Tim had to admit, he was nervous to meet Ethan at the restaurant. Their chance meeting at a coffee shop had been one thing, and he had been thrilled when the man had asked him out. It’s just, he hadn’t dated anyone in a long time.
Ethan was standing outside waiting for him, and his face brightened when he saw Tim walk up. “There’s a wait,” he told him. “You want to sit it out or try somewhere else?”
Tim looked around at the other nearby restaurants. “There’s gonna be a wait everywhere.” He commented. “Might as well wait here.” He joined the other man for the walk into the restaurant, noticing that his cologne smelled vaguely familiar and noticing a slight tingle in his nostrils. He discretely rubbed at his nose and continued into the restaurant.
Ethan spoke with the hostess, then sat next to Tim. Tim noticed that the tingling returned to his nose and and itch pricked into his eyes. After a minute, the itch was a full fledged tickle. With Ethan on his right and strangers to his left, he wrapped his arm around his face and tried to muffle two strong sneezes. “Heyehhshoo, ehhhshhehh. Excuse me.” He sniffled.
“Bless you.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry. I never..ehhershoo, ehhrshoo. Ugh. I never sneeze.”
Ethan moved closer to him. “You ok?” He asked, gently. Tim’s eyes widened as he recognized the cologne. Alex wore this one a few times, and it gave him fits.
He stood up and took a step back. “What cologne are you wearing? Huhhyuhshoo, yuhshoo, uhhshoo, huhhuhhshoo. Ugh. So sorry.”
Ethan named off the cologne, same brand as the one of Alex’s.
Tim sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m allergic.” He apologized, in a stuffy tone.
Ethan looked devastated. “No, I’m sorry! I didn’t think of that possibility.” He stood up and took a step towards Tim who stepped back. “Oh, right.” He sat back down.
“Do…uhhchushoo, chuhhshoo…you don’t happen to have tissues, do you?”
Ethan shook his head. “Sorry,” he apologized with a pained look on his face.
The lady next to Ethan handed Tim a couple from her purse. “Here you go, dear.” She said, sympathetically.
Tim thanked her profusely, emptying his nose into them, flushing with embarrassment, then cramming them into his pocket. “Do you mind horribly if we reschedule?”
Ethan shook his head. “Let me cancel our reservation.” He spoke to the hostess as Tim sneezed again. He came back to Tim, keeping his distance. “Let’s go.” The two headed from the restaurant, Tim’s sneezes growing more explosive as the exposure continued. “Are you ok to drive?”
Tim nodded. “Once I get away from you, I will be.” He paused. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out. Hehhruhhshoo, ruhhshoo!”
Ethan laughed. “No worries. I get how you meant it. Again, I apologize for this. Let me at least give you the box of kleenex in my car.”
Tim sniffled wetly, resisting the urge to rub his nose on his sleeve. “That would be great. Thank you.”
They reached the parking lot where Ethan handed him a box of tissues. “Please drive safe. I’d offer you a ride, but…”
“I appreciate the offer, but, yeah. I’ll call you later tonight to reschedule?”
“If you don’t, I will.” Ethan told him.
Tim called Ethan a few hours later, when his nose had settled down and stopped running. “I’m so sorry about tonight,” he apologized. “I was really looking forward to it.”
“No, I’m sorry.” Ethan told him. “I never took it into consideration that you might have allergies when I got ready.”
“I really don’t.” Tim told him. “It’s that cologne and feathers, really. If the pollen is outrageous, it sometimes gets to me…”
Ethan laughed. “You mean when it gets to everybody? If it makes you feel better, I’ve got awful hay fever in the spring, so just wait. It’ll be my turn to sneeze soon enough.”
Tim laughed. This conversation with Ethan was certainly making him feel better about his episode tonight. “So, you want to try again?”
“Absolutely. It takes more than a few sneezes to scare me away. Here’s the downside though…I’ve got to travel to New York for work until Tuesday, but I’ll be free after that.”
“Thursday?” Tim suggested hopefully. He paused and sneezed again. “Huhhshoo, HuhhUhhshoo. Sorry…few leftovers in there.”
“Bless you. And Thursday sounds perfect. Without the cologne.”
Tom laughed again as Ethan told him to get some rest. He suddenly couldn’t wait for the next week to get over with.
Date 2:
The two texted throughout the week, both looking forward to trying their date again.
Wednesday, however, ended with an explosion of 16 sneezes for Tim. He sighed. That sudden burst of sneezes always indicated that a cold was setting in, and he groaned as he felt the congestion and sore throat begin to take hold. He’d have to call Ethan in the morning and postpone.
He was never overly sneezy the first day of a cold, and he toyed with not cancelling, but ultimately, he didn’t want to expose this guy to a cold, not so soon in the dating process.
He was preoccupied with that and didn’t hear Freddie ask him what he was doing tonight. “Huhehshoo, ehshoo. What?” He asked.
“I asked if you wanted to have dinner with me and Alex tonight.” Freddie repeated, patiently.
“Oh, uh, no. I’m supposed to have a date, but with this cold, I might cancel it to rest.”
Freddie nodded. “Dating again?” He knew Tim hadn’t had the best luck in the past with women.
“Giving it another shot.” Tim made it clear that that was the last word for now. “Should we circle up?”
He called Ethan later on break, hiding in the privacy of the bathroom. “Hey…um, I have some bad news.”
“Oh?”
Tim coughed lightly. “I’m getting a cold. I don’t know if you want to cancel or not. I’d hate to get you sick…”
Ethan was quiet for a few seconds. “How bad?”
“It’s the start. Bit of a cough, some sneezing. Little tired. It’ll get worse in the next few days, but right now, just a touch of one.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad to me. I’ll risk it. I’m still on for 7 if you’re up for it.”
Tim grinned. “I’m on.”
“If you feel worse, let me know.”
Tim returned to the office, with a grin in his face, that was quickly wiped away by four powerful sneezes.
Finally it was time to leave work, time to go home and change. Cashew watched in interest as Tim carefully went through outfits, finally deciding on a blue sweater that brought attention to his eyes and jeans that fully accented his butt. He popped 2 DayQuil and headed out
He met Ethan at the restaurant shortly before 7 and they were seated. “You look fantastic!” Ethan told him. “How are you feeling?”
“A little tired, but not too bad. Annoyed with the sneezing already, and I know it’s just going to get worse.” He admitted.
Ethan gave him a sympathetic smile. “Mine are like that too…start slow and build.”
Tim nodded, burying his nose into his elbow. “Huhheshh, huhhehhshoo. Excuse me.”
“I’m guessing I’m not getting a kiss goodnight tonight.” Ethan teased.
Tim shook his head. “Sharing is not always caring, as my mother would say. And I know you fly out again next week. I’d hate to have you do that with a cold.”
They switched topics over to their jobs, Ethan’s week in New York, and were just starting on families when Tim felt a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up to see Alex and Freddie. “Hey,” Alex greeted him.
Tim nodded.
“I thought you had a date tonight.” Freddie said.
Fortunately, Tim was saved from having to explain to Freddie by his nose deciding to contribute to the conversation. “Heyyehhchuhh, EhhChuhh, huhhchuhh, huhhyuhhchuhh. Ughh…Sorry.”
“Bless you.” Freddie was distracted from his question. “That’s right, you were going to cancel because of your cold.”
“So, who’s your friend?” Alex asked, wordlessly appraising Ethan.
“Ethan, this is Alex and Freddie. Alex, Freddie, this is Ethan.”
“Where’d the two of you meet?”
Ethan shot Tim a look. “We met at the coffee shop on State. Got to talking. Nice to spend time with non comedians.” He said pointedly. “Huhhehhshoo…hehshoo.” He pulled a tissue out of his pocket and blew his nose. “Sorry.” He apologized.
Alex took the hint of his last statement. “We’ll talk to you later.” He pulled Freddie’s arm and led him to their table.
“They always so curious about new friends?” Ethan asked lightly.
Tim shifted. “They know I had a date I thought about canceling because of this cold. You’re not what they were expecting.”
“Oh?”
“They know I’m hopeless with women. That I’ve stayed friends with every girl I’ve ever dated…but the guys I’ve dated, you’re the first one they’ve met.”
Ethan nodded. “Anyone know?”
“Hihhehhshoo, Hiishoo. Family. Friends I don’t work with. Freddie’s girlfriend.”
“So just your coworkers.” Ethan looked relieved. “Bless you by the way.”
“Thanks. Yeah.” He sniffled.
“I get that. My job doesn’t know either, but I don’t work with my friends.” Ethan took a bite of his pasta. “Alex knows. I think Freddie is clueless. Tim nodded, sniffling again and wiping at his nose with a tissue. “Just go ahead and blow. I don’t mind it.” Ethan reassured him.
Tim lightly blew his nose twice, enough to partially clear it. “Thanks.” He offered up a smile.
The awkwardness faded into the background as they fell back into conversation. They were ready to order dessert when Tim sneezed again. “Huhhyeshoo, ehhshoo, ehhshoo, Heyehhshoo, yehhshoo, yehhhehhshoo. Ugh. Sorry. Excuse me.”
“Bless you.” He paused for Tim to blow his nose. “Up for dessert?”
Tim shook his head. “To be honest…I’m starting to fade.” He rested his hands on the table, smiling when Ethan grasped one. “This cold is starting to take hold on me.” He let out a couple strong coughs, covering his mouth with his free hand.
“Goodnight Tim.” He heard Alex say, looking up to see a smile on his face. “I’ll talk to you later about that non comedians remark. Nice to meet you, Ethan.”
“Night guys.” Tim sniffled as Ethan and Freddie chimed in farewells. “He’s calling me tonight.” Tim stated when Alex was out of earshot.
“He looked happy to see us holding hands.” Ethan pointed out as Tim pulled away from him.
Ethan looked confused for a moment, quickly cleared up as Tim pulled to the side and muffled two more powerful sneezes into his arm. “Huhhruhshoo, rhuhhshoo.”
“Bless you.” Ethan flagged down the waiter for the check. “I think you better get to bed. Mind if take a rain check on a goodnight kiss?”
Tim laughed. “I was hoping you would.”
Ethan walked him to his car. “Get some rest. Feel better.”
“Goodnight. I’ll text you later.”
Tim had been home an hour when Alex called. “Hi Alex,” he said, wearily.
“Did we interrupt the first date?”
Tim paused. “You knew.”
“Yes. He seems nice. First date?”
“Kind of. Huhhshoo. Huhhuhhshoo. Had to postpone our first one. He’s got the same taste in cologne as you.”
Alex chuckled. “Well, at least it worked out. Second date planned?”
“He took a rain check on the good night kiss, so I think we’ll set that up.”
“Too soon to meet him?”
“Hahhyehshoo,yehhshoo. Umm, let me keep him to myself for now. Have a date where I don’t sneeze the entire time first. Hahhahhshoo, ahhshoo.”
“Like this phone call?” Alex teased. “I forgot you get sneezy at night when you have a cold. Get some rest this weekend. I want you feeling better on Monday.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t want Freddie getting it, and I don’t want it getting to me.”
Tim laughed which turned into a cough. “Yes, boss. Good night.”
“Night.” Alex could hear him sneezing again as he hung up the phone.
Aggedy Ann 