So this was what he had come to.

At least with Kurt he at least knew what to expect.

Carrie came to check on him the next morning and take Autumn back to her place. "I finished up tweaking all that I could before Chance and a bunch of muscle bound men came and carted everything off to the studio. I get a day off before I have to start setting everything up. The space looks awesome, though." she chatted, trying to take Blaine's mind off of his work.

It was a valiant attempt… even though it really didn't work.

"Are you sure you don't want to come by and see the space?" Carrie asked, touching Blaine's hand while Quiddich rubbed against her shoulder lovingly.

Blaine sighed and shook his head quickly, "No, I would love to, though. But this needs to be done and into my editor by Thursday at the latest so she can start berating me and tell me everything that I need to fix."

Carrie pursed her lips, "In my humble opinion, I think you need a new editor. This one sounds like a bitch." That earned her a breathy laugh, so she counted that as a win. She was about to leave Blaine's apartment but was stopped by someone standing on the other side with coffee cup in hand. They blinked at one another a few times before a light seemed to click behind Carrie's eyes. "Oh! You're the young man I almost trampled yesterday! Should I be worried that you've found me here and intend to carry out some sort of revenge?" she chortled, her hands sliding to her hips, holding Autumn's leash loosely in her grasp.

Kurt smiled at the woman, instantly finding her bubbly way of talking very sweet. "I think it's just fate that we keep meeting," he said, offering his free hand. Carrie's eyes grew wide and she exclaimed,

"I like to think of it as Kismet. Or maybe like fated strangers connecting and finding a bond between them stronger than the bonds of the entire universe." Kurt couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't tell if she was making a joke to try and entertain him… or if she actually meant it.

As she took his hand he said, "I hope I'm not disappointing you, but I'm gay."

She laughed. "And I've been with my boyfriend for almost six years. We make the perfect couple!"

Blaine's voice floated out from the kitchen, "Carrie? Are you talking to yourself?"

It was then that Carrie realized she was still standing in Blaine's doorway. "No, I was talking to-"

"Kurt," he offered and watched in amazement as Carrie's pupils dilated a little. It was a very unnerving effect.

"I was just talking to Kurt," she called, not taking her eyes off of Kurt's face. "He has coffee in hand and I'm guessing it's meant for you."

Blaine came around the corner a moment later, smiling softly at Kurt. "Thank you. Coffee not made by me is a godsend right now." He reached over Carrie's shoulder and took the cup.

"Still working hard?" Kurt asked, giving Blaine a disconcertingly flirty look, Carrie actually felt like she was intruding on something very intimate. Now she understood why Blaine had a hard time forgetting Kurt.

Blaine touched Carrie on the shoulder and she had the sneaking suspicion he was using her as a shield, a natural barrier between him and that look he was giving Blaine. "Yeah, I have a fair amount of work left to do but it's mostly busy work."

"Well, when you finish we'll have to celebrate. I insist," Kurt said, beaming at Blaine.

"That would be lovely," Blaine replied and silence fell. Carrie started to feel a little disgruntled at how she was being totally overlooked. She shook off Blaine's hand and said,

"While it was wonderful meeting you Kurt I need to head out of here. I will see you later, Blaine, don't forget." Blaine blinked a couple times, realizing Carrie was there and smiled at her. He nodded once and she slipped past Kurt and out into the hallway, dragging Autumn behind her. The dog whimpered a little at being taken away but followed obediently.

Kurt's voice stopped her and she glanced over at her shoulder. "I should be leaving too. I have to head over to the theatre soon. I'll talk to you later Blaine." Blaine nodded once at the taller man and retreated back into the safety of his apartment.

Kurt followed Carrie into the lift and hit the button for the main floor. They stood together in silence until Kurt finally spoke up. "So, you're a friend of Blaine's?"

She smiled up at him, "We roomed together for a while at Yale. He's never been able to shake me since." Carrie chuckled a little and reached down to touch the tip of her dog's ear. They reverted back to silence before Kurt spoke up again, looking very apprehensive.

"Do you know if Blaine is dating anyone right now?"

Carrie felt her stomach drop a little. "Oh, honey, I don't think it's my place to say anything." She stopped speaking when she saw the disappointed look on Kurt's face. "But I can say that he's been far too busy to see anyone seriously. You're probably safe right now."

A small, excruciatingly adorable smile crossed Kurt's plush lips and he seemed to sigh, "I'm glad. Not that he's alone, but that I still have a chance. Do you think I have a chance?"

Carrie lifted a finely plucked eyebrow at the man and shook her head. "I think you have as good a chance as anyone else."

Kurt laughed, "Very diplomatic. You should have been a lawyer."

"I thought about it, but then I realized I'm incredibly lazy and have trouble working for anyone other than myself." The door opened and Kurt let Carrie exit before him. "Well, I hope I see you around soon," Carrie said sweetly, winking at Kurt as she flounced off. Kurt smiled at her before going in the opposite direction towards the theatre.

When he arrived he found Sadie looking very tired. "What's up?" he asked, slinging his arm around her shoulders and walking with her around the set as she checked to make sure the props were in their rightful place before the show started.

"They've started talking about doing the traveling production of the show. First stop would be Chicago," Sadie said, sounding very upset.

Kurt felt a chill go down his spine. "How soon is this all going to happen?"

Sadie stopped and settled on a bench with a heavy sigh, "A couple months. The casting crew needs to assemble a new cast and then they need to start advertising. I give it three months."

"So, I should start looking for a new job?" Kurt asked his stomach dropping out of his chest. Sadie shook her head.

"Not just yet. Plus, I think you have more than enough money you can take a break for a while. Maybe go on a trip to a tropical island and take some really hot guy with you." Kurt had a sudden mental image of Blaine in nothing but swim trunks but he quickly shrugged off the idea. Sadie took his hand softly in hers. "But it's still too early; we have months to figure out what's going to happen."

"Do the rest of the cast and crew know?" Kurt asked and Sadie nodded.

"I've already spread the word to the best gossips of the group. Everyone will know by the end of the show." She stood up and brought Kurt with her. "On a happier note, how is everything with the lovely mister Blaine?"

Kurt smiled a little, "I think I'm making a bit of a breakthrough. I talked to one of his closest friends and she said that I have a good chance of winning Blaine over."

"Well, just don't get too pushy. Blaine doesn't seem like the kind to like them pushy." Kurt's smile turned into a little bit of a smirk but he didn't say anything. He squeezed Sadie's shoulder and went off to his dressing room.

After that night Kurt made it his priority to push the idea of the show moving on to another city out of his mind. He knew when he became an actor he would have to get used to this. Kurt had been lucky with 'Worry Well' and he would get lucky again. It was just sad that he probably wouldn't be able to work with Sadie again.

Friday night came too fast for Blaine, just like almost every other day. He dressed up because Mark called him to tell him that they were going out to some new and very ritzy restaurant. Blaine felt better though because he'd finished on time and all he had left was to wait for his editor to call him and work out the awkward parts of the book and tie up any lose ends.

He hadn't seen Kurt much since Carrie had visited. Kurt dropped by the day before to give him a coffee before rushing off to the theatre. Blaine thought it was a lovely gesture; he was just worried that he was leading Kurt on. He was still on the fence about how he was going to deal with Kurt and his pushiness.

Mark arrived at seven exact and Blaine reminded himself to thank Chance for sending such an interesting looking man his way. Mark was tall and dark with an elegant style and bright green eyes. He smiled at Blaine in a way that made Blaine a little uncomfortable and swept his eyes up and down Blaine's body. Mark apparently liked what he found because he offered his arm and said, "Shall we go? I thought we would go to dinner and then a walk around Central Park before maybe making a return trip to here and see where the evening goes from there."

Blaine took Mark's arm, suppressing a little burst of annoyance at the action and Mark's words. It was a little too commandeering for Blaine's taste. He usually wasn't a fan of the sexually domineering, which Mark obviously was. Blaine found himself thinking a little irritably about how Kurt would never look at his body before a date, but would instead inspect his clothes. It was one of the endearing traits that Blaine liked.

Blaine mentally shook himself. He made a promise to not compare Mark to Kurt or Shane or any of the other guys that he'd ever dated.

In the elevator Mark kept a hold of Blaine's arm and didn't say much until they were in the taxi that Mark had called for them. "Chance said that you're an author. Written anything that I might have read?"

Blaine smiled fondly, thinking about his books — his babies. They gave him problems and yet he still loved them. "I've written two young adult books called Deb-" Mark cut him off with a rather bored movement of his hand, almost like a wave.

"I never read young adult fiction. I've lately become ensconced in this enthralling history of Henry IV. It's wonderful. Do you read historic biographies?"

Blaine smiled wryly at Mark. "No, I've never been a fan. I prefer my biographies to be of more modern people that I like and whose works I can look up. I recently read Bernadette Peter's biography. She's a marvel."

Mark raised a dark eyebrow at Blaine and stared at him as if he was trying to figure out if Blaine was totally mental or actually telling the truth. Inwardly, Blaine scowled a little; Kurt would have appreciated that book. After taking a calming breath, Blaine resolved to give Mark another chance. It would be hard to live up to Kurt's standards. Even Shane (or Shae as he liked Blaine to call him) hadn't been able to live up to the younger boy but Blaine had lived with him for years. He could do one date with a guy who wasn't Kurt.

The restaurant was lovely and chic and Blaine gave Mark a tally for a wonderful choice. They were seated immediately and once they'd gone over the wine list and ordered their meal, Blaine settled down to start getting to know Mark.

"So, you work in the public library? I haven't been able to go yet but I've been wanting to," Blaine said, leaning back and crossing his legs.

"You should, it's lovely there. I'm the head librarian but in all honesty it's an overused title. I just run the front and help with research. That's what I was good at in college," Mark replied, mirroring Blaine's position.

"I'll have to do that then. Chance said you went to Princeton."

Mark's eyes narrowed a little at Blaine, "I can't tell if you're holding that against me or not. You're very good at the stonewall expression."

Blaine chuckled lightly. "It's honestly fine with me. I have nothing against you. There would have been more of a problem if you went to Harvard. We Yalies have a bit of a prejudice against them. Our yearly Harvard/Yale game is a huge deal. I haven't missed one since I graduated."

Mark frowned a little. "You like sports?"

"I'm a big college football fan. The Buckeyes are my home team, but I follow the Yale Bulldogs fairly religiously too," Blaine replied stoutly. Immediately, Blaine realized that Mark wasn't a fan of sports because of the annoyed look on Mark's face. Quickly, Blaine steered the conversation away from sports even though an annoying voice in the back of his head said, 'Kurt used to let you go on about sports when you would go to dinner.' "What do you do in your free time?" Blaine asked, realizing that was the question he used when grasping at a conversational thread.

Mark brightened obviously glad that he was able to take hold of the dialogue once more. "I like to take in fine art."

"So that's how you met Chance and Carrie?" Blaine asked.

Mark gave Blaine a pitying look and said, "Chance, yes. He seems to have a wonderful grasp what real art is. That woman he's dating though. I heard that she was having an art gallery next week. I've seen some of her pieces and they lack that original flair and modern feeling that is so popular nowadays. She has talent, yes, but not enough to make it here in New York."

Blaine bristled a little at Mark's words but spoke very carefully. "Carrie has been one of my closest friends since Yale. I'm actually a huge fan of her work."

Mark's patented pitying look came back once more and he smiled at Blaine like he was trying to keep an overemotional child from blowing up. "Well, to each his own. Are you planning on going to her show?" Blaine nodded once. "Well, maybe I could accompany you and you could help me find a new appreciation for her work."

Blaine gave Mark a very tight-lipped grin and shook his head, "I'm sorry. I don't think I'll be going with a date." The food arrived then and Blaine breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Mark didn't seem inclined to say anything else.

The meal passed much quicker after the food arrived. Blaine finished his meal in record time but Mark took a while to actually catch up to Blaine. He didn't make a comment about Blaine's appetite and once he'd finished he settled back to finish his wine, looking like he was getting ready to really get to know Blaine. Instead he smiled and said, "You know, I've met quite a number of very successful authors since I started working at the library. I could maybe introduce you to some of them; I bet you could learn a lot from them." Blaine did his best to not read too much into that comment.

They sat for another twenty minutes after dinner and Blaine had even refused desert in hopes that it would speed the ordeal up a great deal more. It didn't.

Finally, finally, Mark took the check. He refused to let Blaine go dutch on it and paid in full, making sure to flash his gold credit card. Blaine wondered if Mark used that as a final ditch attempt to cement that he'd be let into his date's door and bed sheets as soon as they got back to the apartment. Too bad Blaine wasn't like most other men Mark had probably ever dated.

All the way back to the apartment, Mark kept trying to run his hand up Blaine's leg but Blaine stopped him by staring out the window and crossing his legs tightly. Mark frowned at Blaine, obviously wondering why his date was being such a hard ass.

Once there Mark escorted Blaine all the way back to his apartment door and stood close to Blaine's side and waited while Blaine got his keys out of his coat pocket. Before opening the door, Blaine turned to Mark and smiled up at the man. "I had a nice time. I hope we can do it again."

Mark stared at Blaine as if he'd just sported three heads. "I thought I could come in and continue the evening."

Blaine shook his head quickly, "I'm sorry but I still have a lot of work to do. My editor is a bit of a slave driver and she'll fly all the way here just to make sure I'm not slacking off." Mark's frown deepened but he took a step back. "Then I'll call you later." He didn't look up at Mark as he turned the key and slipped around the door, shutting it quickly and locking it almost immediately afterwards. Blaine let out a swift breath and leaned against the wood.

He waited five minutes, enough time to throw off his coat and change into his pajamas, before calling Carrie. "Hey, sweetie," she chirruped in his ear.

"No." Carrie took a moment to process what he meant.

"That bad?" He could almost hear her flinch.

"In the entire course of the dinner he insulted young adult writing, my writing in general, your artwork and came across as a pompous ass." Blaine replied, sinking onto his couch. Less than a moment later Pachelbel appeared and draped herself over his shoulder. He petted her head and listened to Carrie's soft laugh.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Chance was actually hoping you would invite him to my art opening, but I'm glad that you ruled him out immediately. I'm against enough problems as it is, I don't need someone like him at my opening. Have you thought of anyone else you might bring, or are you just going to come stag?" Blaine smiled a little, glad she wasn't grilling him for details of the date.

"I actually have someone in mind. I just have to ask him."

"I hope you're talking about a cherub faced man with bright eyes and rosy cheeks." Blaine laughed softly and heard Carrie laugh a little too.

Blaine decided to play coy just so that he wouldn't have to come right out and say that he was going to ask Kurt, because he still wasn't sold on the idea. "Maybe. Anyway, I just wanted to call you and tell you that he was definitely not my 'mister right.' Night Carrie." She chuckled brightly and said good night.

Blaine knew that if he actually decided to go through with asking Kurt to the opening, it was going to mean taking a huge step forward that Blaine wasn't sure he was ready to take yet. But in retrospect, after Mark anything would be better. Also this was a little self-serving too. If Blaine attended that galleria opening by himself Chance would do everything in his power to find Blaine a date. At least, if Blaine asked Kurt (and said person agreed to go) then Blaine would have a better chance of enjoying himself.

Blaine's head made an annoyed little throb and he groaned a little and flumped to the side of the couch as Pachelbel took off running in the opposite direction. He didn't even have the energy to move to his bed so he pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and snuggled under it to sleep. Sleep would help clear up his mind, it always did.

"No offense, but I always thought our first date would be somewhere fancy," Kurt mumbled a little, curled against Blaine's side. "Not that I'm complaining." Blaine laughed and hugged Kurt's lithe body closer. They were settled on Blaine's bed watching Katherine Hepburn sitting on the top of a building eating a lunch with Spencer Tracy and freezing her butt off.

"I just thought that a little something different would be a good change of pace, plus, we can't cuddle like this at a restaurant." He held out a chocolate truffle for Kurt to take. Kurt blushed a little and opened his mouth, letting Blaine settle the rich treat on his tongue.

The first time Kurt had tasted one of the truffles Blaine had given it to him as a present for his first day of class at Dalton. It had been so wonderful and almost sensual that Kurt had actually blushed. Blaine had appreciated the reaction so much that he catalogued the treat in the back of his mind and kept them well stocked just so that he could get Kurt to give him that look once more.

"Next time you can choose the venue and I'll willingly go. That is, if you want there to be a next time," Blaine said softly.

Kurt hurriedly swallowed the chocolate, forgetting that Blaine had a rule about letting the truffle melt completely on the tongue before swallowing. "Of course I want there to be a next time. I just hope that I can come up with something as wonderful as this date."

Blaine leaned over and whispered softly into Kurt's hair, "Any date with you will be wonderful." Kurt flushed bright red, thankful that the room was dark and grabbed a truffle, presenting it to Blaine. Blaine took it in his mouth with a vicious twinkle in his eye and made a show of licking the excess coco powder off of Kurt's fingers. Kurt laughed a little and hugged himself closer to Blaine's side. If every one of his dates with Blaine turned out like this he was never going to let Blaine go.

Kurt woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed. He skipped his usual routine and went for the coffee at the corner of the street. As he rode the elevator up he checked his reflection in the metal facing of the elevator door. When he reached Blaine's floor he put on a brilliant smile, determined to ask Blaine out once more.

He knocked briskly on the door and waited a few minutes for Blaine to open for him. When Blaine did Kurt was surprised to see Blaine dressed and looking very awake. "Coffee," he said simply, handing over the cup. Blaine smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks."

"So, how goes writing?" Kurt asked, resolved to make conversation until he found the nerve to ask Blaine to dinner.

"Finished. I'm now waiting in limbo for my editor to get back to me." Kurt nodded and opened his mouth to ask the question, but before he could Blaine cut him off, and he felt his heart sink for a split second. "Listen, I'm actually in a bit of a hurry but I wanted to ask you something before I lose my nerve."

Kurt nodded, trying to remain professional and not let Blaine see the worry in his eyes. Blaine had made his decision to ask that morning, just before Kurt showed up. His reasoning was that it couldn't hurt to try for just one outing together in a public place. If that worked then maybe, maybe he'd be willing to try for another date with Kurt. Blaine took a steadying breath before saying in a rush, "Carrie is having a gallery opening on Wednesday for her artwork. I was hoping you'd go as my date. I know it would interfere with your performance but I thought it was worth a try."

Kurt's jaw hit the floor and a moment later he collected himself enough to give a hurried, "Of course I'll go with you! You'll be making my understudy's day with this. What time? Where? Do you want to go over together?"

Blaine stopped Kurt with a laugh. "Since I don't have your cell phone number, I'll call your apartment later with all the information. I'm going to be busy helping Carrie set up for the next couple of days so you don't need to come by with coffee."

Kurt nodded quickly. "I'll wait for your call then." The smile Blaine gave him could have rivaled the sun in Kurt's eyes. Blaine nodded once, said goodbye and thanked Kurt for the coffee before closing the door.

Kurt waited until he was in the elevator to let loose an exultant cry.