CHAPTER TWENTY

THURSDAY

KURT

I was so thankful that my boss was flexible when I approached Roselyn Tuesday afternoon to ask for Thursday evening off. Sure, I normally didn't have any weeknights off but I could really use the break and I wasn't about to turn Blaine down for a second date. She had agreed - especially since I was putting in extra time here and there to repair and reorganize the costumes - so she reminded me after our show Wednesday night that I better not be anywhere near the theater come Thursday night.

Blaine and I had talked a lot during the past few days; funny, flirty texts back and forth, a few emails containing ridiculous Tumblr links and gifs, songs and playlists to listen to (sent by Blaine) and YouTube videos of adorable animals (sent by me). We quickly fell into a friendly banter but with a slight hint of suggestion and attraction that helped me remember that we were more than friends. But I was so thankful that we seemed to be friends first. It was something I always strove for in my relationships but I was so glad that it seemed to come naturally for Blaine and I.

I wasn't even nervous when I called Blaine for the first time. Okay, that was a lie; I was stilltotallynervous because, apparently, I was a teenage boy calling his high school crush on the phone for the first time. But thankfully the conversation had gone well and though it hadn't lasted longer than 25 minutes, it was during that call that Blaine had laid down the plans for our date tonight.

He suggested we go to L'Artusi, a restaurant he had heard rave reviews about, for dinner around 8:00. Initially he had asked if he could pick me up from my apartment since I was on the way from Blaine's place to mine, but I resisted. Not because I didn't appreciate the gesture - Lord knows I would always appreciate such chivalry - but because I didn't want Blaine to think he had to go above and beyond just for me or just because he thought hehadto.

So rather than have him pick me up, I was happy to take the train down to L'Artusi. Besides, I was one of the few people who lived in New York who actually enjoyed taking the train. I realize it's probably crazy, but I couldn't help it. It was one of the little things Ohio didn't have and I always loved it.

Knowing that L'Artusi was a nicer restaurant, I had to be more thoughtful in my wardrobe selections for this evening. Blaine had a certain look to him that always managed to look effortless but consistently put together. I realized this was probably because he seemed to wear a good portion of the Ralph Lauren catalog (or at least it looked like it based on the few times I'd seen him). And if anyone can pull of any of Ralph Lauren's lines - Polo, Rugby, or otherwise - it was Blaine Anderson.

In the end, I had opted for grey dress pants with a black button up and skinny white tie. Normally I cuffed my sleeves at my elbows, but with the cold night, I left them rolled down. I was about to select a scarf to go with my ensemble when I heard a light knock on the door.

"Come in," I bellowed from the inside of my closet.

After finding the red scarf I was looking for, I turned to see Wes and David in my room.

"Uh, hi guys," I said as I moved over toward the full length mirror that was adhered to the wall next to my closet.

"Whatcha up to?" Wes asked as he casually leaned into the doorway. David just rolled his eyes at his high school buddy, clearly used to Wes being totally annoying on a regular basis.

"I have plans tonight," I replied nonchalantly. Wes and I had briefly debriefed about coffee the night after my coffee date with Blaine but I still made him promise me that no more inquisitions about my dating life were to come up again. At least not until our agreed upon time-frame when I'd introduce him to Wes and the rest of my friends.

"Man, does everyone have plans tonight? I asked one of our old Dalton buddies to come hang out with us tonight for a movie night, but he said he couldn't," David sighed. He turned to Wes. "Are we getting boring?" he asked.

Wes laughed. "Nah. We just aren't party animals like ol' Kurt here."

I glared at him. "Don't call me old."

He scoffed. "Please. Both David and I are older than you. If anyone would be old, it'd be us." Wes fiddled with the door frame a bit before asking the one question I'd hoped he wouldn't ask. "So, what date number is this?"

I rolled my eyes. David's eyes grew at the realization. "Date! Kurt, who's the lucky man?"

I laughed and Wes groaned. "Trust me, man. I've been trying to get Kurt to tell me about the man that makes Kurt quote 'go weak in the knees' for a few days and I'm getting nothing. Considering he just met you, he certainly won't tell you."

"I don't know Wes," I said as I finished fluffing my scarf and pulled a black belt out of my closet. "David is a lot less annoying than you. Maybe I'll just tell him about Mystery Man."

David chortled as Wes glared at me stonily. "That's just wrong." I looped the belt through my slacks as I felt Wes' gaze remain constant on my face and David was clearly fighting back laughter at Wes' clear irritation at the fact that I would tell David something over him.

"Jesus Wes, chill out. I'm kidding," I said, finally making eye contact with my roommate through the mirror. He replied with a nod and a smile, the annoyance melting from his face. "I will introduce him to you guys at our previously agreed upon timeline."

I grabbed my pea coat and made my way out of my bedroom, where Wes and David had parted to let me through. I went to the key hook to grab my keys and shoved them in my coat pocket along with my wallet that sat on the table next to the front door. I grabbed the knob and went to walk out the door when I turned back to Wes and his friend who were now making their way into our living room area. "Oh, and it's technically date number two, but we're well on our way to securing number three," I said with a wink as I closed the door.

Now he'll be dying with curiosity and he knows I won't appease him with any information. That'll teach him to mess with me.

...

L'Artusi was only a block or two away from the subway but it felt like more. The whole ride on the train had been full of me double checking my reflection in the windows of the car and thinking about this date and, more importantly, about Blaine. Unlike the one date I'd been on with James, I actually felt nervous. Sure, I felt nervous on our coffee date too, but now it was really butterflies. Every time I saw a message come in from Blaine - whether it was a text or email - it made me smile. And talking with him still felt very natural. But I couldn't help but feel nervous and excited all at the same time. It felt... right.

I rounded the corner to the restaurant and saw Blaine's profile leaning against the side of the building, looking very James Dean in the best way possible. He had gotten a haircut since I'd seen him last - a thought that made me think Blaine might have gotten it specifically for our date, but realize he was probably just due for a trim - and his gray coat had been buttoned over a green scarf and dark wash jeans and his black wingtips tapping against the sidewalk.

"Blaine," I called out as I crossed the street.

At the sound of his name, he turned to me with a large smile before it turned to a look that I couldn't quite place. "Kurt," he said softly, walking in my direction with his hands behind his back.

I knew I was smiling brighter than I had all day. Tonight was going to be great; I could feel it.

BLAINE

In order to avoid being tardy to another date with the ever-prompt Kurt, I aimed to make it to the restaurant at least 10 minutes early just to make sure I was on time. I even took a cab instead of braving the subway since I wanted to be sure that I wasn't late. Thankfully traffic hadn't been too bad and after a quick drive on the west side highway, I made it to L'Artusi 15 minutes early.

My early arrival allowed me to pop into a newsstand and get flowers for Kurt. I knew that it might be weird to give a guy flowers on a first date - well, second, but it was our first real dinner date - but I had a feeling Kurt would appreciate the gesture. Besides, I was a gentleman and my mom would be proud of my attempts at sweeping a guy off his feet. Just because I was gay didn't mean I didn't think romance existed in some small form.

Rather than pick a bulky selection of flowers that he'd have to carry around all night, I bought him a single yellow rose. Yes, I could have gone with the red rose, but that seemed somewhat overdone. And besides, yellow was such a cheerful color. I'm sure he'd like it no matter what color it was.

Rose in hand, I perched myself at the entrance to L'Artusi and waited for Kurt. I fiddled with my phone a bit and was tempted to text Kurt to ask when he was arriving - even though it wasn't even 8:00 yet - but I was just so excited for our date to start that I wanted to begin early.

"Blaine," I heard a voice say off to my left. I looked up and saw Kurt crossing the street.

"Kurt," I said quietly as I turned toward him. He looked amazing and I was fairly certain the look I was giving him right now exuded sheer joy and endless attraction for the guy with the gorgeous grin crossing the street. I hoped my facial expression didn't come off as too creepy as I moved to meet him with my hands - and the rose - tucked behind my back, but the smile on his face seemed to show that he wasn't phased and he seemed just as thrilled as I was about tonight.

When we were within an arm's distance of each other, I whipped the rose out from behind my back, a stunned grin coming across Kurt's face. "For you," I stated as I extended the flower to him.

"Wow," he said quietly. He took a moment to smell the rose before looking up at me, smile still in tact. "Thank you so much Blaine."

He pulled me in for a hug and I was brought back to our previous hug the other morning. This one felt similar to that one, but less rushed; I wasn't running late for work and he hadn't spent the morning frantically worrying if I had stood him up. Instead this hug felt tighter and somehow warmer and I got another whiff of his wonderful scent. "This is so sweet," he whispered in my ear before pulling away from our hug, the closeness of his voice and his light breath giving me goosebumps that were thankfully concealed by my coat.

"Of course. Shall we go in?" I asked, gesturing toward the door.

"Yes please. It's freezing out here!" he exclaimed. I laughed as I motioned for him to walk in front of me. Once at the door, Kurt held the door open for me and practically pushed me through when I seemed unsure of what to do at the simple gesture. I wasn't used to any amount of chivalry - or kindness, since we did like in New York - being directed in my direction, so Kurt's simple ability to hold the door open for me made me blush slightly.

"My, it's packed in here," Kurt said as he removed his coat from his shoulders.

"That's what reservations are for, Mr. Hummel," I joked and made my way to the maître d'. I gave her my name and she immediately grabbed two menus and led us to our table, Kurt following my lead.

We had a two-top in a cozy corner of the restaurant away from the busy kitchen and the front door, providing an ideal environment to talk with Kurt. I always harped on how environment played such a big part in the success of anything in life and dates certainly weren't excluded. It was doubtful that the date would be good if you were at a busy bar where you could hardly hear the person across from you or if the ambiance was less than desirable.

Before I had realized, the waitress came over to our table and asked for our drink orders. I robotically replied with a water with lime and Kurt asked for an iced tea. A minute later, the drinks had arrived and our silent perusal of the menus had come to a close. I looked up just as Kurt had taken a sip from his tea and saw his face sour.

"Is everything okay?" I said, stifling back a laugh. His face looked equal parts disgusted and surprised, resulting in an adorable factor I that was really growing on me.

He shuddered as he placed the glass back on the table. "I always forget that if you order tea here, it's not sweet tea. It's the one thing about living in the South that spoiled me; their sweet tea is so delicious."

"Next time I'm in Atlanta, I'll be sure to order some," I concluded. "Since you didn't want the tea, how about some wine? I don't know if that's your thing, but I hear their sommelier is fantastic."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sounds good," Kurt replied somewhat sheepishly before burying his nose in his menu.

I looked at him inquisitively. "Is everything okay?" I didn't know Kurt very well - yet - but even someone as oblivious as me could pick up on the fact that Kurt was a little... off.

He sighed and relaxed a little. "Don't judge me, okay?" I nodded and he continued. "I may be up on fashion and have a level of sophistication beyond comprehension most times," he chuckled. "But you just seem so... fancy. This is all so nice and wonderful and you're so... you and... I-have-no-idea-what-a-sommelier-is."

I laughed a little and Kurt's face went to one edged with anger. "I told you not to judge me," he said, hiding behind his menu again.

"No, no. It's not that Kurt," I said, grasping for his hands on either side of his menu. The menu dropped slightly and I could see his eyes were full of astonishment, surprised at my touch. He looked from my hands lightly grazing over his into my eyes and his anger already subsided slightly. I smiled before explaining. "I wanted to bring you here to this nice restaurant because I wanted to take you on a great, memorable first dinner date. And I wanted it to be better than some picnic in Central Park."

His shoulders eased as the tension seemed to lift. "You didn't have to try this hard, Blaine." I frowned a bit. Did he not appreciate my efforts? Was I really trying too hard? Was I scaring him away already? Kurt's voice pulled me away from my own self-doubt. "You don't have to try this hard because even if we had gotten a hot dog from a dodgy street vendor, I would have enjoyed tonight. You're a great person to talk to and I just like spending time with you, or talking with you. Hell, I even like our email conversations and you know those can get rocky at times."

I was practically a damn beacon in the night at this point and I was sure that if I had smiled any bigger, you'd be able to see my gums from space. "I hope it wasn't weird that I said that," he added softly.

I shook my head. "No, not at all. I'm just... glad that you would have liked whatever we would have done." I sighed. "I just wanted to make a good, lasting impression with you."

He beamed. "You already have, Blaine. I think tonight is going to be fantastic, but just know that when I plan our next date it may not be as swanky as this, but you'll have fun."

Yup, gums were visible from satellites now. "So, there's a next time?" I said as I pulled my hands back from his.

"I certainly hope so," he said.

....

Dinner that night had continued without a hitch. We spent a good portion of the time waiting for our food - Kurt had ordered the potato gnocchi and I ordered braised short rib - playing an altered version of 20 questions in order to learn more about each other. I had learned that Kurt sang in a Capella choir in college, that he wasn't into sports, how seriously he took Black Friday, and how his dad was his personal hero. I shared that my older brother was an idiot - him concurring about his own step-brother, that I still performed for open mic nights on occasion, how I always wanted a pet dog, and the many different places I wanted to travel to.

He and I had gone back and forth about dream travel locations and potential agendas for said vacation destinations and before we realized it, we had finished our dinners and our wine - which the sommelier had explained thoroughly and I could tell Kurt was trying to soak up all of the information he had provided - and the waiter had come to ask about dessert.

"I'm not sure I can make it out of the restaurant at this rate. Kurt, you'll have to roll me out of here," I said, earning a laugh from Kurt. He shook his head at the waiter, who left to ring up the bill.

I looked at my watch as the waiter brought back the check. It wasn't even 9:30 yet and I wasn't quite ready to end my date with Kurt. Once the waiter had placed the check on the table, I quickly grabbed my wallet out of my back pocket and slipped my credit card in the holder without looking at the price. Mental math told me how much it would be, but date conversations about money tended to get awkward so by not looking too intently at the bill I hoped to avoid that talk entirely.

"Thank you for dinner," Kurt said as he finished the last of his wine.

"Of course. It was my pleasure."

Kurt giggled. The wine might have left him a little giggly, but I found it endearing. The waiter was quick with the bill and once I'd signed the slip, I turned back toward Kurt who was dreamily looking into the restaurant.

"Kurt?" He turned toward me, same afterglow on his face. "How would you feel about making one more stop tonight?"

He nodded emphatically as I rose to my feet and pulled on my coat. I looped my arm out and Kurt linked his in mine when he had pulled his own coat on and I led us to the door. As we walked out the restaurant's door, another couple had just gotten out of a cab.

I hastily pulled a slightly confused Kurt into the cab's back seat and rattled off the address of our next destination. "Washington and 14th, please." The cab driver nodded and soon we were headed toward our destination.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going, Mr. Anderson?"

"I thought you liked surprises," I said cheekily. I looked over to gauge Kurt's reaction and he just smiled back at me. Our arms were still interlinked and the space between us in the cab's back seat was practically nonexistent. The closeness to Kurt was euphoric; feeling the warmth of his leg on mine, the tight grip he had on my arm.

I wanted more but had a rule that I'd made with myself in order to pace any future relationships I would be in post-Jared - no kissing for the first few dates. And with Kurt's wine-tinted lips in a small smile so close to my own grin, I was really struggling to keep up with my own rule. But I needed to do this - I couldn't let emotions or feeling claustrophobic get in the way of something that was already proving to be wonderful with Kurt. Besides, once I crossed the kissing threshold, it was going to be hard to reel myself in.

Thankfully I didn't have to dwell on it too long, because we had pulled up to our destination shortly after I found myself daydreaming about Kurt and his lips. I swiped my card in the credit card machine that was adhered to the back seat and thanked the cab driver as Kurt and I got out, having to relinquish our grasp on each other's arms in order to get out.

"A hotel?" he asked, staring up at The Standard Hotel and looking horrified at the realization that I would potentially take him to a hotel on our date.

"Oh god no!" I said quickly. "Not that I wouldn't... I just... Dammit. I am so not coming off smooth am I?"

Kurt giggled. "It's okay Romeo. Just glad we're on the same page. But why are we here?"

"We're not stopping here, we're going there," I stated as I pointed toward a staircase at the end of the block. "Let's go. It closes soon."

"Closes?"

I chuckled. "I'm starting to think you liking surprises is all a farce."

"Oh please," he said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to figure you out."

"Try all you might, I can't be contained in a box." He laughed in response as we ascended the stairs. Once we reached the top, Kurt looked at the walkway in amazement.

"Is this the High Line?" he asked excitedly.

I nodded. "It is. I remember you said you hadn't been and it's exceptionally gorgeous at night."

He looked at me with wonder in his eyes. "Yeah, it is."

I blushed a little at the thought that Kurt might have meant that about me, but led him down the walkway further. He pulled out his phone to take a picture of the view of New Jersey on the other side of the river from where we stood as I looked at the people on the street and cars passing by on the west side highway.

The wind starting whipping and soon Kurt and I found ourselves walking nearly huddled against each other as we continued our walk. Our close proximity made our shoulders brush, our hands flutter past each others and the smell of Kurt's cologne whip through the air.

I closed my eyes and breathed in as the crisp air filled my nose and soon I found a warmth in my hand I hadn't expected. I looked down into my hand and saw that Kurt had added his own in between my fingers. My shock must have been evident since Kurt went to slightly pull away until I took a firmer grip of his hand and gave it a slight squeeze before looking at him with a smile. He replied with his own smile and squeezed his hand with mine in response.

God, this felt good.

We walked hand-in-hand until we reached an amphitheater area along the walkway that provided a small reprieve from the cold winds. We sat next to each other, hands still tightly grasped, and I was thankful that both of us had forgone gloves because the feel of his hand on mine was more wonderful than I could have imagined.

Kurt and I sat quietly on the steps, looking onto the street below with the sounds of a street performer who had set up his acoustic guitar somewhere near where we were sitting. We sat for a few minutes but before too long, Kurt had gently laid his head on my shoulder and my heart fluttered at the contact as his hair tickled my neck. I grinned before leaning my head onto his, hoping that it wasn't too much too soon.

"What's the thing you love best about living in New York?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I thought for a moment. Since I had left Ohio, I had learned to love so much about this city. The sites, sometimes the smells (New York in the summer was not a smell I liked), the music, the people I'd met. But none of those were my favorite. "I think the thing I like best is how it's a city full of opportunities for... anything; you can change jobs, meet new people, try new things practically anytime you want. It's something I've never experienced before anywhere else." I felt him nod on my shoulder. "What about you?"

He sighed and pulled his head off of my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "The unexpected memories it makes," he said quietly. "When I first moved here, I expected so much to happen for me. But it exceeded my expectations in ways I never imagined. It brought me to people I'd never thought I'd meet, experiences I never thought I'd have. It's incredible and each day is a total surprise."

I chuckled. "I guess you do like surprises then, huh?"

"Obviously," he replied as he squeezed my hand. We sat facing each other for what felt like minutes, our faces getting closer with each passing second. Soon I could feel his breath on my cheeks and I didn't care that we were about to break my rule of no kissing so early into dating.

He inched closer and I met him halfway-

"Sorry gentlemen, but we're about to close up for the night," said a security guard who stood three feet from us.

We backed away from each other, my insides practically rioting in protest at the fact that we were so close to closing the gap to Kurt's lips. But the logical part of my mind - the one that rarely made an appearance in my romantic life - conceded that the right thing had happened with the security guard breaking up our almost kiss.

"I suppose we should head back," I said, looking toward the entrance that we had come in. I stood up and pulled Kurt up from his seat with our joined hand and walked back toward the staircase near the hotel.

Silence fell upon us again, but this time it seemed less like a still silence and more like one that was full of unspoken hopes and a tinge of frustration. It was clear that Kurt and I wanted something more to happen on the bench of that amphitheater, but it was not meant to be.

We descended the staircase and made our way to the taxi stand that was conveniently stationed outside of the hotel entrance. The cab drivers all practically darted to their cars with the hopes of picking us up as fares for the evening, so I knew my time to talk to Kurt was dwindling down.

I turned toward him, but before I could speak, his words had been uttered. "I had a really good time tonight, Blaine. Thank you for... everything. It was wonderful."

I grinned. "I'm so glad you liked it. I had fun too," I replied.

"I'll call you?" he asked, looking into my eyes hoping for a yes.

"I hope so," I chuckled.

He smiled and leaned in, tugging my hand that was intertwined with his ever so slightly, and he placed his lips gingerly onto my cheek. The light pressure of his lips on my cheek made my eyes flutter shut as I was taken away to another place. The noise of him letting go of his kiss brought me back to reality as he gave one last squeeze before pulling away and letting go of my hand; my own aching to feel the warmth of his in mine again.

He looked at me hesitantly before breaking out into a full smile at the (likely) obvious enjoyment plastered on my face. He looked over his shoulder at the cab drivers and when one wordlessly asked if he needed a ride, he nodded and turned back to me. "I'd better go," he said turning and making his way toward the first available cab. As he was about to enter the cab he looked at me, still stuck in the same place on the sidewalk, and said "Bye Blaine."

The most I could manage was a small dumbfounded wave as I watched Kurt get into the taxi and drive away. I brought the hand that had held Kurt's up to the spot on my cheek where his lips had landed; feeling my cheeks full with my grin.

Best. Second. Date. Ever.