Love Is Blind©
A Short Story by Maribeth Shanley
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They say love is blind.
I can tell you from personal experience that it is indeed blind and often devastating.
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When I first saw Josh, fireworks flew. As our eyes met, my body tingled, and my heart beat rapidly. I’m sure I must have blushed because the corners of his mouth shot up approvingly. He was gregarious, intelligent, and gorgeous beyond description. Josh’s wavy hair was dark brown and had lots of it. I am 5’7”, so his height of approximately 6’ seemed perfect. His physique was muscular, yet, his voice was gentle and commanding all at once. I’ve always noticed a man’s hands. I can’t explain why, but I do, and he had beautiful hands. So, when we shook hands, I felt as if I was going to faint. I’m sure I blushed again, but so did he, which made me think the sparks were mutual.
I make a habit of never accepting blind date invitations. However, when my friends Jim and Barb insisted, I agreed. I trusted their judgment.
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Once I met Josh, I was delighted I had. The four of us sat on the veranda of a trendy yet popular restaurant. The evening was warm, and a light breeze gently tossed our hair. Josh and I spent the evening sitting next to each other and talk we did! We talked about everything: where we lived, our backgrounds, and so on. The night was magical. It didn’t end there.
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When it was time to part, he asked for my number and if I would have dinner with him the following Saturday. I, trying not to behave giddy, agreed to all and asked for his phone number.
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He called me mid-week to set the time he would pick me up. He was very polite as he told me he was looking forward to our first official date, emphasizing official. But, as we said goodbye, my mind asked, is this the one?
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That following Saturday, he rang the doorbell at precisely 8 p.m. Not appearing too enthused, I took a few extra seconds to answer.
​ Sparks again as I asked him in. We walked to the kitchen, where I offered him a drink. As we touched hands in exchange for the glass, my legs buckled, and he smiled approvingly. He told me I looked beautiful. Little did I know that he was reeling me in for the catch!
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After a beautiful evening of dinner and dancing at a local club, we returned to my apartment. Josh came in, and we sat on my sofa and talked more. Soon he moved closer and asked if he could kiss me. I blushed and nodded as Josh put his arms around me. I melted into them.
Soon, Josh caressed my face and kissed me ever so gently. I spent the next half hour in his sweet embrace as we kissed and talked in between. I was hooked!
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I can’t quite identify when the mood changed, but I soon found myself in a half-prone position and backed up against the opposite end of the sofa. Josh had his hand on my leg and up my skirt. I felt panicked. I tried to push his hand away, but suddenly he became even more aggressive. His hand was now on my panties as he tried to pull them off. I don’t know how I managed to free myself, but I was free and on the floor. The look on his face was that of surprise, yet, his eyes appeared glassed over. I felt frightened.
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I jumped off the floor, ran to my door, opened it, and commanded that he leave. Instead, he walked over, eyes still glazed, and attempted to manhandle the door shut. As he pushed on the door, I swung the hidden bat behind me. Now appearing panic-stricken, he ducked and then bolted. I was dumbfounded and exhausted, yet, grateful at the same time, as I spent the rest of my evening kicking myself for having been so gullible. Never, ever again, will I accept a blind date invitation!
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