had called to make her acquaintance over the phone. He sounded very nice and told Abby to dress up because they were going to a party. They made arrangements to meet at the place. The day of the party fell on Halloween so she put together a costume she thought would knock his socks off. Dressed as a vampire, complete with fake blood oozing at the corners of her mouth, she walked into the bar mitzvah and knocked everybody’s socks off. The guy never called her for another date.
Abby decided to play it safe and chose her black suit with black flats. She left her shoulder-length blond hair down and applied a minimal amount of makeup. She didn’t actually believe that any offspring of Mrs. Blackman would be an Adonis, so she prepared herself for the blind date from hell. It was only one night out of her entire life, and she could afford the sacrifice if it made her mother happy.
The doorbell rang right on time. Abby was ready and opened the door. The guy standing there was tall and matinee-handsome with neatly combed black hair that brushed the top of his jacket collar. Figuring he was someone else’s date and had rung the wrong doorbell, she immediately asked if he needed help.
“Abby? Hi. I’m Arnold.”
“Mrs. Blackman’s Arnold?” Abby asked in disbelief, as if there could be another Arnold walking around her apartment complex.
He smiled and she noticed, for the first time, that he possessed two adorable dimples. How was this possible? Either he was adopted or someone was playing an April Fool’s joke on her early.
“Come in, Arnold, while I get my coat.”
As Abby walked to the hall closet and removed her coat from the hanger, it occurred to her that she better get back home prior to midnight just in case Arnold turned into a troll. The thought remained with her as Arnold led her to a sleek-looking sports car and helped her inside. She looked around the car’s interior for any indication it was a disguised pumpkin.
Arnold had made reservations for them to see a dinner show at the Trylon. The Trylon was an old movie house that had been purchased by a theater critic who combined the best of his two favorite worlds, food and the theater, by adding a kitchen. The place became an instant success and people flocked to it.
Abby and Arnold were seated at a small round table. A waiter came by with menus and asked if they would like drinks. Arnold ordered a Scotch and soda and she had a vodka sour.
“I’ve been here on several occasions and the food is good, so it’s safe to pick anything on the menu,” Arnold said.
“That’s good to know. Since it’s a murder mystery, though, if anyone gets poisoned, they could chalk it up to audience participation.”
Arnold chuckled. “That’s very funny. Mother didn’t tell me you were funny.”
“What did your mother tell you about me?”
“Not much. She said you were tall, owned your own business and were a good catch.”
Abby wondered why everyone’s mothers seemed fixated on fishing.
The waiter returned with their drinks. “Do you know what you’d like to order, yet?”
“Abby, do you know what want?”
Abby looked up at the waiter. “I think I’d like the surf and turf.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Make it two.”
“Thank you,” the waiter said, picked up the menus, and headed to the kitchen to place their order.
Abby realized that Arnold hadn’t taken his eyes off of her the entire time. His persistent stare made her uncomfortable. Did she have something caught between her teeth or was her makeup smeared?
“You’re very pretty. Mother said you were okay, but she didn’t prepare me for the real you.”
Abby wasn’t prepared for such a backhanded compliment. “Thank you.”
“Tell me all about yourself.”
From the way he was looking at her and what he’d just said, she wondered if he might be intending to write a book. It was better than thinking he might be crazy. She’d been with guys who couldn’t even make eye contact when they spoke to her. This one could win a staring contest with a stiff.
The waiter returned with their salads, distracting Arnold for the moment. It occurred to Abby that there was a chance he wouldn’t instantly turn back into a troll at the stroke of twelve. Instead, what if the handsome veneer rubbed off slowly?
“I want to know everything about you,” he said.
“There isn’t much to tell. I own a bookstore, which you already know, and spend most of my life there. Not too exciting, I’m afraid. How about you? What’s your life like?”
“Well, you know I just got divorced, right?”
“Yes, my mom mentioned it.”
“I’m also a lawyer and work in the city.”
“What type of law do you practice?”
“Divorce law.”
Abby hadn’t been prepared for that answer. It left her speechless.
“No, I didn’t represent myself, but I did get a discount rate.”
“Convenient, I guess,” she replied. “Do you have any children?”
“No. We weren’t married long enough.”
“How long were you married?”
“A little more than six months.”
Not knowing what to say to that, Abby replied, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Now I have you.”
That sentence caused a shiver to inch down her spine.
As the waiter brought their entrees, the room lights dimmed and the play began with a loud gunshot followed by a scream off to the left somewhere. Abby nearly jumped out of her chair. She hadn’t been prepared for that, either.
The play, a black comedy about a husband who contemplates leaving his wife and opening a fast-food restaurant, lasted for about an hour-and-a-half. During that entire time, Arnold watched Abby more than the show. He was starting to creep her out. It was time to end the date.
“I certainly enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Arnold said as the house lights came up.
That was strange of him to say, since he’d been watching her the entire time. “Yes, it was fun, except…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid I’ve developed a headache and need to go home.”
“Really?”
She nodded.
“That’s too bad. The night’s still young and I had a great place to take you.”
“I’m
