Ashley Elston - 10 Blind Dates

She walks away and I’m left staring at the words she wrote like there’s some secret message there to uncover. There’s no way it’s just dinner and a movie.

No way.

I’m not sure how long I stand there, but eventually Charlie and Olivia end up on either side of me.

“It can’t be that simple,” Olivia says.

“Use the ‘get out of date’ card. Use it now,” Charlie says.

“But there’s still Aunt Maggie Mae,” Olivia argues.

And then we’re all silent, still trying to figure out what the Evil Joes have planned.

Olivia and I show up to Nonna’s after the slowest day of work ever to find the house bursting with people. I would have thought two days without any dates would have made the excitement wear off, but it seems to have had the opposite effect.

Since Charlie, Wes, and Olivia go to the same high school as the Evil Joes, they came up with a signal if they think I should use the “get out of date free” card: dragging a finger across their neck.

Obviously, Charlie picked it.

Aunt Maggie Mae is standing over the betting chart that’s in the middle of the table. “Camille, why are you picking such an early time? Sophie won’t be home that soon!” Aunt Maggie Mae has been pretty obnoxious telling everyone how wonderful this boy is and what a fantastic time we’re going to have.

“It’s dinner and a movie,” Uncle Sal says. “I would think it’s pretty easy to figure out how soon it will be over.”

“I’m still in the lead for Best Date,” Sara reminds everyone.

The Evil Joes are here, without boyfriends this time, so I guess this isn’t a triple-date sort of thing. But I’m still a little nervous about being one-on-one with a guy they chose.

I decide to ignore them and check on Margot while I’m waiting.

ME: How’s Anna today?

MARGOT: Same. Still stuck in that plastic box. And everyone wants to go in during visiting hours but there are too many of us so we have to pick and of course whoever I don’t pick gets their feelings hurt and then there is so much time just sitting around waiting for the next set of visiting hours

Oh God. That sounds miserable. As much as I want to be down there, I’m glad I’m not.

ME: Need me to fake an illness that will bring Mom and Dad home? It would save me from my date tonight.

MARGOT: You should be worried about that date. Seems too easy. Have you checked to see what’s playing?

ME: Yeah. There are a few good movies out so maybe I’m overreacting

MARGOT: I don’t think so

ME: Oh by the way, Griffin showed up here on Christmas Eve and then left me a gift

MARGOT: Hmmmm…how did it feel seeing him

ME: Weird. Like he’s so familiar but it’s also like I don’t know him at all anymore

MARGOT: Did you at least get something good?

ME: If a charm bracelet with our initials on it is good. Oh and he bought it AFTER we broke up

MARGOT: Ew. It’s not

“Sophie, you need to get dressed. He’ll be here any minute,” Aunt Maggie Mae says.

I look down at my clothes. I’ve got on my comfiest pair of jeans, which belonged to Jake when he was in middle school and are worn out in all the right spots, and a T-shirt I stole from Olivia two years ago. It is safe to say I did not dress to impress.

“I am dressed,” I answer back.

Her forehead scrunches up and I know she’s dying to say something. Thankfully she refrains.

A loud cry from upstairs catches everyone’s attention. We look up to see Mary, one of Aunt Kelsey’s daughters, standing in the hall with tears racing down her cheeks.

“I can’t find Hannah Head!” she squeals.

Those five words get everyone moving. Hannah Head is what’s left of a doll our older cousin Hannah gave Mary for her birthday years ago. Mary named her Hannah, but then as she lost limb after limb, then finally the torso, Hannah became Hannah Head. The same head now accompanies her everywhere, and Mary likes to wrap the hair around her index finger so she can sniff it while sucking her thumb. Hannah Head has dried snot in her hair and one eye missing, but she’s Mary’s prized possession and we all know there will be no peace until she’s found.

My family scatters, each searching a different part of the house. I head straight to the family room, where she was watching a movie earlier, and get down on my hands and knees to search under the couch. I see the head, pushed back toward the center, and have to lie on the floor and stretch my arm underneath to grab it.

Once I have Hannah Head in my possession, I hurry toward the stairs.

But instead of finding Mary and my family, I see a guy standing there, looking a little lost. After my meeting Aiden and Brent, he’s exactly what I would expect one of their friends to look like. Very cookie-cutter — with the short brown hair, muscular build, and warm brown eyes — wrapped up in a button-down and khakis.

“Hey! I’m Sophie,” I say.

He looks from the doll’s head to me, and I can see the disgust there.

“Oh! This belongs to my little cousin. Hold on.” I move to the stairs and call for Mary. She comes racing down and launches herself at me when she sees what I’m holding. Within seconds, that crusty brown doll’s hair is wrapped around her finger, and her thumb goes straight to her mouth. I hear her take a big inhale as she walks away.

“That thing looked pretty nasty,” the guy says.

It is, but I hate him saying it.

“She loves that doll,” I say.

The rest of the family trickles back in and the Evil Joes push their way to us.

“Oh, Nathan! You’re here,” Mary Jo says. She pulls his arm, bringing him closer to me.

“Nathan Henderson, this is my cousin Sophie Patrick.”

He nods. “Nice to meet you.”

I nod back but don’t say anything.

Charlie and Wes come up behind me and I turn to gauge their reaction.

Charlie stares at Nathan, then shrugs. Wes leans in close and whispers, “He’s new. Moved here a few months ago, so we don’t really know him.”

Olivia steps in front of me. “Hey, Nathan. I’m Sophie’s cousin Olivia. So where are you taking her tonight?”

He shrugs. “I thought we’d grab something to eat and then catch a movie.”

“Sounds fun,” I say, then motion for Nathan to head out the front door. The sooner this date begins, the sooner it will end.

Just before I’m out of the house, Olivia whispers, “We’ll see you at the movies.” Charlie and Olivia are going to a movie, too, for backup. I’m not sure if they invited Wes or not.

I don’t look back at her, but I nod, then follow Nathan to his truck, which is jacked up to a ridiculous height. He opens the door for me and helps me inside.

“Ready to go?” Nathan asks once we’re both inside.

I nod again and realize if I don’t start talking soon he’s going to think I’m incapable of conversation.

“So,” I ask. “I heard you’re new. Where did you move from?”

“Dallas,” he answers. “My dad got transferred for his job.”

We ride in silence another few minutes. I glance around his truck, trying to get some idea of what he’s like, and spot an air freshener with the Hooters logo hanging from the rearview mirror.

Um, okay.

He pulls into the drive-through lane of a fast-food burger place.

“Is this cool?” he asks.

I nod again, trying to keep the disbelief off my face. I’m not assuming he should take me to some five-star restaurant, but I was hoping at least I wouldn’t be eating in my lap.

We drive up to the intercom, and a voice crackles through the system. “Can I take your order?”

Nathan leans out of the window and says, “I’ll have a double bacon cheeseburger with everything, large fry, large Coke.”

“Will that be all?”

He spins around to me. “What do you want?”

“Uh…I guess chicken nuggets.”

“You want the meal?” he asks.

I shrug. “Sure.”

He rattles off my order and drives to the window. Once we have our food, he’s unwrapping his burger before we even get out of the parking lot.

“Here’s yours,” he says, handing me a bag.

So I guess we’re not even going to pull over to eat.

He’s trying to drive while chowing down on his huge burger, and mayo and mustard and bits of tomato are flying through the air with each bite he takes. I notice it’s full of onions, too, so there’s a really good chance I won’t be breaking my good-night-kiss dry spell.

I keep one hand close to the center console in case I need to grab the wheel.

We talk a little, but it’s the most basic form of small talk, and suddenly I hate that the movie theater is on the other side of town.

My phone dings and I take a peek while Nathan is slurping the last little bit of Coke from his drink.

MARGOT: I didn’t get a pic of this one. Is he cute?

ME: Uhh kind of? We’re not clicking though. This is going to be a long night

MARGOT: That stinks. You can always fake a headache and go home early

ME: Yeah, I feel something coming on

“Who are you texting?” Nathan asks. “Your ex-boyfriend? MJ told me all about him.”

“No,” I say pointedly. “My sister. She had a baby a few days ago and they’re both still in the hospital.”

I wait for him to ask me how they are, but nothing. Yeah, I definitely feel a headache coming on.