Before long, the small rush of air before him told him the woman was sitting in front of him. He felt a pair of soft hands against his face as he smelled lilac-scented soap. Her hands were small and explored first his eyes then over to his ears and down his cheeks. She ran her hands over his neck and back to his hairline before dropping to his shoulders and slipping down his arms.
Geo shivered when her hands disappeared, and he was once again left alone in the dark. He wanted to feel her face as well, just to make things even, but that wasn’t how this dating game worked.
Geo sat through several more face-feeling sessions before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Someone leaned over and spoke directly in his ear. “You’re wanted in the other room.” Geo stood and put his arm out in front of him, allowing the staff member to grab his elbow and guide him in the right direction. He wondered what he would find waiting for him in the other room. And if he would ever be able to see right again in the bright of day once he returned to the outside world. Geo had to admit, he wanted Penny to be in the other room. But he hadn’t recognized her touch, and he’d hoped he would.
Once Geo was seated again, he started to feel around him, looking for the person who had chosen him. He finally found a knee and carefully placed his hand where he thought her shoulder might be. He heard a giggle as he explored her kinky, curly hair, which was rough against his thumbs—definitely not Penny. He then moved on to her face and was in wonderment at how attune his senses had gotten now that sight had been removed. He could tell she had small ears, a rather large nose, and that her upper lip was fuller than her bottom lip.
“Hi,” a soft voice said when he was done exploring. “My name is Meg, and I chose you because I liked how soft your hair was.”
“Hi, Meg, I’m Geo.” He knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he should have disguised himself better. Her gasp was enough to tell him he’d been recognized, even in the dark.
“Oh my gosh, Geo? As in, Geo Monais? The Geo Monais?”
Geo felt arms moving down his shoulders to his arms, squeezing his biceps.
“I should have known it was you. I watch you on TV every week, and gosh, I think I’ve read about everything you’ve ever written. I’m a huge fan.”
“Thanks.” Geo ran a hand over the back of his neck. It was a wonder he hadn’t been recognized more in the dating scene over the past few weeks. With the TV appearances and the larger circulation, he’d really been lucky to stay as incognito as he had.
“Could you do me a favor? Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this.” Meg prattled on like a schoolgirl, squeezing his muscles the whole time. “Would you be willing to kiss me? Just on the cheek. I swear, I’ll never wash my face again.”
Geo made a face he knew she couldn’t see. It wasn’t like he was a movie star or a sports hall of famer. He was just a writer, and this woman was acting like she’d never met anyone cooler. While it was good for his ego, he was anxious to get out of the room and start over with someone else. He figured placating her would be the easiest way to go.
“Sure,” he said, feeling the darkness for her shoulder so he’d know where to aim. He leaned forward, his lips puckered and ready. He didn’t like the idea of making out with some random girl, but if a quick peck would make her day—and get him out of there faster—he was game. Geo was fairly certain he was about to hit her cheek when he felt rough curls brush against his face and juicy lips plant themselves on his face. She was closer to his nose than his lips, but she made her point. She’d asked for a cheek kiss, but she was really going for it. He felt her tongue searching his upper lip, dangerously close to his nose, when he was certain he’d had enough. He raised one hand into the air while pushing her back with the other.
“Time’s up,” a voice sounded from the corner of the room, and Geo stood to be escorted back out into the main room.
“We’ll talk after,” Meg called after him as he gratefully followed the staff member out into the main room.
“Came on a little strong, did she?” The voice sounded sympathetic to Geo’s plight.
“Indeed,” he replied as he sat back down in a chair. It felt like he might be last in line now as he didn’t sense anyone to his left, only someone on his right. Another woman felt his features moments later, and then the man on his right exited for the other room. Geo almost wanted to get in line and feel the men’s faces as well, if it wouldn’t have been creepy to do so. He wanted to know what his competition was like and why the women were choosing as they were.
Meg told him she picked him because of his soft hair, but once she knew who he was, she’d wanted much more than a second feel of his wavy locks. Geo was positive Dark Dating wasn’t going to get him anywhere, but there could only be a few women left. He’d wait it out and see where things went. If he could get past that antsy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was an unnerving experience. Without the ability of using his looks or even his charm, he might not get taken back to the other room again anyway. And after the first experience, he was okay with that. But where was Penny? Had she already passed him, chosen another guy, and wandered off into seclusion with him?
…
Penny startled awake when the door in front of her opened. She’d been waiting for what seemed like an eternity, and the soft music she’d chosen was so soothing. At least she’d be refreshed for her portion of this strange date. She stood and waited as someone grabbed her elbow and led her into the dark space before her. It was all the same to her, black here, black there, black everywhere.
She felt the backs of her legs bump up against a chair as gentle hands on her shoulders guided her down. She sat and placed her hands in her lap. Now was the moment she’d been waiting for. She was ready to find Geo. If he was in the group, she’d know it. Penny reached out and realized she couldn’t even see her hands. She reached a bit further. Still nothing. She scooted to the edge of her chair and reached more until she came into contact with what she was guessing was a chest. She placed her hands flat upon it and moved up to the man’s neck. He had facial hair, but it felt well groomed, unlike her dinner partner from the other night. But still, he wasn’t Geo.
Penny moved her hands around the back of his neck and up into his hair. It was short, maybe military style in cut, and kind of spiky. She wondered what all of the men’s hair would look like once the event was over. Perhaps that was why it was the men being felt and not the women. No woman would want that many guys messing up her hair.
Penny explored the man’s features and recognized his rough eyebrows, his small eyes, and his long nose with a swoop at the end. She felt like she had a pretty good idea what he looked like once she was done. She wondered if she could pick any of these men out in a lineup after feeling their faces. Without the gift of sight, her fingers were becoming her eyes.
She moved on to the next man, who had a ponytail, and the next, who had a soul patch. It was obvious from a few simple touches that none of them was Geo. Penny was trying to keep them apart, focusing on choosing a favorite based on what her fingertips felt. She’d have to pick one at the end, after all. Near the middle of the pack, she felt glasses over the ears once she got to the side of the man’s face. She wondered how many fingerprints the lenses had on them and whether or not he would be able to see once the event was complete.
Penny stood and moved to the next chair under the guidance of the staff member behind her. This man’s hair was wavy and short, but not as short as the first man’s hair. Who should she choose if she couldn’t find Geo? Perhaps the man with the military cut? She generally liked longer hair, but not too long. And she had liked the way the shaved spikes felt against her hand. What if Geo wasn’t among the men in her group?
Over and over again, Penny moved to a new chair and began exploring the man before her. She had to admit, though it was a strange experience, she was enjoying it. It was nice that the men weren’t judging her based on her looks immedia
tely. While she was sort of judging them, it was a completely different sense than sight. This was how the blind got to know people’s features.
Penny had been counting in her head, and she was certain she was about to sit in chair number ten. This was the last man of the night. She’d liked the soft skin number seven had and the spiky short hair on man number one.
Penny reached out once again and found the final man’s chest. Her hands met nicely formed pecks, and she could feel herself blush.
The heat beneath the shirt made Penny’s heart beat faster in her chest as she slowly moved her hands over to the hard muscles in the arms. By now, her vision was so blocked she could feel even more details with her fingertips. The veins in his biceps stood out beneath the pads of her fingers as she moved her hands up to his neck. She was almost certain goose bumps rose on his skin as she ran her fingers through the tips of the hair that met the back of his neck. It was a bit on the long side, as soft as could be…
And utterly familiar.
Penny took in a deep breath as her suspicions deepened. She drew her fingers up through the man’s hair to the back of his scalp. He shivered as she scooted her chair closer. Her knees bumped against his spread legs.
She ran her hands down the sides of his face, stopping to massage his earlobes gently with her thumbs and forefingers. She heard him swallow as she continued. Penny drew her hands along his jawline, now completely certain of what she felt. The man wasn’t clean shaven, but it felt like he had probably shaved that morning. She allowed his scruff to scrape against her hands, and she cupped his cheeks and ran her thumbs over his eyes. His lids were closed, and his eyelashes were a lot longer and fuller to the touch than she’d expected.
Penny ran a finger down his nose and then back around the side of his face until her hand was entwined in his hair again. Her other hand cupped his cheek as she half stood and shifted her weight onto his right leg. She knew she was breaking the rules, but what were they going to do? Kick her out? And so what if they did? Her sister had told her to go for it, and she didn’t have the power to stop herself.
Penny felt like a woman possessed. She knew who this was, and the emotions rising within her were beyond her control. His arm slid around her waist as she played with his hair, and before she could think twice, she found his lips with a fingertip and gently rose to kiss him. She’d only just gotten started when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She jerked back, annoyed that someone had interrupted the moment she’d been waiting for all night, even if she didn’t know it.
“Number?” the voice asked.
“Huh?” Penny didn’t stand up from her place on the man’s leg.
“What number would you like to see in the other room?” The voice spoke close to her ear, as if scolding her for her current position.
“This one.” She spoke quietly in return. “Number ten.”
Chapter Twenty
Geo’s knees were weak as the staff member led him to the other room for the second time that night. Two women kissed him, though he was a lot more open to the second kiss. Based on the smell of strawberries, and the feeling in the pit of his stomach when her hand met with his skin, he was nearly certain it was Penny.
As Geo sat in the hard chair in the second room, he waited only an instant before reaching out. His hand made contact with a woman’s cheek, and she leaned into his touch. He ran his fingers over her ear to the back of her head, which he noticed held very short, soft locks. He squeezed the hair between his fingertips and pulled her toward him.
He noticed the change in the air when she stood from her seat and moved back to his knee, where she’d sat in the other room. He probably would have picked her up in the main room and carried her away had he been able to see anything. But now, here they were, alone in a room separate from the others. Or at least more alone. He took his time feeling her face, as she had him. He ran his fingers over her eyebrows and noticed the catch in her breath when he gently caressed her cheek with the backside of his hand.
“Penny,” he whispered as he pulled her forehead against his own.
“George.”
That was all he needed to hear. He claimed her mouth with his and let all of the emotions of the past few weeks out through his kiss. He wasn’t always good at expressing himself with words, but his actions were loud enough to speak for him. She’d felt ten different faces in that room, and when she’d recognized him, nothing could have stopped her from what she did next. And now, nothing could stop him.
He briefly wondered what the staff members were thinking of the full-on make-out session that was taking place in the secondary room. Was this something that happened on a regular basis or was it rare? But as soon as he thought it, he dismissed it. He didn’t care what anyone thought or what anyone could see. For this moment, anyway, Penny was finally his, and that was all that mattered.
…
“Uh, miss, time’s up.” Penny felt a tap on her shoulder, but she waved her hand in that direction and continued her kiss with Geo. It felt so good to have his leg beneath her, his arms around her, and his lips on hers. She wasn’t letting anyone ruin the moment. “Miss?” The tap came again, and Penny laughed against Geo’s lips as their teeth hit at the interruption.
“Fine,” she said. “Spoil sport.” The staff member grabbed Penny’s elbow and led her out of the room. She held Geo’s hand for as long as she could. She assumed he would go back into the dark room again and await another woman. She couldn’t stand the thought of someone else putting their hands on him now that she was finally being honest with herself about how she felt.
The staff member led her back to her pod where the light music was still playing. “Seriously?” The blood in Penny’s veins was pumping so hard there was no way she could go back into the relaxed state she’d been in before the event began. A light knock on the door startled her as she replayed the kiss she and George had just shared. She was right when she told Nic it was more than a kiss.
Penny pressed on the door and was shocked to find Geo standing on the other side, masked by the darkness of the room.
“What are you—get in here!” She grabbed his arm and jerked him into the pod. It had only been about five minutes since she’d left his arms, and she still felt the heat of them around her. “How did you find me?”
Geo grinned in the dim light of the pod, which felt much smaller now with two people in it. “They put me back into that awful chair in the main room. I feel sort of bad for the next woman in line because she won’t be able to find anyone in chair ten, but I had to see you.”
“The staff members didn’t notice you feeling your way around?”
“I slipped a guy what I think was a ten…might have been a twenty, who knows? He said to go ahead, the event was almost over anyway. I had to knock on a few pod doors and maybe a few walls before I found this one.”
Penny giggled under her hand. She felt like a schoolgirl standing in front of her crush, waiting for him to ask her to dance.
“So, what’s the deal, Penny?”
Penny blinked. The articles. She couldn’t concern herself about that right now. This was about her and Geo. It was time for her to be selfish for once. “I found a match,” she replied with a light shrug.
“What would Ivana Date have to say about this?”
“She doesn’t get to decide.” Penny winked as he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
“And your cousin?”
Penny whapped him on the shoulder. “Quit ruining this.”
Geo bent down and spoke against her lips. “Try and stop me.”
Penny could have stayed in that pod all night, despite its small quarters and the rising heat, with Geo’s soft lips against her own. The voice from the intercom interrupted their moment yet again.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Geo muttered.
“Shh.�
�� Penny wanted to hear what they had to say so she’d at least know how the event ended.
“Ladies, you’re all now back in your pods. Gentlemen, we’re going to turn the lights on slowly to let your eyes adjust. In a few moments, the pod doors will open, and the women can join the men. This is the mixer portion of the evening. Everyone has met everyone else in the dark so now, you can see if you can identify anyone you were attracted to by touch. Exchange numbers, chat, have a nice time. Leave when you’d like. The event concludes when the last person leaves.”
Penny heard the buzz of lights as they turned on, like in a gymnasium, and warmed up. A few pod doors clicked open. “What do we do?” she asked Geo.
He grabbed the chair from behind her and jammed it under the knob of the door. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said.
Penny laughed against him as she fell into the wall and he leaned over her. If it was up to her, they would be the last ones to leave.
…
After what felt like minutes but in reality was likely an hour or more, there was a knock on the pod door.
“Um, excuse me, we’re closing.”
Geo pulled back from Penny ever-so-slightly. They had barely come up for air. The last thing he wanted was for her weight to lift off his lap, but that’s what happened. She opened the door, and the light entered the room. Geo blinked and tried to focus. Her cheeks were fire engine red, much redder than her hair, and he liked that he was the one who put that blush on her face.
“Sorry,” Penny apologized as Geo stood.
“Come on,” she whispered as she grabbed his hand and dragged him from the room.
They left Dark Dating hand in hand, and Geo tried to make as little eye contact as possible. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed, but rather he didn’t want to cause a scene. One worker was sweeping the floor out front as another held the door for them and locked it promptly after they left.
The Dating Itinerary Page 18
