CHAPTER 01- The Blind Date

Evelyn Hart had never considered herself dramatic. She was the kind of person who folded grocery bags neatly, apologized when someone bumped into her, and made pro and con lists before making even mildly important decisions. And yet here she was, storming out of a cafe like the heroine of a melodramatic soap opera except she felt nothing like a heroine. She felt foolish, betrayed, and painfully human.

The screen of her ex-boyfriend’s phone had glowed with a text she couldn’t unsee:

Had a great time last night. Same place next week?

A small heart emoji at the end.

Not from her.

She hadn’t screamed. She hadn’t cried. She’d simply placed his phone back on the table, picked up her purse, and walked away as though her ribcage hadn’t just cracked open.

Now, one hour later, she stood outside the restaurant where her mother insisted she keep the blind date appointment. “You can’t hide forever, Evelyn,” her mom had said. “One disappointment doesn’t define your whole life.”

Maybe not. But it definitely defined her mood.

The restaurant’s door chimed softly as she entered. Warm lighting, polished wooden tables, gentle music … completely wrong for someone who wanted to crawl under the covers with a gallon of ice cream. She scanned the room for the description her family had given: “Black hair, serious face, checkered shirt.”

Instead, her eyes locked onto someone entirely different.

A man sat alone at a corner table, posture relaxed but alert, like someone who saw everything without seeming to look. Not checkered shirt, just a clean, deep navy button down. Not the nervous smile she expected, just a steady, unreadable expression. When he noticed her standing there, he didn’t wave her over or give an awkward grin. He simply straightened subtly, as though recognizing something about her.

She hesitated.

Maybe he wasn’t the right person.

But when she took another step, he spoke.

“Evelyn Hart?”

His voice wasn’t deep in a theatrical way, it was calm, level, and gave nothing away.

“Yes,” she said, her own voice wobbling slightly. “You must be the date.”

He inclined his head once. “Jesse.”

Just Jesse. No small talk, no long introduction. She slid into the seat opposite him, trying not to look as exhausted as she felt. The table between them gleamed faintly under the soft light. For a moment, neither spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, not exactly. It was more like standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure which direction the wind would blow.

“Long day?” Jesse asked at last.

Evelyn let out a short, humorless laugh. “Something like that.”

He didn’t press for details, which she appreciated more than she expected. Still, she could feel his eyes on her not in an intrusive way, but as if he was quietly assessing whether she was on the verge of collapsing or setting something on fire.

Maybe it was the exhaustion. Or the raw sting in her chest. Or the sudden, overwhelming desire to prove to herself more than anyone that her life wasn’t falling apart. But the next words left her mouth before she had the chance to stop them.

“You know what?” she said abruptly.

Jesse’s eyebrow lifted slightly. “What?”

“Let’s just get married.”

The fork dropped at a neighboring table. The waiter walking past actually stumbled.

Evelyn’s eyes widened as her brain registered what her mouth had done. “I…I didn’t mean well, obviously I’m not thinking clearly, and today has honestly been the worst day ever and I’m tired of wasting time on people who don’t know what they want, and…..”

“Alright,” Jesse said.

The word hit her like cold water. “What?”

“I said alright.”

He didn’t smile. Didn’t laugh. Didn’t act like she’d said something ridiculous. He just watched her, calm as ever, with an expression that almost almost looked like understanding.

“You’re agreeing?” she said weakly.

“Yes.”

“W-why?”

He took a sip of water, the movement unhurried. “You seem sincere.”

“I’m emotionally unhinged,” she blurted.

“That too,” he said, without judgment.

She stared at him. He stared back, patient. And then, because her day was already surreal beyond repair, she muttered, “You’re supposed to laugh. This is the part where you laugh.”

“I don’t laugh much.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Of course you don’t.”

A hint just the barest curve touched one corner of his mouth. Not a smile, but something that could someday grow into one. “Do you want to back out?” he asked.

Evelyn opened her mouth, Closed it, Opened it again. Something about him, the steady calm, the unshakeable composure felt like the first solid ground she’d stepped on all day. Maybe this was reckless. Maybe it was absurd.

But right now, in this quiet restaurant, with her heart still bruised, Evelyn wanted a reset button. Something bold. Something that would force her life to move.

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to back out.”

Jesse nodded once, as if he’d expected that.

“When would you like to get married?” he asked.

She blinked. “You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

Her stomach fluttered not in a romantic way, but in a startled way.

Jesse leaned back slightly. “You made an offer. I accepted it. If you want to take more time, we can. If you want to move quickly, we can do that too.”

He said it like he was discussing weekend plans, not life-changing decisions. Evelyn had no idea whether he was incredibly grounded or incredibly strange.

“Soon,” she said before she could stop herself. “As soon as possible.”

Jesse nodded again. “Then we’ll arrange it.”

She stared at him, searching for any sign of hesitation. She found none. He seemed almost too calm about the whole thing. She couldn’t tell if that was a good sign or a very bad one.

“Why are you so… agreeable?” she asked.

“Why are you so impulsive today?” he countered.

The silence that followed was different from before. Not cold. Not tense. Just… still. Like both of them were waiting to see whether reality would hit or if the moment would dissolve like steam.

Finally, Jesse stood, smoothing out his shirt. “Shall we take a walk? You look like you need air.”

She didn’t argue. The restaurant suddenly felt too warm. As they stepped outside, the cool evening breeze wrapped around them. The city lights reflected in the windows, scattering gold and silver across the sidewalks.

Evelyn shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “So. We’re really doing this?”

“Yes,” Jesse said simply.

“You’re not scared you might be making a huge mistake?”

His eyes met hers, steady and unreadable. “No. I don’t make decisions blindly.”

“But I do,” she said with a dry laugh.

His gaze softened just slightly. “Maybe today is the exception.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. The truth was, she barely knew anything about him. But something about Jesse hiis quiet assurance, the way he didn’t push, didn’t pry made her feel unexpectedly grounded.

As they walked down the softly lit street, Evelyn had the oddest thought:

She didn’t know where this decision would lead.

But for the first time that day, she didn’t feel like she was falling.

She felt like she was moving.

And beside her, Jesse walked with the steady certainty of someone who had made up his mind long before she asked.