CHAPTER THIRTEEN

FRIDAY

KURT

I'm never drinking ever again.

Never ever.

Sure, I've been drunk before - this wasn't my first rodeo. But I had never felt this horrible after drinking. And it's not like I was putting a ton of drinks back, but I did make sure that the few drinks I did have really counted.

I groaned as I willed my body to sit up, clutching my head as my eyes blinked open - unwilling to encounter the sun that was pouring through the window. My eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room and I found I was in a spacious living room wrapped in a polka-dot throw on a mint green couch. This certainly wasn't my house...

Oh, right. I'm at Lauren's.

It was a little disorienting to wake up at someone else's house, even though I'd spent months on the road waking up in different places practically every week. Waking up in someone else's house felt so much more personal; like I was invading their space. I took a moment to gather in my surroundings. I remember Lauren said she lived with roommates and based on the living room alone, you could tell. The pieces didn't match; the sofa, armchair and loveseat were each different colors and styles and the posters and paintings on the wall lacked any kind of theme or similarity; a poster for Passion Pit on display next to posters for Reservoir Dogs and van Gogh's Sunflowers. Though things didn't match, the place still felt really homey and comfortable.

I heard a noise coming from the other room, so I rose to my feet, clutched my head, and followed the sound into what turned out to be a kitchen. I found Lauren pouring water into the carafe for the coffee maker before placing it under the drip and starting the machine. She turned around with a gasp and jumped slightly.

"Kurt! You scared the crap out of me!" she exclaimed, holding onto the empty coffee cup she was holding that read "#1 Bitch".

I chuckled as I leaned on the entryway. "Sorry, Zises. That wasn't my intention."

She laughed then looked me up and down. "You look like hell, Hummel," she said, turning back to the sink and placing her coffee cup inside. "Must have been all those Long Islands last night. You were really putting them back."

"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "I told you I had a rough day. I just dealt with it with a little less... grace than I normally would."

"And how would you normally cope with such a thing?" she asked as she turned back toward me, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Probably ordering take-out from some Thai or Chinese restaurant and watching a movie."

"That's kind of lame, Hummel," she stated. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be having a lame slumber party by yourself in your apartment. And to think I was originally planning on taking you out to a gay club last night." With that note, my eyes bugged out of my head, causing Lauren to laugh at my reaction. "Geez, I didn't think you'd hate the idea that much," she chided. "But I'll remember that for any future 'distractions' we may need to schedule."

I smiled. "Please do," I stated. "Can I get some of that?" I asked, gesturing toward the coffee pot, now filled to the brim.

She nodded and took a coffee cup out of the cabinet behind her, placing the cup in my hand. It read "I hate Mondays" and featured a picture of Garfield passed out in his bed. "And no, it's not mine," she said, sensing my curiosity about this particular cup.

I poured myself some coffee and joined Lauren at the small table in the kitchen. "So, you look like hell," she stated as I took a sip of the coffee. "I can only imagine that you feel equally as bad as you look."

"Yeah, I feel like hell. I'm surprised that I'm even talking at this point. My head is throbbing, my eyes feel like they want to be sewn shut, and I'm pretty sure my liver will shortly be inciting a riot along with my spleen and upper intestine," I said as I gingerly placed the coffee on the table. "What time is it?" I asked as I looked around the room for a clock.

"It's about 12:30," she declared after inspecting her watch.

I groaned. "I was out for way too long, Lauren. I'm wearing yesterday's clothes, I reek of alcohol, and I have to be at the theater at 3 today to start working on alterations on some of the older costumes. Be thankful that you don't have to be there until 5."

She laughed. "I didn't get drunk like you did, so I'm pretty sure I could manage to make it to the theater with that timetable," she said with a wink. I replied with an over exaggerated eye roll as her phone beeped from the kitchen counter. She swiped her phone off the counter before unlocking it and reading something that prompted a huge grin on her face.

"What is it?" I asked as I took another sip of my coffee.

"It's a text from Sara - the bartender from last night. Apparently that Blaine guy that's been a regular at The Bell House for awhile - who I introduced you to last night - was looking for me after we left last night," she said. "She said that she gave him my phone number and he seemed really excited to have it when she left. Maybe he likes me or something!"

I winced shortly before shifting my face into a (somewhat fake) smile for Lauren's sake. "That's great Lauren," I said, hoping my voice would remain calm and clear despite my disappointment. Seriously; all the cute ones are straight or taken.

"I don't want to think too much about it, but I haven't had someone be interested in me in a long time. And Blaine is super attractive - like incredibly hot."

I nodded in agreement. Hot wasn't even the right word to describe that guy. He was gorgeous - but in reality, he was a freaking Adonis if you asked me. "He is," I concluded.

She cocked her head to the side. "I'm kind of wondering why he didn't ask me out beforehand since he's been coming in for at least a month or two. But who knows, maybe he thought you and I were together and he felt like he needed to pounce." This statement earned a scoff from me - people never assumed that I was straight; I was too well put together and slightly more effeminate than the average man to ever have anyone believe that I was attracted to women. "Anyway, what'd you think of him when you met him?" she asked.

"Well," I said. "He certainly is really attractive. He's a little on the short side, but if that doesn't matter to you..." She shook her head that it didn't matter, so I continued. "He seemed really nice and really passionate about the band. You said he signs bands or something?" She nodded. "He just really got into the music when he was standing there and he was unashamed when he was dancing like an idiot after a while. And he had the best smile - I could tell after just one look. I'm sure he's beating ladies off with a stick." As soon as I said it, I saw the panic in Lauren's eyes. She was incredibly sure of who she was, but as someone who had recently lost a lot of weight, she still wasn't fully comfortable in her new skin. "But I can see why he'd like you Lauren. You're fun, opinionated, hilarious as hell, and you're gorgeous too. Don't sell yourself short."

She beamed. "Thanks Kurt. I would be more flattered if you were straight, but you have a discerning eye, so I'll take it."

"You just have to promise that if he asks you out that I can help you pick out what to wear on your first date," I said, silently admitting defeat in my head.

"Deal," she said, extending her hand to me in a handshake.

BLAINE

The marathon that was last night was really hitting me hard at work today. I didn't get out of control or anything, but after wrapping up with the band and prying Brittany away from a stray cat that she'd found outside of the venue, I didn't get home until about 3am. Thankfully, I had the foresight to email Clark and tell him that the gig went late and I'd come in after lunch in order to balance out my hours for the week.

I woke up around 10 to the sound of my phone going off. After looking at the display, I saw it was David.

"Hello?" I groaned into the phone.

"Rough night last night?" he joked. I grunted in reply, then David continued. "Well, I'm calling because I wanted to let you know that you're about to be famous Mr. Anderson."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, after talking with Santana this morning - which was hilarious, by the way, because she looks even more tired than I feel. Anyway, Santana and I - and Clark - talked it over this morning and we used the photo of you with the band on all of the press materials announcing the band's signing with the label."

I was confused. That seemed like a weird thing to do. Normally, bands would use a promotional photo of just the band itself in order to familiarize the public with the faces that would soon be displayed on album covers and commercials for the album's release in a few months. "Why'd you do that?"

"We agreed that you had already played an important part of the band's deal so you were already involved. Plus Clark said it would give a face to the label aside from the CEO for the younger audience to associate with Rialto. Basically, it's a win for Rialto and we both wanted to see your pretty face in the news."

I laughed. "You and Santana are certainly anything but unorthodox. But that's cool - I'm really honored that you guys did that. I know it's not normal protocol, but thanks for letting me know."

"I'm getting ready to post the photo on the band's Facebook page. Be ready to be bombarded with friend requests, my friend," he said as I heard him typing on his computer in the background.

"Thankfully that won't happen. I don't have a Facebook page."

"Are you serious?" David asked incredulously. "We live in the 21st Century. You had a Facebook in high school and college... why don't you have it now?"

"I kept getting emails and friend requests from people just looking to get their band signed or they had 'a friend of a friend' who was looking to break into the industry. I was sick of all of the requests, so I deactivated my account," I stated. It wasn't the first time I'd been asked that question so my answer was pretty rehearsed by that point.

"I guess that makes sense," David replied. "But it also makes sense as to why I haven't been able to get ahold of you for years."

"I have a Twitter!" I exclaimed. "I can't be out of the loop on everything social media-wise. Cooper would never allow it."

He chuckled. "I can't imagine Cooper would let you get away with much in the first place. Alright Blaine, I've gotta run and get things posted and ready to go for the boys. But we'll talk next week?"

"Sure thing, D."

"Well have a great day. Oh, and good luck in Atlanta!" he said as he ended the call.

I dropped the phone onto the bed beside me and lay staring at the ceiling for a while. It's amazing how much things had shifted in such a short amount of time for me. I wasn't sure I was ever going to get over that feeling that things were finally starting to come together.

...

The minute I stepped into the office, the whirlwind that was announcing a new artist was in full effect. Santana was busy hounding various press sites for coverage while I spent two hours helping field phone calls from songwriters and producers who we had worked with in the past trying to get in on the job with Atticus Finch. Most of these folks had never heard of the band, but everyone practically jumped at the chance to work with Rialto so it wasn't surprising to hear from so many people in one day.

Thankfully I didn't stick with the madness long since Clark had scheduled a meeting for me at one of the recording studios in lower Manhattan. He said this was an important part of the work that a producer did so I needed to familiarize myself with the process of scouting studios for the future. I couldn't help but be flattered at the way he casually brought up the possibility of me as a producer with Rialto, so my goofy grin was still in place as I made my way down to the studio in question.

By the time I made it back to the office, it was already 5 and most of the office had cleared out for the day. Although we probably all had business to attend to on the West Coast, most of us were practically married to our work email on our company-issued iPhones, so the big bosses knew we were getting work done even if we weren't present at our cube.

I dropped the goody basket that I had received from the recording studio onto my desk and found a bright pink post-it note stuck to my computer screen.

Don't forget about our little deal. -San

Our deal? Making deals with Santana could sometimes be like making a deal with the devil, so what had I agreed to... Oh right. The whole online dating thing.

I had forgotten about the fact that I had signed up. Clearly my memory had been on other things... or other people. Ever since I had officially met Kurt last night, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Well, if I was being honest, I hadn't really stopped thinking about him since I saw him at Cosi. But now that I had a name to match with the face, it was like my thoughts of him were heightened and I was couldn't help but think of him more often. I still hadn't called Lauren since I wasn't sure how to be like, 'Oh, hi, remember me? Yeah, can you give me Kurt's number because he's probably the most perfect looking person I've ever met?' without sounding like a total lunatic.

But a deal was a deal and I needed to activate my profile. I almost had done it the night I talked to Cooper, but it had been tossed to the side and I hadn't opened my laptop since. I generally avoided being on the computer when I was at home since I was on it enough at work.

I sat down and typed in my password to unlock my computer. After logging into the NYCDate website, I clicked on my profile and re-read the information one last time. My responses still felt completely inorganic and forced, but I'm not sure I was ever going to fully be comfortable with them in the first place. I double-checked my picture - I had selected one that Santana had taken of me in Central Park a few weeks ago of me wearing a white Aran sweater and dark wash jeans sitting on the grass mixed among the fall colors - and said a silent prayer as I clicked submit.

I thought about just ending it there and waiting to see who would contact me, but the curiosity swirling in my mind won out. I wanted to know what kinds of guys were signing up for this kind of site. Since it was a site where you had to pay for membership, I hoped that the people on here were of a higher caliber than people that were on a free dating site or - god forbid - Craig's List.

I clicked over to the homepage and found that there were dozens of photos of guys and girls who were members of the site. Well, having all of these girls mixed in here certainly won't work. I glanced to the top of the page and found the search bar. I selected 'guys who like guys' from the drop down menu and sorted the search results by compatibility percentage, then clicked OK.

Whoa. The search results turned up a few hundred thousand results. There are that many gay guys on this site? There are that many gay guys in New York City? Well, that second note didn't really surprise me. But knowing there were that many guys - eligible guys - on this site gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe this could work out.

I scrolled through the first few people on the list and stopped dead. My face shifted quickly from one of sheer boredom to one of ecstatic joy.

No. Freaking. Way.

There, right in front of my face - with a 99% compatibility match no less - was Kurt. KURT! The fact that I had Lauren's number at my disposal now seemed irrelevant; now I had a direct way to talk to him.

I eagerly clicked on his picture - a really good one of him wearing a black v-neck t-shirt and smiling at the camera with his hair slightly spiked, blue eyes glinting - and his profile populated on the page. Reading details about him felt a little like I was invading his privacy and learning his secrets (since I didn't know anything about him aside from his name and that he was friends with Lauren), but I couldn't help but read more about the man who had captivated my attention for at least a week. I looked to the right of his picture - one that I was tempted to save onto my desktop - to find his information.

Name: Kurt.That much I knew already.
Occupation: Costume Director.That explains why he was so well put together he looked when I saw him. The guy clearly knows about fit. Especially given how he fit in that vest he was wearing last night...
Age: 26.Alright, he's my age. That's good.
Borough: Chelsea.Even better; he's right around the corner.
Height: 5'10".Well, I did like them tall... taller than me at least.
Eye Color: Blue.Boy, didn't I know that already.
Hair Color: Brown.Aperfectbrown... whoa Blaine. Stop with the googly eyes and keep reading.
Religious Affiliation: None.None? Not sure what that means, but I'm not really religious either.

So far, nothing really new other than his age - which I was happy to learn was the same as mine - and religious affiliation, or lack thereof. Moving on.

Do you drink? Socially.I had observed that much, although he didn't seem like a beer kind of guy based on the liquor-based drinks he had last night.
Do you smoke? I smoked once in high school... from the wrong end of the cigarette. No plans on reliving that moment anytime. Ever.I laughed. Why do I think this story is so funny... and adorable?
Do you do drugs? Hell no. (Just not my thing)Me either. Seen too much of that being in the music industry to know not to mess with that.
Are you a morning or evening person? Morning. There's something exciting about a clean slate every morning to make your mark on the day.I don't know how he would manage to be a morning person working in a theater, but I hope he's at least a night person sometimes since I'm definitely not one to wake up early. Ever. But I like his idealism; that each day is like a fresh slate. Having that kind of optimism would be nice in a city full of people that seemed so jaded all the time.
Are you an indoor or outdoor person? Indoor.I can think of things we can do indoor... OH MY GOD, BRAIN. Stop.
What's your ideal vacation? A trip to Paris and the French countryside, traveling by train.That actually sounds way nicer than what I wrote. I wonder if he speaks French...
Do you think you want to have kids? Maybe. It seems a bit early to decide these things, but I think if I met The One, I'd want for us to come to that decision together.Glad we're on the same page about that. Kids seems like such an awkward thing to talk about early in a relationship, but the nice thing about this site is that it gets that question out of the way right away.

Directly beneath these basic questions held the paragraph he had written about himself. Even if I hadn't met him in person and hadn't been totally captivated by his aura his... Kurt-ness... I'm sure I would have been eager to read more about him even now.

Hi there! I'm Kurt and though I've technically lived in New York City for years, I'm finally settled down with my amazing roommate in Chelsea; living and loving the city I've always dreamed of being a part of. I work on Broadway achieving my dreams and looking for the right guy to help me live one last dream - the dream of calling someone my partner; a partner in love and in life.

I enjoy Broadway shows (that should be a given by now) and I'm also interested in fashion and style. These two things are a huge part of my life, but they certainly aren't my only interests. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and nothing makes me smile like a cup of hot cocoa and watching a funny movie with Thai take-out. My dad is my biggest influence in my life and I love getting my hands dirty and fixing cars alongside him back home whenever I have the chance. I love so much about my life, and now I'm looking for someone else to share in that love with me.

I sighed. I knew there was more of his profile to read, but this - the way he talked about his few passions and his desire to share his love with someone - sold me on him as an individual and not just a really attractive guy that I saw one time at a show. I already wanted to see him again and be taken in by the way his hair swept across his forehead or watch him smile, but now I really wanted to know abouthim. What else would make him laugh? What was he like as a kid? How close exactly is his relationship with his dad?

As I continued scrolling down the page, I was certain that I had hit gold - the long form questions still had yet to be read. I hated when I had to fill them out myself, but now that I had the same information available about Kurt I was overjoyed at the thought of learning more about the intricacies of his personality... and something that I hoped to elaborate on at a later point. Perhaps on a date? Or twenty?

I mainly had interest in two of his questions - though I was sure I'd be committing all of his answers to memory soon to ensure that I knew as much about him as I could when I talked to him again.

Knowing how he was into clothes and remembering the way he had managed to pull off such an immaculate outfit at the show, I was interested to learn if he just wore that out or if it was his everyday appearance. Please god, let it be an everyday occurrence that he looks that hot all the time...

How would you describe your personal style or appearance?
As someone who works in costuming for Broadway, I'm very into clothing and fashion. Your wardrobe can say a lot about you, and I think mine speaks volumes about my personality and passions. I'm very fashion-conscious; I read Vogue and try to stay in-tune with the latest trends. While I'm known to mix in a few more classic pieces, I prefer statement pieces – brooches, hats, and scarves – because if you add those to a traditional wardrobe, it makes you stand out. And I love to stand out, be different, and embrace who I am.

He certainly seemed like the type of guy who would always stand out in a crowd and not just because of his clothes. Based on the two times I had seen him, his appearance was fairly standard for a guy living in New York City - fitted jeans, button up shirts, vests, and sweaters - but knowing that he was always going to go the extra mile to establish himself as being a little different than the status quo, it made me admire him. I always thought I dressed okay, especially now that I had finally figured out what to do with my hair and no longer made sweater vests a part of my everyday wardrobe, but I never really wanted to stand out. But Kurt - ah, Kurt - he couldn't help but stand out. He was too flawless not to.

But the main question I wanted to know was what was he looking for. And, more importantly, would he be looking for someone like me?

What are you looking for in a partner?
The short and long of it boils down to one thing - partnership. Friendship and love are essential for creating a solid relationship and I'm looking for someone I can truly call my partner - and not just in a politically correct way. I want to love him and care for him and I want him to do the same for me. I want him to call me out when I'm hogging the covers, I want him to make me laugh, I want him to hold my hand, I want him to show me what love is. I'm hoping for a friend, lover, confidant, supporter, and - of course - partner... occasionally in crime. I want me to be his everything because I know that Mr. Right will be my everything - the one I'll love forever.

Oh god, Kurt.Bemore perfect.

Nope, not possible. It's was if Kurt knew what I wanted and could articulate it far better than me. But knowing that he wanted what I wanted, that just sealed the deal more than I ever could have imagined. Before, I was taken back by his appearance. Now, I was just blown away byhim- all of him. Well, all of him that I had read about.

I quickly clicked the 'Message Me' option at the bottom of his profile and waited impatiently as the message center loaded. Instantly my joy and hope that I could contact Kurt was shattered with panic.

What was I going to say?!This first email could set the entire tone of... whatever we could become. It has be be perfect. But I'm afraid if I wait any longer to contact him that someone else will try and snatch him up. I didn't even want to think about Ken Doll and the possibility that he was Kurt's boyfriend, but I pushed that back in my mind since his profile showing up on this site, the fact that I saw him at Cosi that one time, and the how I met him officially at The Bell House - all of these had to be signs; destiny even.

Instead of thinking too much about it, I just let my fingers do the talking without letting my brain get too involved.

Subject: Hi Kurt!- good start I guess.

Message:

Kurt,
I don't know if you remember me from The Bell House, but I'm Blaine. I saw your profile on this site and that, along with meeting you the other night, made me want to know more about you. You seem like a passionate and wonderful person and I'd be honored to get to know you even more.
I'm going out of town on business this weekend, but if you're interested I'd love to talk to you more and maybe see if we can meet up again when I come back to New York next week.
I really hope to hear from you soon.
-Blaine

I read it one time to ensure that I had no grammatical or spelling errors and clicked send.

God, or whatever higher power is up there, I really hope this is it; that Kurt is it - that he's the one I've been looking for... forever.