Woman Went On A Blind Date At Restaurant. She Never Thought The CEO At The Table Would Fall For Her
The Gold Lettered Doors
Fay Monroe stared at the restaurant’s gold-lettered doors like they might swallow her whole.
“This is stupid,” she muttered, glancing down at her thrifted dress and scuffed heels.
“Blind dates are for people who have time for this kind of disaster.”
But she’d promised her coworker Megan she’d go. Megan claimed the guy was sweet, successful, and not hideous. Fay wasn’t convinced.
She hadn’t been on a real date in almost two years, not since her ex walked out the same week she lost her job. Since then, her life had been all about paying rent, working long shifts at the bookstore, and making sure her sister could stay in school.
Fay took a deep breath and stepped inside. The hostess greeted her with a smile that made her want to turn and run.
“Good evening, do you have a reservation?”
“Uh, yeah, blind date. I think the reservation is under Michael.”
The hostess nodded. “Right this way.”
Every table she passed made her more aware of how underdressed she was. Women in designer dresses and men in sharp suits made her notice the clink of wine glasses. God, what was she doing here?
Then she saw him. The man sitting at the corner booth looked like he walked off the cover of GQ. He had dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a tailored black suit that probably cost more than her monthly rent.
He stood when he saw her, and she immediately forgot how to function.
“You’re Fay?” he asked, his voice low and smooth.
She nodded, stunned. “Yeah, sorry. I think I was expecting someone a little more normal.”
He laughed, and the sound actually made her stomach flip.
“I get that a lot. I’m Oliver Maddox.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re the date?”
He nodded, sliding back into the booth. “You were expecting someone else.”
She sat down slowly, blinking. “I just… my friend said your name was Michael.”
His lips twitched. “That’s my middle name. I use it sometimes when I don’t want people Googling me.”
That should have been her first clue. “Why would someone Google you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s refreshing.”
He picked up the wine list. “Red or white?”
She blinked at him, still processing. “Why would people Google you?”
He met her eyes and shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Because I’m the CEO of Maddox and Row.”
The name hit her like a freight train. Maddox and Row was on every billboard downtown: real estate, tech, finance. Basically, the guy owned half the city.
“You’re a billionaire,” she whispered, suddenly very aware of her fifteen-dollar dress.
He gave her an amused look. “You say that like it’s a disease.”
“I just… I work at a bookstore,” she blurted, then cringed. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”
He leaned in, eyes still locked on hers.
“Don’t apologize. I like real people, and you’re the first person I’ve sat across from in months who hasn’t tried to impress me.”
She fumbled with her napkin. “I thought this was a joke or a prank.”
“You’re really here for a blind date.”
“I was supposed to have a lunch meeting with a new investor,” he said, pouring them both water. “They bailed. My sister dared me to try a blind date for once. I figured what the hell, and then you walked in.”
She laughed nervously. “And I’m glad I stayed.”
Fay stared at him. “You’re not just being polite?”
“No,” he said simply. “You’re sharp. You didn’t even blink when I said I was a CEO. That’s rare.”
“Oh, I blinked,” she muttered. “I’m still blinking.”
He laughed again, and she couldn’t help but smile. His laugh was real, not rehearsed. She hadn’t expected that. The waiter came by and took their order, though Fay barely remembered what she asked for. She was too busy trying to figure out if this was real.
“So,” he said, leaning his arms on the table. “What do you actually want to do other than escape through the bathroom window?”
He grinned. “I’d chase you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’d actually chase a girl in a bookstore dress?”
“In a heartbeat.”
That shut her up for a second. She shook her head.
“I don’t know what I want, honestly. I used to write, but life kind of got in the way.”
“You still can,” he said like it was simple.
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is if someone believes in you.”
The way he said it made her throat tighten. When was the last time someone said something like that to her and meant it?
“You don’t even know me,” she said quietly.
“I’d like to,” he said, just as quiet.
