slightly, but kept her gaze focused on him. "See you soon."
As he walked to the next table, Josh marked "yes" on his response card next to Helen's name. Then, without even thinking about it, he marked "no" next to the names he hadn't even met yet.
*****
Once the group of teenagers had walked off the green, Josh dropped his orange golf ball on the mat. "Alright, hole number two." Helen watched bemusedly as he took his time settling into his stance, then swung the putter back and through.
The ball traveled down the blue-carpeted fairway, following the slope from left to right. It snuck around the triangular block on the right side, skipped onto the green, and dropped into the hole with a loud "ping".
"YEAH!" Josh screamed, giving his best Tiger Woods fist pump as he marched down to retrieve his ball from the cup. Helen greeted this display with polite applause. "Competitive much?"
"Oh, always. What's the point of playing if you're not trying to win?"
Helen shrugged, then set her bright yellow ball down. Josh quickly pulled out his phone and set video rolling. Helen looked up just as she was about to swing. "No photographs, please!"
Josh smiled. "If there's one person you DON'T say that to..."
"Yeah, whatever." Concentrating on the task at hand, Helen took her swing, then tracked the ball as it followed the exact path Josh's ball had, right into the center of the cup. Throwing her arms into the air with a scream, Helen raced down to join Josh. "Game on!"
*****
Josh parked his car outside of Helen's apartment building, then raced around to open the door for her. "So well-trained," Helen remarked as she exited.
"Hey, some of us still believe in the good parts of chivalry," Josh replied, offering his arm to her. "Shall we?"
Helen took his arm, and they started walking toward the gate. Josh couldn't remember the last time he'd even had a second date, let alone one that had gone so well--at least, up until now. As Josh knew from bitter experience, the last thirty seconds could change everything.
Helen stopped at the gate and turned to face him. "Thank you for another wonderful evening," she whispered, opening her arms for a hug. Josh accepted, and they stood there for several seconds, wordlessly embracing. Josh felt Helen's hands rest on the back of his neck, and she pulled back slightly but didn't let go.
Looking into her eyes, Josh wondered what she was thinking. Was this the moment? He watched her eyes peek down at his lips, then back up to meet his. Well, what's the worst that could happen? Josh thought, before recognizing that thought for what it was and replacing it with a different one. If you kiss her, you might regret it. If you don't, you definitely will.
Gently reaching his hand up to caress her cheek, he took one quick peek down to see Helen licking her lips. Moving closer to her and bringing his gaze back up to her eyes, he whispered "May I?"
Helen smiled that brilliant smile that had caught his attention two weekends earlier and pulled him closer. "Thought you'd never ask."
*****
The morning sun peeked through the curtains, waking Josh as it did most mornings. This morning, however, was very different.
"Hello, sleepyhead," came Helen's voice from beside him. Josh peeked down at her smiling face and blinked a couple of times, just to be sure.
"Good morning, angel." Helen smiled and leaned up to kiss him.
So much had happened in the past month. Six dates, too many kisses to count, and now, for the first time, waking up in each other's arms. Josh made a note to thank Steve the next time he saw him.
"Sleep well?" Helen's voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"Next to you, who wouldn't?" Josh felt Helen blush as she snuggled closer beside him. They lay in silence for a few minutes, letting the sun warm them through the covers. Then Helen shifted and sat up slightly.
"Who's that?" she whispered, pointing toward Josh's bedstand. Josh turned his head--and realized what was going on. The picture sitting in the frame was of a blonde woman, smiling and beautiful. Josie. "An ex-girlfriend."
"Did you break her heart, or did she break yours?" Helen sat up and pulled the sheets around her protectively.
"She...tried to break mine. I'm pretty resilient, though." Josh thought back to the way he had found out she was cheating on him. He couldn't ever picture Helen doing so, but he'd been wrong before. Clearly.
"So why's her picture still there?"
Good question. Josh looked at the photograph again, the way the sunlight sparkled in her eyes, the framing of her face, the balance of colors and shadows. "Because it's the best portrait I've ever taken, from a technical perspective."
Helen scrunched up her face, pondering this. "Hmm." Looking over at her, Josh knew this was an important moment, and knew exactly what he had to do. He'd been planning the surprise for her birthday next week, but plans sometimes need to change.
"You know what, you're right. This picture belongs in my gallery." Standing up and wrapping the blanket around himself, he grabbed the picture of Josie and walked it across the hall to his work room. He returned a second later, carrying a different frame. "This one, however, belongs in my heart."
Helen gasped as he turned the picture around. It was the one he'd asked a stranger to take of them after the opera last week. The two of them made a perfect couple, dressed to the nines and beaming like the happiest people in the world.
"Wow..."
"That picture was my technical masterpiece," Josh whispered. "But this...this is the most beautiful picture ever."
Helen leaned back on the bed, tossed away the sheets, and beckoned to him. "Come over here and say that..."
"Time!" the facilitator called. "Gentlemen, stand up and move to the next table. Everyone, fill out your cards."
Josh smiled, shook Emily's hand, and marked down another "no" on the response card with a small sigh. Why had he let Steve talk him into this speed-dating thing? This was the exact opposite of his style--he preferred to take the time to really get to know a woman, study them, and fit them into the frame of his life. Five minutes wasn't nearly enough time for that.
"Alright, gentlemen, take your seats. Go!" A bell rang, but Josh barely heard it. Sitting across from him was...a vision. Perfectly curled red hair, mischevious green eyes, lips curled into a beaming smile. She was saying something, but he couldn't make it out. Still, he knew he needed to play it off. After all, as the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
"I'm Josh. Couldn't hear you--what did you say your name was?"
"Helen. Lovely to meet you."
"Likewise."
*****
"So you're a photographer? Have I seen your work anywhere?" Helen was leaning forward, listening intently as she had been the entire time--all three minutes of it, anyway.
"Not unless you're into reading obscure collegiate art journals. But I'm working on finding my audience." Josh knew he needed to stop talking about himself, though--while Helen had charmed him instantly, it was no good unless there was some substance there. "But enough about me. What do you do?"
The next two minutes were a runaway train of words, excitement, and hand gestures. Apparently all it took for her to loosen up was for someone to ask. Normally this would have turned Josh off, but something about her--check that, everything about her--was different. He was taking mental notes, trying to keep up, when--
"Time!"
Josh stood, took Helen's extended hand, and leaned forward to plant a kiss on the back of it. "Lovely talking to you."
Helen blushed slightly, but kept her gaze focused on him. "See you soon."
As he walked to the next table, Josh marked "yes" on his response card next to Helen's name. Then, without even thinking about it, he marked "no" next to the names he hadn't even met yet.
*****
Once the group of teenagers had walked off the green, Josh dropped his orange golf ball on the mat. "Alright, hole number two." Helen watched bemusedly as he took his time settling into his stance, then swung the putter back and through.
The ball traveled down the blue-carpeted fairway, following the slope from left to right. It snuck around the triangular block on the right side, skipped onto the green, and dropped into the hole with a loud "ping".
"YEAH!" Josh screamed, giving his best Tiger Woods fist pump as he marched down to retrieve his ball from the cup. Helen greeted this display with polite applause. "Competitive much?"
"Oh, always. What's the point of playing if you're not trying to win?"
Helen shrugged, then set her bright yellow ball down. Josh quickly pulled out his phone and set video rolling. Helen looked up just as she was about to swing. "No photographs, please!"
Josh smiled. "If there's one person you DON'T say that to..."
"Yeah, whatever." Concentrating on the task at hand, Helen took her swing, then tracked the ball as it followed the exact path Josh's ball had, right into the center of the cup. Throwing her arms into the air with a scream, Helen raced down to join Josh. "Game on!"
*****
Josh parked his car outside of Helen's apartment building, then raced around to open the door for her. "So well-trained," Helen remarked as she exited.
"Hey, some of us still believe in the good parts of chivalry," Josh replied, offering his arm to her. "Shall we?"
Helen took his arm, and they started walking toward the gate. Josh couldn't remember the last time he'd even had a second date, let alone one that had gone so well--at least, up until now. As Josh knew from bitter experience, the last thirty seconds could change everything.
Helen stopped at the gate and turned to face him. "Thank you for another wonderful evening," she whispered, opening her arms for a hug. Josh accepted, and they stood there for several seconds, wordlessly embracing. Josh felt Helen's hands rest on the back of his neck, and she pulled back slightly but didn't let go.
Looking into her eyes, Josh wondered what she was thinking. Was this the moment? He watched her eyes peek down at his lips, then back up to meet his. Well, what's the worst that could happen? Josh thought, before recognizing that thought for what it was and replacing it with a different one. If you kiss her, you might regret it. If you don't, you definitely will.
Gently reaching his hand up to caress her cheek, he took one quick peek down to see Helen licking her lips. Moving closer to her and bringing his gaze back up to her eyes, he whispered "May I?"
Helen smiled that brilliant smile that had caught his attention two weekends earlier and pulled him closer. "Thought you'd never ask."
*****
The morning sun peeked through the curtains, waking Josh as it did most mornings. This morning, however, was very different.
"Hello, sleepyhead," came Helen's voice from beside him. Josh peeked down at her smiling face and blinked a couple of times, just to be sure.
"Good morning, angel." Helen smiled and leaned up to kiss him.
So much had happened in the past month. Six dates, too many kisses to count, and now, for the first time, waking up in each other's arms. Josh made a note to thank Steve the next time he saw him.
"Sleep well?" Helen's voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"Next to you, who wouldn't?" Josh felt Helen blush as she snuggled closer beside him. They lay in silence for a few minutes, letting the sun warm them through the covers. Then Helen shifted and sat up slightly.
"Who's that?" she whispered, pointing toward Josh's bedstand. Josh turned his head--and realized what was going on. The picture sitting in the frame was of a blonde woman, smiling and beautiful. Josie. "An ex-girlfriend."
"Did you break her heart, or did she break yours?" Helen sat up and pulled the sheets around her protectively.
"She...tried to break mine. I'm pretty resilient, though." Josh thought back to the way he had found out she was cheating on him. He couldn't ever picture Helen doing so, but he'd been wrong before. Clearly.
"So why's her picture still there?"
Good question. Josh looked at the photograph again, the way the sunlight sparkled in her eyes, the framing of her face, the balance of colors and shadows. "Because it's the best portrait I've ever taken, from a technical perspective."
Helen scrunched up her face, pondering this. "Hmm." Looking over at her, Josh knew this was an important moment, and knew exactly what he had to do. He'd been planning the surprise for her birthday next week, but plans sometimes need to change.
"You know what, you're right. This picture belongs in my gallery." Standing up and wrapping the blanket around himself, he grabbed the picture of Josie and walked it across the hall to his work room. He returned a second later, carrying a different frame. "This one, however, belongs in my heart."
Helen gasped as he turned the picture around. It was the one he'd asked a stranger to take of them after the opera last week. The two of them made a perfect couple, dressed to the nines and beaming like the happiest people in the world.
"Wow..."
"That picture was my technical masterpiece," Josh whispered. "But this...this is the most beautiful picture ever."
Helen leaned back on the bed, tossed away the sheets, and beckoned to him. "Come over here and say that..."