RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (5/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:41:10 UTC
With an annoyed huff, Jensen scowled at his phone. Chris was right. The smug bastard was always right. He checked the time. He had about fifteen minutes before he was due to meet Jared. He checked his reflection in the rearview mirror and then forced himself out of his car and into the restaurant to wait for Jared.
He thought about taking Chris’ advice; about ordering a drink to settle his nerves, but decided against it. He didn’t want that as an excuse as to why things crashed and burned between himself and Jared. When he looked back on his epic failure of meeting Jared, he wanted to be able to say that he had been stone-cold sober, and it had been all him.
Quietly he followed the hostess to the table Jared had reserved and sat waiting for him to arrive. From where the table was, he could see the restaurant lobby and every time someone walked in. Several times the door opened, only to reveal couples as they entered and were seated in the dining room around him. He smiled nervously at a few people who passed by his table, giving him questioning looks at seeing him sitting alone on Valentine’s Day.
His heart nearly stopped when the door opened and a man walked by in himself and then quickly told himself the tall, well-built man with chestnut-colored hair wasn’t there to meet him. As the man waited for the hostess to return to her station, he turned to look at those already seated and he thought whoever the man was, was probably searching for his date. Whoever that person was, was extremely lucky, he thought to himself because the stranger was his idea of the ideal man. He watched as the man smiled at the hostess, and then she was leading him to the table he was sitting at. With a smile at them both, the hostess quickly returned to greet newcomers who had just arrived.
He stood to his full height as the man extended his hand to him. He could feel his breathing quickening as he reached out to shake the man’s hand. “J . J . Jared,” he managed to get out and then clamped his lips together.
Jared smiled and nodded as they shook hands. “Jensen, it’s nice to meet you,” he said as he let go of Jensen’s hand. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” He watched as Jensen shook his head no as they both sat down. “Have you ever been here before?”
Jensen shook his head and managed to respond, “No,” before he went silent.
“I figured it was centrally located for us both, so it was a good place to meet,” Jared explained and then pulled out his phone to look at it.
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (6/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:41:45 UTC
Jensen watched as Jared looked at his phone, smiled and then responded to what he guessed had been a text message he had received. He picked up his menu and glanced at it, trying to give Jared privacy. He glanced at Jared when he heard him place his phone down.
Picking up his menu, Jared looked it over. “I’ve eaten here a few times,” he said as he looked over his menu to see if Jensen was listening to him. He saw green eyes watching him intently from over Jensen’s menu.
Jensen nodded in response and then disappeared behind his menu, trying to figure out what he was going to order. When he had, he placed his menu down in front of him and waited for Jared so they could order. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak. “Have you decided . . .” he started to say and then stopped when Jared’s phone vibrated against the table. He watched as Jared placed his menu down, grabbed his phone, read his text and then responded to it.
Placing his phone down, Jared looked at Jensen, “Sorry, you were saying?”
Jensen opened his mouth to answer, only to remain silent when their waitress appeared, offering to take their drink order.
“Water, please,” Jensen requested after Jared ordered a beer.
The waitress nodded and started to turn away when Jared spoke up.
“I think we’re actually ready to order. I’ll have the New York Strip, cooked medium rare, with broccoli and mashed potatoes,” he stated and then handed his menu to the waitress.
The waitress turned to Jensen, ready to take his order. “And for you?”
Jensen gave Jared a smile before placing his order. Since he was nervous, he knew he needed to keep his speech concise. “I’d like the Sirloin, medium rare, baked potato.” He offered the waitress a small smile as he handed her his menu and then watched as she disappeared to place their orders. He turned his attention back to Jared. “Work,” Jensen said and then realized he hadn’t formulated an actual sentence when Jared gave him a puzzled look. “How was work?” he asked.
“Busy,” Jared stated before he reached for his phone again as it vibrated. He read the text and typed a response, chuckling the entire time.
As their waitress appeared with their drinks, Jensen managed to thank her while Jared studied his phone. Trying to pass the time while Jared was on his phone, Jensen reached for his napkin, unfolded it and placed it over his lap, running his hands over it several times to smooth out the material. He looked up to find that Jared was no longer on his phone. He gave Jared a chance to take a drink of his beer before he tried to speak again. “Busy,’ he echoed, hoping Jared would elaborate.
Jared cocked his head to the side, trying to understand what Jensen was talking about. “Busy?” he questioned.
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (7/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:42:13 UTC
Jensen nodded his head in response before speaking slowly, “You said work was busy.” Having finally gotten an actual sentence out, he felt his mouth go dry and reached for his water. Taking a sip, he waited for Jared to reply.
“Oh, right,” Jared breathed out when he realized what Jensen was referring to. “Yeah, I had an emergency call today. A dog got hit by a car.” He grimaced at the memory. He was about to launch into a further explanation when his phone vibrated again. He grabbed it, read the text and laughed as he responded to the message. As he placed his phone down again he looked at Jensen. “You're not what I was expecting,” Jared commented as his eyes met Jensen’s.
To Jensen, it seemed as if Jared was studying him, trying to determine whether or not he was worth his time. He looked at Jared and gave him a smile, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling from Jared's words. He nodded his head in understanding, he had been right, Jared didn’t think he was worth his time. That had been evident by Jared constantly checking his phone and texting with someone. Jared probably had plans with someone later and was trying to hurry this dinner along. That he could do for him, he thought with quiet determination.
“I’m sorry,” Jensen said in a near whisper as he folded his napkin and then placed it on the table. Pushing himself away from the table, he stood to his full height and then pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he quickly calculated what their meals cost and placed the money on the table. “I s . s . should go. T . t . this was . . .” he stopped speaking, forcing himself to take a breath to calm his nerves and quiet his mind before he spoke again. “This was a mistake.”
“What? Why?” Jared asked in surprise as he looked up at Jensen. “Why is this a mistake? I thought . . . I couldn’t wait to meet you in person. We have so much in common. I thought . . .” he started to say and then was cut off by the sound of his phone.
“You can . . . you can tell whoever that is you’re on your way,” Jensen responded dejectedly as he pushed his chair in and started to turn so he could walk away.
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (8/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:42:47 UTC
Realizing why Jensen had cut their dinner short, Jared quickly stood and grabbed Jensen by the wrist stopping him from leaving. “Wait, please don’t go. I’m sorry.” He sighed heavily as his phone sounded again. “It’s not what you think,” he murmured as he let go of Jensen. He looked down at his phone and then back up at Jensen with a pleading expression on his face. “I’m not great in social settings. I tend to say the wrong thing and end up offending someone.” As his phone sounded again, he held it up. “It’s my friend, Chad. Strictly a friend. He was trying to help me get over being so nervous about meeting you.” His phone went off again and he gave Jensen an apologetic smile. “Let me turn this off,” he said as he silenced his phone and shoved it into his pocket. “Can we . . . can we start over? Please?”
Jensen looked into Jared’s hazel eyes to see sincerity reflected in them. “Why . . . why were you nervous to meet me?” Jensen found himself asking and then bit his bottom lip.
“Because I like you. And I was hoping you liked me.”
“Why did you say I wasn’t what you expected?”
“Oh, God, I can’t believe I just blurted that out.” Jared raised a hand to his face and rubbed his fingers along his forehead, trying to find a way to apologize. “Please, can we sit down?” He didn’t move to his chair until he saw Jensen sit down. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I offended you. I couldn’t believe my luck.” He felt his cheeks begin to heat from embarrassment and he tucked his chin against his chest. He looked up at Jensen to see that he was watching him intently. “I know this’ll sound stupid, especially since I’ve never seen you until today, but I’ve had a crush on you. I imagined what you looked like when we chatted, but my imagination didn’t do you justice.” He sighed and then rubbed his forehead again. “Then you were really quiet, and Chad kept texting me, asking about you and telling me what to say to you so you’d talk to me. I screwed this up.”
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (9/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:43:19 UTC
Jensen began to quietly laugh. As he thought about how nervous he had been he was wracked with laughter that bubbled up from inside himself and he couldn’t contain it. He tossed his head back as he laughed until it subsided and he was able to catch his breath and look at Jared. He saw Jared regarding him with confusion. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you, honestly,” he confided and then reached out to place a hand on Jared’s arm. “I was so nervous about meeting you that I almost texted you to cancel. My best friend Chris talked me out of it.” Pulling his hand back he looked down at it, not willing to look at Jared. “I saw you and thought there was no way someone as good-looking as you are was single, let alone the person I was meeting.” He bit his bottom lip as he tried to figure out if he should explain why he had been so quiet. Deciding it was best to put all his cards on the table he forced himself to meet Jared’s eyes. “I was quiet because I was afraid to speak.”
Jared’s brows furrowed as he listened. “I don’t get it. You’re doing fine. You don’t seem to have an issue.” He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head at himself, again he had just blurted something out. Opening his eyes he looked at Jensen. “See, no filter. I’ll shut up, I promise.”
“I had a severe stutter. I still do when I’m nervous or really stressed. I don’t usually engage in normal conversation. I don’t like to talk a lot. I can’t just strike up a conversation with a stranger. I normally just stay home.”
“But you were willing to meet me.” Jared sat back in his chair and looked at Jensen with something akin to awe. “And then I screwed it up.”
“How about we start over?” Jensen offered as he held out his hand. “Jared, it’s nice to finally meet you in person.
With a dimpled smile, Jared accepted Jensen’s hand, “Hi Jensen, it’s nice to finally meet you, too.”
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (10/10)jdl71February 7 2020, 04:44:03 UTC
They ended their handshake as their waitress appeared with their food. Once she left, Jensen caught Jared’s eye. “I’m glad we did this. I’m really happy that you convinced me to meet in person.”
Jared gave Jensen a wide smile, “Me, too. Maybe . . . maybe we could do this again . . . meet someplace where you’d be more comfortable. I mean . . . if you want to, if you want to talk to me. If I don’t offend you again, or embarrass you. I tend to babble when I’m nervous. I suck at this, I’m sorry.”
“We’re a pair, you talk a lot and I don’t.”
“We balance each other out, don’t we?” Jared commented and then gave Jensen a sly smile.
“Well, how can I say no to that?”
“Does that mean we’ll go on a second date?” Jared slapped his hand over his mouth when he realized what he had just said.
Jensen raised his eyebrows at Jared. He took a bite of his meal, using the time to chew and swallow to choose his words carefully. “I’d like a second date.”
“Thank God,” Jared whispered and then took a bite of his steak.
Jensen chuckled in response. He smiled softly at Jared as he thought about the turn of events. He had been so worried about meeting Jared, wanting to impress him, hoping he didn’t embarrass himself, and as it turned out, Jared had been dealing with the same fears and self-doubt. He had managed to open up to Jared and been asked out on a second date. And he was having a good time. The worst part of all this was that he was going to have to admit to Chris that he had been right. But if that was the worst of it, he’d take it, and happily go on as many dates with Jared as he could.
RE: Nice To Meet You In Real Life (10/10)zubeneschamaliFebruary 14 2020, 04:08:02 UTC
Aw! I like how they each had the same fear but that it manifested itself differently in their ways of speaking. And good for them both for getting up the courage to be honest about it!
He thought about taking Chris’ advice; about ordering a drink to settle his nerves, but decided against it. He didn’t want that as an excuse as to why things crashed and burned between himself and Jared. When he looked back on his epic failure of meeting Jared, he wanted to be able to say that he had been stone-cold sober, and it had been all him.
Quietly he followed the hostess to the table Jared had reserved and sat waiting for him to arrive. From where the table was, he could see the restaurant lobby and every time someone walked in. Several times the door opened, only to reveal couples as they entered and were seated in the dining room around him. He smiled nervously at a few people who passed by his table, giving him questioning looks at seeing him sitting alone on Valentine’s Day.
His heart nearly stopped when the door opened and a man walked by in himself and then quickly told himself the tall, well-built man with chestnut-colored hair wasn’t there to meet him. As the man waited for the hostess to return to her station, he turned to look at those already seated and he thought whoever the man was, was probably searching for his date. Whoever that person was, was extremely lucky, he thought to himself because the stranger was his idea of the ideal man. He watched as the man smiled at the hostess, and then she was leading him to the table he was sitting at. With a smile at them both, the hostess quickly returned to greet newcomers who had just arrived.
He stood to his full height as the man extended his hand to him. He could feel his breathing quickening as he reached out to shake the man’s hand. “J . J . Jared,” he managed to get out and then clamped his lips together.
Jared smiled and nodded as they shook hands. “Jensen, it’s nice to meet you,” he said as he let go of Jensen’s hand. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” He watched as Jensen shook his head no as they both sat down. “Have you ever been here before?”
Jensen shook his head and managed to respond, “No,” before he went silent.
“I figured it was centrally located for us both, so it was a good place to meet,” Jared explained and then pulled out his phone to look at it.
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Picking up his menu, Jared looked it over. “I’ve eaten here a few times,” he said as he looked over his menu to see if Jensen was listening to him. He saw green eyes watching him intently from over Jensen’s menu.
Jensen nodded in response and then disappeared behind his menu, trying to figure out what he was going to order. When he had, he placed his menu down in front of him and waited for Jared so they could order. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak. “Have you decided . . .” he started to say and then stopped when Jared’s phone vibrated against the table. He watched as Jared placed his menu down, grabbed his phone, read his text and then responded to it.
Placing his phone down, Jared looked at Jensen, “Sorry, you were saying?”
Jensen opened his mouth to answer, only to remain silent when their waitress appeared, offering to take their drink order.
“Water, please,” Jensen requested after Jared ordered a beer.
The waitress nodded and started to turn away when Jared spoke up.
“I think we’re actually ready to order. I’ll have the New York Strip, cooked medium rare, with broccoli and mashed potatoes,” he stated and then handed his menu to the waitress.
The waitress turned to Jensen, ready to take his order. “And for you?”
Jensen gave Jared a smile before placing his order. Since he was nervous, he knew he needed to keep his speech concise. “I’d like the Sirloin, medium rare, baked potato.” He offered the waitress a small smile as he handed her his menu and then watched as she disappeared to place their orders. He turned his attention back to Jared. “Work,” Jensen said and then realized he hadn’t formulated an actual sentence when Jared gave him a puzzled look. “How was work?” he asked.
“Busy,” Jared stated before he reached for his phone again as it vibrated. He read the text and typed a response, chuckling the entire time.
As their waitress appeared with their drinks, Jensen managed to thank her while Jared studied his phone. Trying to pass the time while Jared was on his phone, Jensen reached for his napkin, unfolded it and placed it over his lap, running his hands over it several times to smooth out the material. He looked up to find that Jared was no longer on his phone. He gave Jared a chance to take a drink of his beer before he tried to speak again. “Busy,’ he echoed, hoping Jared would elaborate.
Jared cocked his head to the side, trying to understand what Jensen was talking about. “Busy?” he questioned.
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“Oh, right,” Jared breathed out when he realized what Jensen was referring to. “Yeah, I had an emergency call today. A dog got hit by a car.” He grimaced at the memory. He was about to launch into a further explanation when his phone vibrated again. He grabbed it, read the text and laughed as he responded to the message. As he placed his phone down again he looked at Jensen. “You're not what I was expecting,” Jared commented as his eyes met Jensen’s.
To Jensen, it seemed as if Jared was studying him, trying to determine whether or not he was worth his time. He looked at Jared and gave him a smile, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling from Jared's words. He nodded his head in understanding, he had been right, Jared didn’t think he was worth his time. That had been evident by Jared constantly checking his phone and texting with someone. Jared probably had plans with someone later and was trying to hurry this dinner along. That he could do for him, he thought with quiet determination.
“I’m sorry,” Jensen said in a near whisper as he folded his napkin and then placed it on the table. Pushing himself away from the table, he stood to his full height and then pulled out his wallet. Opening it, he quickly calculated what their meals cost and placed the money on the table. “I s . s . should go. T . t . this was . . .” he stopped speaking, forcing himself to take a breath to calm his nerves and quiet his mind before he spoke again. “This was a mistake.”
“What? Why?” Jared asked in surprise as he looked up at Jensen. “Why is this a mistake? I thought . . . I couldn’t wait to meet you in person. We have so much in common. I thought . . .” he started to say and then was cut off by the sound of his phone.
“You can . . . you can tell whoever that is you’re on your way,” Jensen responded dejectedly as he pushed his chair in and started to turn so he could walk away.
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Jensen looked into Jared’s hazel eyes to see sincerity reflected in them. “Why . . . why were you nervous to meet me?” Jensen found himself asking and then bit his bottom lip.
“Because I like you. And I was hoping you liked me.”
“Why did you say I wasn’t what you expected?”
“Oh, God, I can’t believe I just blurted that out.” Jared raised a hand to his face and rubbed his fingers along his forehead, trying to find a way to apologize. “Please, can we sit down?” He didn’t move to his chair until he saw Jensen sit down. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I offended you. I couldn’t believe my luck.” He felt his cheeks begin to heat from embarrassment and he tucked his chin against his chest. He looked up at Jensen to see that he was watching him intently. “I know this’ll sound stupid, especially since I’ve never seen you until today, but I’ve had a crush on you. I imagined what you looked like when we chatted, but my imagination didn’t do you justice.” He sighed and then rubbed his forehead again. “Then you were really quiet, and Chad kept texting me, asking about you and telling me what to say to you so you’d talk to me. I screwed this up.”
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Jared’s brows furrowed as he listened. “I don’t get it. You’re doing fine. You don’t seem to have an issue.” He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head at himself, again he had just blurted something out. Opening his eyes he looked at Jensen. “See, no filter. I’ll shut up, I promise.”
“I had a severe stutter. I still do when I’m nervous or really stressed. I don’t usually engage in normal conversation. I don’t like to talk a lot. I can’t just strike up a conversation with a stranger. I normally just stay home.”
“But you were willing to meet me.” Jared sat back in his chair and looked at Jensen with something akin to awe. “And then I screwed it up.”
“How about we start over?” Jensen offered as he held out his hand. “Jared, it’s nice to finally meet you in person.
With a dimpled smile, Jared accepted Jensen’s hand, “Hi Jensen, it’s nice to finally meet you, too.”
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Jared gave Jensen a wide smile, “Me, too. Maybe . . . maybe we could do this again . . . meet someplace where you’d be more comfortable. I mean . . . if you want to, if you want to talk to me. If I don’t offend you again, or embarrass you. I tend to babble when I’m nervous. I suck at this, I’m sorry.”
“We’re a pair, you talk a lot and I don’t.”
“We balance each other out, don’t we?” Jared commented and then gave Jensen a sly smile.
“Well, how can I say no to that?”
“Does that mean we’ll go on a second date?” Jared slapped his hand over his mouth when he realized what he had just said.
Jensen raised his eyebrows at Jared. He took a bite of his meal, using the time to chew and swallow to choose his words carefully. “I’d like a second date.”
“Thank God,” Jared whispered and then took a bite of his steak.
Jensen chuckled in response. He smiled softly at Jared as he thought about the turn of events. He had been so worried about meeting Jared, wanting to impress him, hoping he didn’t embarrass himself, and as it turned out, Jared had been dealing with the same fears and self-doubt. He had managed to open up to Jared and been asked out on a second date. And he was having a good time. The worst part of all this was that he was going to have to admit to Chris that he had been right. But if that was the worst of it, he’d take it, and happily go on as many dates with Jared as he could.
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MisUNDerSTanDINgs I love this so much!
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