Sidney Forbes did not trust good-looking men. There was something about smooth skin, a well-built body, and perfectly symmetrical features that made her uncomfortable. She automatically thought they were players, that they were probably used to getting their way or being treated specially because they were cute, that they were just looking for a good time and would break your heart the first chance they get. Plus, more often than not, they just weren't very smart.
The object of her analysis this time though seemed to be as nice as he was fine. David Goldman was intelligent. And worked hard. He had a background in computer science, worked in software, had completed his MBA, and had just co-founded his own private company, which was now beginning to turn a profit. He had told her all of this at her birthday party with the kind of quiet confidence that she found attractive, and then asked: what about you? How's life going? She'd looked away - life is great actually, she replied. But I can't get into it now. I have to take my best friend to the train station, she's going back to DC.
Later she concluded that was probably why he had decided to ask her out. That, and the fact that despite the fact that she wasn't hanging onto his every word or hovering around him, she had made it clear that she could be into him - the dance, the unnecessary touch when she told him about plans for the after party, the lingering hug when he finally left at the end of the evening. She'd seen him at a church event the Fall before, had taken one look at him and the aloof aura around him, and had decided he was an arrogant pretty boy that she probably had nothing in common with. Then her roommate's friend Tony had invited him to her birthday party, and then given him her number when he asked for it the next day. The rest, as they say, was history. Or it could be.
The first date had been good. He had made reservations and arrived on time. She'd been uncharacteristically nervous, and had changed almost three times before finally deciding on jeans and a black shirt, only for him to arrive in a suit. The restaurant had been beautiful, and she'd teased him when he ignored his salad and then asked for steak. They had talked about siblings and career goals and aspirations, and they had actually been on the same page. Afterward they'd gone to a lounge - and although she usually froze guys out when they got too touchy feely, she hadn't been too hard on him. She could like him, she thought. And when he tried to kiss her good night at the end of the date, she let him, even though she lied to her girlfriends and told them she only let him kiss her on the second date.
He'd offered to give her a ride to the airport the next morning, and he arrived on time for that too. When the flight got delayed, he had come back to get her, got her lunch, and then gotten her back to the airport in time for her next flight. She'd texted him thanks later and ignored his call when he called back, and then he had called again the next day to ask her out again when she got back to Boston. And that was the decision she now needed to make.
She pulled up her spreadsheet and considered the evidence. In Excel, he looked good. They hadn't talked much about God or relationships with him, but he'd said he used to be very active in church until the combination of his job, MBA classes, intern work and fledgling company had left him very little time. She knew he had the potential to be a player, and she had heard gossip about him that she'd have to give him a chance to defend himself against, but she didn't think there could be much harm in going out with him again. She'd keep her heart away and not put too much stock in the new developments, but she couldn't help calling Chenelle ostensibly to find out if she'd made progress on her house search, knowing they would eventually spend time discussing and analyzing the new developments.
Curious about what happens to Sidney and David? Read Part 1 here.
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