The Date Part 3

The rest of the drive is far more relaxed. You are at ease with her again, like you usually were, and she with you. Her sharing her talent with you had been a really special moment. You were more attracted to her than ever and she was deeply flattered by your honest praise.

The restaurant you had made reservations at was not too far from the edge of the city and it is not long before you were pulling into the parking lot. Sebastian's didn't look particularly fancy from the outside but you knew from online reviews the food was out of this world.

Casey leans forward to read the sign as you pull up. "Italian? I love Italian food!" She says cheerfully.

You give her a sly grin as you come to a stop and put the car into park. "I know."

She looks at you a time then points at you accusingly. "You cheater! You had an inside man."

You shrug. "Felix and I may have talked about it. I can't really recall."

She lightly slaps your shoulder in playfulness. Her angelic laughter fills the car with joy.

"Hold tight." You say. You get out of the car and hurry around to her side to open the door for her. You offer her a hand.

Casey looks at your hand then up at your face. This gesture meant a lot to her, you could see it. Her big green eyes sparkle. She digs a small purse from her coat then gently places her hand in yours and you help her from the car. You close the door for her and offer her your arm. She takes it without hesitation. Holding herself up close to you. She lets out a soft sigh as she grips your arm tight.

You felt like the luckiest man in the world as you lead your stunningly beautiful date into the busy eatery.

The place was busy, almost every table full. The din of conversation and the clanks and clinks of knives and forks fill the room. You could barely hear traditional Italian music playing over the speakers. It smelled of garlic and so many other good things. You and Casey were by far the youngest couple in here.

It takes some time but a server finally comes to greet you.

"Um, I've got a reservation for two. Under the name Bailey." You say.

She nods. "Uhhhh...yes. Give me a moment." She hurries off. She talks with another waitress. That waitress then heads to a table near the center of the room to prod an older couple who were finished into leaving. You could already tell they had given your table away. For fuck sake. What was the point of a reservation then!? Another little hiccup, the date wasn't a disaster by any stretch but these little things were adding up.

Casey didn't mind, she stood pressed into your arm with a calm smile on her face. You look at her. "Geez, I had a reservation." You grumble.

"It's okay. It won't be long." She says softly. It was pretty nice standing here with her on your arm. You take a breath and relax.

Soon the older couple pay their bill and dotter toward the door. A busboy is right in behind them clearing off their table. The initial server returns. "My apologies Mr Bailey. It was their 49th anniversary and...well...Sebastian's a bit of a romantic."

"Awwww." Casey says. "Wow...forty nine years. Could you imagine?"

You look at her and grin. She blushes and smiles back. Both of you wondering if that white haired couple might be you one day. As the old couple approaches you step out and open the door for them. She smile and thank you on their way by.

You are taken to your table and place settings and drinks are quickly brought to you. When they bring the menus you hold up your hand and say boldly. "I think we'll have two orders of Fettuccine Alfredo with the seared scallops. And for an appetizer I think..." Casey then says along with you, knowing what you were about to say. "...the Bruschetta."

You, she, and the waitress all laugh at the unison of your voices. "Very well." The server says and hurries off toward the kitchen.

Casey shakes her head in disbelief. "Alfredo is my favorite...but you know that already. Felix, that little..."

You take her hand. "Don't blame him. I pestered him for it."

"Anything you don't know about me?" She quips.

You gently grip her soft hand in yours. "Nah, probably not. My inside man gave me all the dirt. I think I've got you all figured out." You say jokingly.

You both let out soft but joyful laugh. She grips your hand back. Both of you leave your hands where they are, resting on the table between you held together. Neither of you wanted to let go. She stares into your eyes and you stare back. Occasionally one of you or the other would look away suddenly, overwhelmed by the power of the moment. She looked so good, she smelled so good, she was such good company.

You drink and start up another interesting conversation with her as you await your appetizer. Hitting her car, the trouble with sticky roof, the uncomfortable conversation, waiting for the table, it might have started out a bit rough but the date was finally hitting its stride and Casey was every bit as wonderful as you knew she'd be.

Just then you hear a text come in. Shoot, you should really turn that off. The last thing you wanted now was interruptions.

"Sorry. Excuse me a sec." You say as you dig out your phone and glance at the screen. You go to shut off your phone until you see who it was from. Elsie.

The text simply read. "SHE IS A HE!!!"

You stare at it and tilt your head to the side. What the hell? Just then you hear Casey's phone go off as well. Since you were checking yours she pulls hers out of her small purse to look.

Another text follows from Elsie. "Casey is a man! He's a cross dresser or something! Felix just told me. I thought you should know."

You slowly look up from the screen and across to the red haired beauty sitting across from you. With that knowledge bestowed on you...suddenly everything shifts before your eyes. Like the moment you see the other half of an optical illusion. Flat bust? No bust! Slender hips? Not child bearing hips! The subtly different shape of her shoulders. The fact she always wore chokers or scarves or other elements around her neck. Now that you were looking for it...just barely...just barely...the tiny hump of an Adam's apple.

HOLY SHIT!

Casey could pass for female. VERY convincingly. A gorgeous female. But now that you saw it...now that you knew...

You watch as her...his...big green eyes widen in panic and horror at the text she had just received. A text from Felix no doubt. She slowly, hesitantly, fearfully, looks up to see you look at her. To see you look at...him...in a whole different way. Not as a beautiful woman but as a...freak. A strange thing. An oddity. As a fellow dude.

His shoulders slump. Tears well up in his emerald eyes. He puts a hand over his face to cover his humiliation. "Oh...my...god! I am such a fool. I am such a god damned fool." He gasps.

"Casey? What...? Is this true?" You say in a loud whisper, suddenly very conscious of the prying eyes and ears around you.

He lowers his hand and looks up. "I am so sorry Jesse. I thought you knew. Oh my god!" He was trying hard, so hard, to hold in his tears. The first one rolls down his cheek. He shudders and says at a whisper. "Of course you are straight. Of course you are. Of course you didn't know. The roses...everything... It was so obvious. Oh my god. I am such a fool."

Just then, at the worst possible time, the waitress returns with your appetizer and a cheery disposition. "Here we go! One appetizer for our young couple."

"Uh!" You blurt out and motion her to quiet down. "We're...just friends. Just friends, that's all." You said it quickly, bluntly, defensively. Without even thinking.

Casey's head drops and he buries his face in both his hands.

"Oh." The waitress looks surprised. "Sorry just...the way you were dressed..." It is then she notices Casey's anguish and realizes she had just walked into the middle of something. "...oh no!"

Casey was struggling mightily to hold it together and failing utterly. His bottom lip was now trembling. "I...I...I'm sorry Jesse, I'm so...sorry. I didn't mean..." He suddenly gets up from the table, hitting it roughly and causing the silverware to rattle drawing the attention from most of the other patrons. Trying his best to cover his obvious emotional distress he hurries away. "I have to....I just have to..." The rest of his muttered words are lost to the din of the restaurant. He rushes to the front door, accidentally barging straight through a group just walking in. He mumbles a tearful apology but keeps going. He hurls himself through the door and back out into the parking lot.

You sit there in shock trying to process what had just happened. The waitress stands just as surprised as you with the plate of bruschetta in her hands.

(Again, sorry for the slow chapters.)