The Blind Date Series (Three Romance Stories: Blind Date, Role Play, Pure Fate)

by Violette Paradis

  I paced around my apartment, trying to get rid of my pent up energy but my body was buzzing. I looked in the fridge, hoping to eat one of Johnny’s chocolates, but I remembered I gave them to Whitney.

  My phone caught my attention. Since Johnny called me, I had his number. I was almost afraid to double check that the number was still there, just in case I had the urge to text or call him. What would I even say?

  Hi Johnny, thanks for inviting me out on a date!

  So lame. He’d think I was clingy, desperate. He’d rethink going on a date with me. Why did he want to date me anyway? I didn’t even know who the real Johnny Logan was!

  I picked up my phone and tapped it against the kitchen counter, debating what to do. I knew texting him was a terrible, terrible idea, but resisting the temptation was impossible.

  Turning on my phone, I clicked on my call history. In that moment my phone began vibrating. Someone sent me a text. My heart jumped when I saw Johnny’s number. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Quickly, I opened the text.

  <9:36PM> Johnny: Still studying?

  Taking a moment to compose myself, I answered back. I enjoyed the fact that texting allowed me the time to collect my thoughts. I wasn’t as freaked out this way.

  <9:37PM> Madison: Yes, unfortunately.

  Looking at the dining room table, which was covered in notes and books, I waited patiently for Johnny to text back.

  <9:39PM> Johnny: Planning on taking a break anytime soon.

  A break? Yeah right. I still had studying to do!

  I paused. Was that why he was calling? So I would take a break? I texted him.

  <9:40PM> Madison: What do you have in mind?

  My heart was beating ferociously in my chest now. Did that sound too forward? Maybe he didn’t have anything in mind! Maybe he was just checking. Why did I have to be so stupid?

  After a long pause that I thought would never end, my phone buzzed.

  <9:44PM> Johnny: Just wondering if you could use some company.

  <9:45PM> Johnny: ???

  Heat rushed through my body. Was this really happening? I typed back as quickly as I could.

  <9:46PM> Madison: I still have some chapters to revise, but I can do those tomorrow.

  There was a pause.

  <9:47PM> Madison: Why don’t you come over?

  Oh my… did I just do that?

  <9:48PM> Johnny: Text me your address. I’ll be there in ten.

  My heart raced in my chest.

  What just happened?

  My fingers trembled as I looked at my screen.

  Text him my address? I wasn’t used to giving my address out to men I just met. But this wasn’t just anybody, I thought. This was Johnny Logan.

  I looked at the time. Ignoring that Johnny’s visit would throw off my sleep/study schedule, my shaky thumbs typed out my address, but my thumb hesitated over the send button. Was this really the right thing to do? I was an obedient student, not someone who threw their study schedule away just to go on a date.

  No, I thought. No more being timid. I had to be chaotic and spontaneous, like Johnny.

  Without thinking further, I pushed ‘send’. My belly clenched. The reality of what I had just done hit me.

  I just invited Johnny Logan to my apartment.

  Rushing to my room, I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a cute top.

  I paced around my apartment, unable to stay still.

  Johnny was coming over. I never had a guy come over before, not even in high school. Johnny was coming over. Johnny liked me.

  That knowledge excited and terrified me.

  What would tonight be like? What would we talk about?

  I bit my nails. There was a knock on the door. Startled, I walked to the front door and opened it.

  There he was, Johnny Logan, my teenage dream, standing on my welcome mat. He was perfectly disheveled, perfectly handsome.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Hi.” He smiled, leaning against the door-frame, looking painfully cool. The image of him in his white t-shirt and blue jeans standing in the entranceway of my apartment was surreal. It was almost as if Mike Shadow himself had arrived to take me on an adventure.

  Johnny’s dark, inquisitive eyes watched me, like those of a hawk eying its prey.

  “Come in.”

  As Johnny Logan stepped into my apartment, I thought about the many times I fantasized this exact scenario, except in my fantasy we’d skip the formalities and go straight to making out. I’m not sure he’d appreciate me doing that.

  Johnny’s dark, engaging eyes gave me a warm look and I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I got myself into.

  “Well, this is awkward,” I said as we both stood in my living room.

  He laughed. “Why is it awkward?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that. If it wasn’t awkward before, it was now.

  “Nice place,” he said, looking around.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled. I was sure he was humoring me. His dressing room was probably nicer than my apartment.

  “Cool!” He was looking at a poster on my wall. “You like Space Wolf too?”

  “I see them every time I have a chance,” I said.

  He gave me an appreciative smile. “Me too.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I wouldn’t miss them. I’ve seen them in five different countries now.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m so jealous. Following them on tour has always been my dream!”

  Johnny smiled. “Dreams come true sometimes.”

  I smiled back.

  “So, what else do you do for fun?”

  I looked at the living room table which was covered with books and notes. “That.”

  He chuckled. “I see.”

  I bit my lip. “Why don’t you have a seat?” I gestured towards the love-seat, a hand-me-down from my elderly great-aunt.

  Johnny sat down.

  “Would you like something to drink?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No, I’m good. Why don’t you come sit down next to me?” He touched the empty spot next to him.

  I swallowed hard. “Okay.” If he insisted.

  I made my way to his side. Even though I chose to sit a foot away from him, the couch sunk as I sat, sending me sliding towards him. I tried to push away but my struggles only caused me to sink deeper against him. My leg touched his. I could feet his heat.

  “I had fun on our date yesterday,” he said. “I just don’t understand why you left so abruptly.”

  “Well, about that date…” I wrung my hands in my lap.

  Johnny furrowed his brow. “What is it?”

  I sighed. I guess it was better to come out with this stuff right away.

  “I wanted to admit to you — before it’s too late — that I didn’t go on the show to get matched.” I glanced up at him to see his expression. “I went on the show to make money. I’m not very well off and I’m in school, so my time is already—”

  Johnny put his hand up. “You had fun on our date, didn’t you?”

  “Well, yes. I had fun. But I thought…” I looked at him. “I thought the show was fake. I couldn’t enjoy it the same way I would’ve if I knew it was real.”

  He furrowed his brow. “Were you pretending to like me?”

  “No! I like you, I really do.” I was surprised at the bluntness of my own admission. “But you have to know, dating for me is not a possibility.”

  “Why not?”

  “What I said yesterday was true, I’m in school. My schedule is very busy. I’ve got classes, exams, internships, and a thousand other things taking up my time. That’s why I wanted the money from the show, see?”

  He laughed. “Madison, I’m sure you’re busy, but you should see my schedule. I work on anywhere from three to five projects at a time, and I constantly have to travel for work, whether it’s to New York or London. I’m busy too. Why do you think I need help finding a date?”

  I stayed silent. I never
thought about it that way before. He was right. No matter how busy I was, he was probably busier.

  His candidness opened my eyes. The reality show was actually, in fact, reality. Our date was real.

  “Well, maybe once school’s over, we can spend time together,” I said. “I only have a few exams left, and there’s a short gap between this semester and the summer semester.”

  Johnny clasped my hand in his, taking me by surprise. “I don’t want to intrude on your life but I won’t wait until school’s done to see you again.”

  “You won’t?”

  “If we wait it’ll never happen.”

  No man had ever pursued me like this. I was fully prepared to tell him I couldn’t date him, that he’d have to find someone else, but everything about him was genuine. He looked at me the same way he did in the restaurant, in front of the cameras. He was here for me.

  So why was I pushing him away?

  “What do you say?” He looked at me.

  I gave him a subtle nod. “It’s just going to take a moment to understand why you’d want to date someone like me.”

  He threaded his fingers in mine. “There’s something special about you, Madison. You’re smart and different. You’re funny. And, like I said yesterday, I know you like me. I can see it in your eyes.”

  With my eyes on him, I quickly looked away. I now realized how close we were to each other, our knees touched, and my hand was clasped tight against his. His thumb stroked mine.

  God, I wanted to kiss him.

  I leaned in with every intention of kissing him but, realizing what I was doing, I stopped. I really needed to stop doing that.

  Noticing this, he leaned in, kissing me hard on the lips, finishing what I started.

  One of his hands slipped around my waist as the other cradled the back of my head. He kissed me slow and purposefully. His tongue swirled around mine, making me feel it down below. The temperature in my body rose and heat seared my cheeks. My body began to pulse.

  I never kissed anyone this intimately before. I never did anything this intimately before!

  Johnny pressed his body against mine. Our chests bumped into each other. We both breathed hot, hard, and heavy as we kissed each other. He slipped his leg between mine, causing the material of our jeans to rub against one another.

  Whoa. Was this really happening? Was I really making out with Johnny Logan?

  The rush of emotions and hormones through my body was exhilarating. Johnny touched my sensitive, trembling thigh, and moved up, hitting every nerve on the way. He played with the bottom hem of my shirt. His fingers grazed my skin. My body shook under his touch.

  Slowly, his fingers made their way up my belly, grazing my skin with their sinful touch. He reached my breasts, gently touching the underside of them, sending shivers through my body. I let out a slight moan. His fingers extended further, touching me in a way I had never been touched before. My nipples hardened.

  I opened my eyes to see his dark eyes looking at me, watching for my reaction. For some reason, this was really hot. His fingers continued playing with me, reaching under my bra.

  Yes, I thought. This felt good. This felt right.

  Putting my hands around his neck, I pulled him in closer, deepening our kiss. Pushing my body harder against his, he pulled his hand away, wrapping it around my back, and traveling lower, to the hem of my pants. His fingers slipped under, against my skin and moved around to my front.

  Oh my. What was he planning on doing? I had to wait to find out.

  He managed to unbutton the top button of my jeans and slip his hand down, first over my panties, then under…

  I took in a deep breath. This was really happening.

  “Is this okay?” Johnny asked in his deep, mature voice.

  Tentatively, I nodded. I wanted to see what else he would do. I wanted to know how good this could feel.

  His fingers slipped under my panties, playing with my pubic hair.

  That felt good.

  I wanted to say it out loud, that it felt good. I wanted to tell him that his hands felt good on me. But I couldn’t find the courage or confidence to do so. He seemed to know anyway, by the way he looked at me, by the way he watched my reaction. I was so lost in the moment that I couldn’t hide my true feelings from showing in my expression.

  Johnny’s fingers continued swirling and tugging at my hair before moving further down. My body tensed.

  This was too fast.

  In a moment of panic, I pulled away. My hand rested on his chest as I caught my breath. His hand still rested on my thigh.

  I looked into his dark eyes, which were full of lust. My body pulsed excitedly. His dark knowing eyes looked at me as if he knew exactly what he wanted to do with me.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  “We can’t do this.”

  The pressure of his hand on my thigh became heavier and heavier. I was throbbing harder than ever and the tease of this pressure on an area that was already so hot was taunting.

  Was I really turning down this chance?

  After all, he liked me, and I liked him. We were both responsible adults. The only oddity was that he was a famous movie star, who just also happened to star in all my sexual fantasies.

  “Okay.” He pulled his hand from my thigh. “I feel like there’s something you need to tell me.”

  The actor knew I was hiding something.

  “I’m—” I breathed, trying to hide how flustered and horny I was. There was no point in hiding anymore. “I’m a virgin.”

  A virgin?

  I knew she wasn’t used to dating, but this one surprised me. Most of the women I dated in the past were very experienced.

  Madison shook her head. “I don’t know why I told you that.”

  “No. I’m glad you did.”

  Sitting back up, she buttoned her jeans and pulled her shirt back down.

  “I didn’t mean to rush anything,” I said. “All I wanted was to spend time with you, like I said.”

  Color appeared on her cheeks again.

  “I don’t want to be a bad influence.” I smirked.

  Her brilliant green eyes flashed up to meet mine. “But I like that.” Her voice was barely a breath. Behind her timid eyes was deviousness, a woman who wanted to break free. I wanted to find that woman.

  “I should get back to studying,” she said.

  “So soon?”

  She got up, as if she didn’t hear me. Respecting her wishes, I made my way towards the door. If she wanted space, I could give her that.

  “Listen,” I said, stopping just shy of the doorway. She was standing several feet away. I motioned for her to come closer. Hesitantly, she did. I could tell she was flustered. “I’d love to take you out on a date,” I said. “A real one.”

  “Was our last one not real?”

  “It was. But I want to take you out on a date without cameras. I want to take you on a date without boundaries, without rules. Can we do that?” I asked.

  She looked like she was trying to find the words.

  “I have to study,” she said abruptly. There was a hesitation in the way she moved and the way she spoke. “I’ll talk to you later.” She pushed me out of her apartment.

  The door was closed before I had a chance to say anything.

  Confused as to what just happened and whether Madison wanted to see me again, I stood in the doorway. Maybe she was confused too. Maybe she’d come outside again. I waited for her, but she didn’t come out. I got into my car and drove home.

  “You what?” Whitney asked. I could hear by the amount of people shushing her in the background that she was in the library. I held the phone to my ear as I paced my living room.

  It was the next morning and I hadn’t slept at all last night. My mind raced over everything that happened with Johnny, and I cringed in embarrassment at the memory of it all.

  “I told him I was a virgin,” I repeated. Regret poured through me.

  “But why?”


  “It’s the truth.”

  “Madi…”

  “I know, I know.”

  “What did he do next?”

  “He left.”

  “He left?”

  “Well, I kicked him out.”

  “YOU KICKED HIM OUT?” More protests in the background caused Whitney to lower her voice to a hush. “Why?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I panicked!”

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  “We’re supposed to go on that date tonight after the exam, but he’s not answering any of my messages. What if I scared him off?”

  There was a pause. “You didn’t scare him off.”

  “How can I be so sure?”

  There was a pause. I shook my head.

  “Listen, Whitney, the exam is in three hours. We should be studying.”

  “I’ll see you at school, okay?”

  “See you then.”

  I ended the call. After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to call Johnny again. I clicked on Johnny’s name and called him. Holding my breath, I listened as the phone rang, and rang, and rang. It went to voice-mail. Letting out a sigh, I hung up.

  Why was he ignoring me?

  After fixing myself a meal, I studied until I was ready to head to school. I always allowed myself extra time to get to school before an exam. I was always cautious like that.

  As I was putting my textbook and notes into my bag, I looked for my phone.

  That’s strange. I thought I left it on the counter. I searched my bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom, and still couldn’t find my phone. Finally, I walked into the living room and saw something on the couch.

  “What’s this?” As I got closer I recognized the phone. It wasn’t mine.

  My heart jumped. It was Johnny’s. I tried to turn it on, but the battery was dead. Something clicked. That’s why he wasn’t answering me earlier!

  Renewed hope grew inside me. I shoved the phone into my backpack and shook my head when I noticed my phone already in there.

  Running to my room, I rummaged through my clothes and pulled on black tights, a cute black skirt, and a loose, low-cut, red blouse. The red blouse showed off a subtle hint of cleavage. I put a long, silver necklace around my neck. The cool, metal chain dangled between my breasts.