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“Good for you.”
“What do you do in your spare time?”
“I enjoy the outdoors. Fishing and sailing in the summertime, and in the winter you’ll find me on the slopes,” Bruno replied.
Their conversation continued, both of them sharing humorous stories about their respective careers. Though Deanne contributed to the conversation, her mind was obviously elsewhere by the way she regularly checked her phone.
Marie briefly interrupted them when she brought their appetizers and small plates for sharing. The scent of garlic and parsley-infused butter filled the air as she set the steaming dish of snails in the middle of the table.
Bruno placed half on Deanne’s plate, and she divvied up the pâté, which was served alongside cornichons, mustard, and a French baguette.
Bruno spread a generous amount of pâté on his bread and so did Deanne. They both ate the appetizers in quiet appreciation of the flavorful dishes, laughing when their eyes connected across the table.
“We got real quiet there for a minute. That’s how you know the food is good,” Deanne said.
Bruno opened his mouth to agree, when she checked her phone again.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
She seemed surprised by the question.
“You’ve spent a lot of time looking at your phone this evening,” he said.
Her cheeks reddened. “Goodness, I’m sorry. I… I shouldn’t have come tonight. Do you mind if we wrap up this date? I need to go home.” Her expression was apologetic.
“I don’t mind at all,” Bruno said, though he was surprised.
“Thank you for picking me as one of your top three, but I’m probably not the best person to be involved with right now.”
“I understand.” He didn’t, but he appreciated her candor.
He called for the check, and they exchanged goodbyes. Deanne hurried from the restaurant before Bruno came all the way out of his seat.
That went well, he thought. He nodded at Marie on his way to the door and stepped on to the sidewalk.
Deanne had disappeared.
His jaw tightened with the same frustration he experienced after his date with Teresa weeks ago. Was he wasting his time on a matchmaking service?
Instead of going to the parking deck where he’d left his car, he decided to take a stroll around the square to work off his irritation. People milled around, going in and out of the restaurants and cafes, several of them eating ice cream or sipping a cold drink as they walked.
A couple coming toward him walked arm in arm, and the woman reminded him of Marissa. She had a similar build and skin complexion. He paused near a tree. He was supposed to give her an update on each of his meetings. Maybe now would be a good time since the night was young. He dialed her number, and she answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Bruno.”
“Hello, Marissa. Do you have a moment? I wanted to give you an update on my date with Deanne.” He started walking again, past a restaurant with outdoor seating where diners lingered over wine and delicious-looking Italian meals.
“I have time. How did the date go?” she asked in a cheerful voice.
“Deanne and I will not be walking down the aisle anytime soon,” he answered.
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
“The evening started out fine. We ordered wine and appetizers.”
“You kept it simple, like we discussed.”
“Yes. She seemed a bit frazzled and frustrated when she first arrived. She mentioned work has been hectic.”
