8:02pm: cant wait to see u tonight!

The music was the real reason she chose this location. On the lower level was where a live band played hit R&B numbers using nothing but jazz instruments. It was a medium between trendy chic with a touch of romance, or at least that's what the Yelp reviews said. At the request of Damien, reservations were made so that they were to meet here and dine on some of the city's best steaks then later head to the lower level to enjoy the music. A perfect evening all in one place. They were to meet at 8:15pm for chat and dinner and then see where things headed from there.

She had imagined this unfolding a bit differently than what was arranged. In her visioned fantasy, their first meeting was a surprise date arranged by Damien himself. He surprised her with a bouquet of roses then escorted her to his Mercedes-Benz. Okay, okay. Maybe not a Mercedes. If there was one fault she was known for doing it was letting her fantasies set expectations for her. The fantasy, while nice, was simply not realistic. She had come to realize it was a lot to expect from a guy who had never been to her city, and there was still plenty of opportunity for him to bring the charm – and the roses – like in her daydreams. There was no shame in her game by planning the evening for them, especially if the outcome ended on a note she was hoping for.

She had came to a final decision on her outfit for this chosen date. A long, white maxi dress that skittered about her feet. The elegant yet simple ensemble was accessorized with wooden earrings, an oval wooden necklace, and sleek sandals. Her hair was worn down in loose curls that rolled down her neck and stopped just near the small of her back. In her very modest opinion, she looked damn good.

To her delight, the table reserved exclusively for them was stationed towards the front by the windows. The trees outside lined with white lights while the remainder of the floor was darkened considerably so that the glow from the candles was more pronounced. It was perfect, right down to the exceptional service since her arrival. A pair of strawberries dipped in chocolate was served at the table to be enjoyed later by them both. The selection of artisan bread in a basket kept her satisfied as she waited. Nothing wrong with being a little early, she thought. Punctuality was a plus, though she wondered if it was better to have come late and make an entrance. No sense in leaving just to come back now.

8:43pm: hey. u on ur way here?

It was soon apparent that whatever music was playing on this level of the restaurant was either a CD of some sort or very selective radio station. She could have sworn she heard this melody just a few minutes ago, or maybe they were all starting to sound the same. The plate of elegantly dressed strawberries had become nothing more than stubs. A small sacrifice for being late, she thought. Besides, the food here was supposedly divine. She had wanted to feed the strawberries to him but that was a fantasy that could wait for another time.

A couple near her giggled profusely just then catching her attention. There was enough space between each table to allow a measure of privacy. Yet it was difficult to keep from noticing the various couples absorbed in their own world that surrounded the table for one. Jasmine watched as one of the many couples in this room stole kisses in the low lit area of the room they were seated, whispers murmured followed with the gratuitous smack of lips. She was forced to finally turn and look away when a tongue flickered out. That was enough gawking for her. Still, it was enough fuel to jog her own imagination to life as she pictured herself there with the man who should have been here by now.

Even though it seemed that most of the room was far too absorbed with their date to take notice of the single occupant at the table, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something or someone there was watching. Her eyes squinted as she looked to each table with no avail. Those to the front were clear, but towards the back it was only darker lit by only candles. She could make out the shadows of a few, but nothing else.

9:18pm: hello? are u even there?? ):

This damn fool. Or was she the one that was a fool? Not even a word of update on his whereabouts and the bread basket had gone empty. She checked the time on her phone, then scanned the area to see if it matched with the clock here. Maybe his phone died. Maybe he was lost. This was supposedly his first time out in the city, so the chances of him wandering about with a dead phone and no sense of direction was a believable possibility. Hell, anything at this point. Anything but the one fear she had never counted on. The fear of being stood up.

A glance was given to her phone again. No response. This was frustrating.

10:59pm: u got some nerve, you know that? if you didn't want to meet me you should have said that!

10:59pm: hello???

11:00pm: can you at least tell me if you're okay?

"Madam, would you like a refill?" asked the waiter.

Jasmine huffed. "No, I'm fine." She answered, trying her best to sound as cordial as possible despite the look of agitation written over her face. The waiter nodded and uttered a quiet apology before leaving.

Three hours. Three long hours and the man couldn't even so much as let her know he wasn't coming. Three hours of stuffing herself with as much bread as possible to keep from dying of starvation. Three hours watching as other couples made out, ate their food, then departed to likely return home and rub the rest of their night out. She could have been doing anything else this night. Maybe browsing the internet or chatting with her best friend. She had waited all day to finally see the man she had her heart set on meeting in hopes that he could potentially be the one. She risked everything getting here despite the warning from her friend. And what did she have to show for it?

An extra complimentary basket of pity bread.

Even the staff could see that she had been stood up this evening. Such a mortifying experience that she could barely keep her head up. Never in all her years did she imagine being the victim of something like this. The least he could ahve done was tell her that he either changed his mind or simply wasn't interested. That would have been easier to swallow than simply no answer at all. For his sake the reason, whatever it was, had better been damn good.

A sudden urge to strike boiled over and was released by smacking her glass of water over. As if on cue, in the far back a random shadowed figure, who looked to be wearing a hat, suddenly rose from their chair and knocked a plate over in the process. An apology was uttered along with the raise of a head to look her way. Upon notcing that she was indeed staring, the shadowed stranger quickly hurried down the flight of stairs to the first level of the restaurant. Great, she was scaring the customers with her attitude. They didn't deserve this. Her ruined night didn't mean having to ruin others. Fetching her phone from off the table, her fingers flew across the keypad to write out her final thoughts for the evening.

11:23pm: you're an asshole.

With her date ending up being a no-show and her meal consisting of gorging on bread and water, she decided to leave and attempt to redeem her terrible night with a much needed bubble bath and bottle of wine to make light of the situation. Maybe a movie or two just to say she at least did something. After leaving a generous tip for the waiter, she quickly made her way down the stairs and headed towards the exit. It was time to leave what could only be described as an ‘uneventful and terrible evening' behind. As she rushed to the door, she began to pick up on various conversations from some of the customers still here. In fact, most of them appeared to have been standing instead of sitting. The sight of that alone slowed her pace in order to better hear what had the restaurant in such disarray.

"Wonder why he was here?"

"Who knows? He probably realized this was a place for adults and fled."

The floor seemed buzzing with whispers and looks of surprise. Whatever had happened moments before arriving downstairs had long since ended. People were standing and gazing towards the door way. Some had their phones texting madly while others appeared to be sharing photos that were likely taken just moments ago. It was enough to slow her tracks just a bit in hopes of trying to understand what had the restaurant in such a fuss, but the interest quickly passed when she noted the time and opted to simply leave instead. Tonight her date was a glass of wine and a long bath.

So much for that.

It was back to the drawing board. Maybe online dating wasn't such a good idea anyway.

. . .

"So how did it go?" asked Melissa, a neighboring co-workers with a habit of conveniently overhearing many of her private phone conversations.

Jasmine sighed, then slowly spun her chair around to face her. "How did what go?"

"You know. Your date. You weren't exactly quiet with those phone reservations." Replied Melissa.

Their friendship built around the need to shoot the shit when the days at the office felt like a slow crawl. Today was one of those evenings. She was a tall, lanky sort with curly red hair and oval glasses that made her eyes appear larger than normal. It was as if her prescription glasses were simply magnifying glasses. If not for her rather monotonous voice and dated sense of fashion, she could have passed for mildly attractive. She was borderline average when it came to looks. Unlike Denice who, while plus size, had a fashion sense that could rival the curators of Vogue.

After overhearing the arrangements made at the restaurant, it wasn't hard for Melissa to figure out that a date was in the works arranged by Jasmine herself.  A pile of folders were sat on Jasmine's desk so that her visit had a purpose other than small chat.

"Probably the first and last time I will ever go on another blind date again." Said Jasmine, the part of how they met conveniently left out. She already had one friend in her ear about the dangers of the internet.

"Man, that's too bad." She replied with a tone that lacked empathy. It was up to Jasmine to pretend it was her own manner of showing it even if she couldn't hear it in her voice. "Did you at least get Michael's autograph?"

Jasmine cocked a brow. "Say what?"

"You didn't know? Michael Jackson was at the restaurant you picked." Explained Melissa impassively. For someone who was supposedly a big fan of the singer, one would think there would be more enthusiasm in her voice. "It was all over the news."  

A flash of realization set in. A memory replayed of the scene from last night; the commotion seen before leaving the restaurant. The whispers, the camera phones, the standing customers all chatting amongst each other – was that what happened? Were they star-struck over seeing Michael?"

"See? Look." Said Melissa as she pointed to the small television seen in the kitchenette area. There they both could see as the local station spoke of the celebrity. A video played of Michael seen walking out the door, his surgical mask covering the lower half of his face while a few surprised onlookers began snapping photos from their phones. The report was about Jackson, his intentions in the city, and if the rumors regarding the new album were true, but the video caught from last night was used as background.

The video suddenly pans in on Michael's face who appeared a little more reserved and a lot less pleasant from what she remembered of him. No waves or kisses, just a blank expression void of any emotion as he nodded towards those who greeted him.

Jasmine watched as Michael hovered about the front of the restaurant while the reporter continued to drawl over the star and what the city could expect from him, then her eyes rose to the second level where her back could clearly be seen facing the window. She was caught on camera and didn't even know it. At least Melissa couldn't tell seeing as all they got was her backside. With a frown, she sighed and rose from her desk, eager to put that memory away. "Time for lunch, I'll see you later." And with that Jasmine set off, eager to leave the office and try to clear her mind of the terrible evening.

"Take care." Said Melissa, her eyes still glued to the screen.

As the story continued, in the recording there is a brief moment where Jasmine above is seen texting fiercely on her phone before slamming it to the table. Within seconds of that, Michael reached to retrieve his own phone and reads. His brows furrowed as he glanced towards the higher level of the restaurant as if looking for something in particular. Then the artist was suddenly whisked away into his van by an entourage of bodyguards. 

"Onlookers said the King of Pop seemed distracted and not quite himself. Despite the rumors of his financial situation and troubling reputation, it seems Michael is making the best of the situation. Now back to you, Rich."