The blind date

. Chapter 2

Fafane

The restaurant was just as elegant as I remembered, with Crystal chandeliers shimmering overhead, soft music drifting through the room, and the scent of grilled steak and fresh herbs lingering in the air.

Last time, I never made it past the parking lot. I had called Henry, apologized for agreeing to a blind date, and driven straight into the life that would eventually destroy me, not this time.

“Good evening. Reservation?” the hostess asked with a warm smile.

“Fafane Louis,” I told her my name.

She glanced at her tablet before nodding. “Your date isn’t here just yet, but he’ll be arriving shortly. Would you like to wait at the table?”

“Yes, thank you.” She led me toward a quiet corner near the windows.

I wrapped both hands around the glass of ice water she placed in front of me, more to steady my nerves than because I was thirsty. This wasn’t really about a date; it was about proving to myself that I could make different choices. That my future wasn’t already written.

The entrance doors opened for some reason, and I looked up to see a tall man step inside, rubbing the back of his neck. He was wearing dark jeans, brown work boots, and a fitted black button-down with the sleeves rolled to his forearms.

His skin was a rich caramel brown, and his shoulders were broad enough to make the shirt strain across his back. He paused beside the hostess, offering an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Work ran longer than expected.” His voice carried easily across the room.

The hostess smiled knowingly before pointing in my direction.

His gaze followed for a second; neither of us moved. He wasn’t breathtaking in the polished, magazine-cover way Henry always tried to be.

There was something better, something real about him. His clothes were clean, but not perfect. A faint smudge of oil marked the cuff of one sleeve, and despite clearly scrubbing his hands, there was still the slightest trace of grease near one fingernail.

I almost smiled.

He really had come straight from the mechanic’s shop.

Instead of looking embarrassed, he walked toward me with quiet confidence. “I’m Quashawn.”

His smile was easy, warm. “And you must be Fafane.”

I stood. “It’s nice to meet you finally.”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before extending his hand. “I should probably apologize before we start.”

“For being late?” I asked.

He nodded. “A customer showed up five minutes before closing. I couldn’t leave him stranded.”

Something about that answer made me blink. Henry would have left without a second thought, business first, and everyone else later

“No apology needed,” I said, taking his hand.

The moment our palms touched, a strange warmth spread through my fingers. It wasn't sparks or butterflies, just comfort. As though I’d met someone my soul had been searching for without realizing it.

He seemed to notice it too because his eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. “You okay?” he asked.

I quickly pulled my hand back. “Sorry.”

He chuckled. “I’ve never had a handshake leave someone speechless before.”

Heat crept into my cheeks. “There’s a first time for everything.”

His laughter was deep and genuine; it made the tightness in my chest ease just a little.

After we sat down, a waiter appeared with menus. “What can I get you two to drink?”

“Lemon water is fine,” I said.

Quashawn nodded. The same for me.”

The waiter walked away, leaving us alone again.

“So,” I began, “I heard you work as a mechanic.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “You could say that.”

“You like it?” I asked him.

“I love it.”There wasn’t a second of hesitation. “I like fixing things,” he continued. “Cars. Engines. Anything that people think is beyond saving.”

For reasons I couldn’t explain, those words settled somewhere deep inside me, maybe because I wondered if broken people could be repaired too.

Before I could stop myself, I smiled for the first time since waking up in my second life. It felt real.

Across the table, Quashawn smiled back.

Neither of us knew it yet, but one simple blind date was about to change both of our lives forever.