You looked longingly inside of the restaurant. With guests laughing and drinks clinking, you imagined how warm you would be if you were in there.

The hostess would have allowed you inside if you had a reservation. But you didn't make a reservation. Your date did. And of course reservations require a last name- last name you don't know.

So there you are, standing outside of the restaurant in the freezing cold.

You questioned everything you have done up to this point to be on this blind date. You weren't looking for anything, but that meant nothing to your friend who wanted to look for someone for you. Having run out of excuses, you had no choice but to accept the set up.

The reservation is at seven. You underestimated the commute to the restaurant and came only a few minutes early. Maybe once it hits seven and he still isn't here, you can make it as an excuse you couldn't make it. You left your stove on or your imaginary cat got sick. Yeah those are some good ones.

At least you showed up. Your friend couldn't be mad at you for that. Yeah... no. She can.

You checked through the glass of the front door once more to see no one in a blue jacket was in the restaurant. It was agreed that with no phone number exchanges to keep it as a blind date, to find the other person, you would wear a white scarf and he would wear a blue jacket.

Just smile, eat, and leave, you had concluded. Not unless you freeze to death in this cold.

In an attempt to keep yourself warm, you blew hot air into your hands. The cloud that left your lips from the chill air did not help in keeping you warm.

You checked your phone with a big 7:00 over the wallpaper of you and your friends. With a smile, you pull up the white scarf to shield your face from the cold as you walk towards the train station, walking past a guy in a blue jacket-

You stopped and turned around to see the guy did the same.

"White scarf?" He said.

"Blue jacket?" You couldn't help but mimic back.

He held out his hand for a handshake. "Good evening. I'm Bennett."

You hesitated but took it before introducing yourself back. You realized too late your hands were cold from being outside, but there was a relief when his were just as cold.

He paused and suddenly let go. "I apologize. This is not an interview. I don't believe you usually shake hands."

You couldn't help but chuckle. "I wouldn't know. I never did this before."

"Neither have I," he said. "Let's at least go inside and get out of the cold."

"Oh actually-" You paused.

My imaginary cat is sick, you wanted to finish.

I left my stove on, you wanted to say.

"Yeah, that would be a great idea," you told him.

He opened the door for you and you were met with the warmth you had only dreamed of minutes before.

"Reservation for Bennett Frazier," he told the hostess.

Frazier, you thought to yourself. Why does that sound familiar? Maybe it is just one of those names.

The hostess, who was snappy to you earlier, having made you wait outside in the cold had nothing but a warm smile and chirpy tone for your blind date. She asked him for a moment while they prepared the table.

Guests who left the restaurant and waiters who passed by sneaked glances at him but he paid no mind to them. His posture was balanced between confidence and grace. With a presence that made everyone want to flock around him but demanded respect to stay away as if his aura said you may look but not for long. Intimidating but intriguing is what you would describe Bennett Frazier.

Bennett glanced back at you and you caught a flash of his blue eyes. He looked back at you as if it was to check if you were still there or even existed in the first place. He turned back around when the hostess confirmed the table was ready.

Following the hostess, you were brought to a quiet table by the window with a lone candle illuminating the area. Bennett moved to pull out the chair for you and heard a tsk of a clicked tongue from the hostess before you sat down.

He smoothly removed his dark blue jacket to hang it behind the chair, revealing a navy blue half zip up sweater with a white button down peeking out of the collar. Once he sat down, the hostess gave you the menus and informed you that the waiter would come shortly before begrudgingly leaving with a longing gaze for your date.

When he opened the menu, you took it as the signal to order first before actually conversing. Whether it was to spend less time talking or to calm nerves, you were grateful for it.

Hiding behind the pretense of looking at the menu, you peeked to study him.

Bennett's black hair was styled carefully with gel as if each hair was carefully painted in a confident stroke. The black stud earrings caught your eye. It was unexpected but seemed to suit him just fine. Long, elegant fingers turned the next page of the   menu before being brought up to hold the side of his head, deep in thought. The movement made you notice his sharp jaw that was defined by the soft glow of the restaurant lights.

When you figured that was enough studying and you were about to look back at your menu, his icy blue eyes looked up to meet yours.

Bennett set his menu down and straightened up in his seat. "I'm not good with this at all. I focused on the menu instead of my..." He faltered.

"Your date?" You offered before reassuring him, "Don't worry."

"I appreciate it."

Looking back at the menu you said, "The food looks great. I couldn't help but research what some dishes look like before coming here."

His eyes flashed a moment of interest. "You do that as well?" He asked.

"I do. I have a hard time choosing things. Seeing what dishes look like helps me decide what to get."

He nodded.

You waited then realized he wasn't going to say anything else. Will this be the entire night?

"But-" You continued just when he said, "Well-"

You both stopped short before apologizing at the same time. You cringed at your mistake. Maybe you were just impatient to leave. People have different paces.

"Sorry, you go ahead," you told him.

Bennett cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask if you knew what you were going to order."

You let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I still don't know yet," you admitted. "I guess I didn't do enough research."

"Would you like me to help?" He offered.

When you nodded, accepting his help, he held up the menu for the both of you to look at the same page. He went down the menu, listing notable ingredients, distinct flavors, and his personal recommendations.

When the waiter arrived with water and a bread sample plate, both of your orders were ready.

"A classic carbonara with truffle sauce for the gentlemen," the waiter confirmed, "and ravioli with basil and sun-dried tomatoes for the lady. Both great choices."

"I appreciate the help," you said, thanking him.

"Of course," he said. "Everything on the menu is great, but I believe it's best to choose a pasta dish when in an Italian restaurant."

"How so?"

"An Italian restaurant's pride is in their pasta. And that is how you can be more confident in ordering it."

You nodded, intrigued by the notion. "I might do that in the next Italian restaurant I go to then."

Without anything else to say, the silence swept in like a third wheel on this blind date. But while you suffered with the weight of the silence, Bennett seemed to revel in it. Comforted by the quiet, enjoying the solitude, it was as if he was eating dinner alone and was content with the peace.

After setting down his glass of water with a soft tap, you were surprised when he spoke.

"I believe we should be conversing a bit more," Bennett said. "Striking up conversations is not really my forte."

"That's alright," you told him. "How about we start off with something simple?"

He looked intrigued. "Simple like what?"

You thought about it for a moment. "What is your favorite hobby?"

He paused, his brows furrowed at the question before he responded. "In my spare time I like to read."

"That's nice," you told him. "Now what is your actual hobby?"

There was a trace of a smile. "I enjoy cooking."

"That's better," you said with a satisfied smile. "Isn't it nice not to lie on a blind date?"

He gave you a quizzical look. "How did you know?"

You shrugged. "From how long it took for you to respond. You don't hesitate telling someone your hobby unless it's fabricated."

Then you said with piqued interest, "What do you usually like to cook?"

"Anything and everything," he said confidently. "I enjoy learning about different cuisines through cooking."

"I, on the other hand, enjoy doing that but by eating," you said with a laugh. "What made you take up cooking?"

The soft smile he wore on his face flickered away. "My mother," he said before he managed a faint smile. "I enjoyed watching her cook. And when she passed, cooking seemed to be the only way to connect with her."

"I-I'm sorry for your loss," you said quietly, grimacing at your choice for bringing up this point of the conversation.

"That's alright, it happened years before," he said.

You nodded. "So cooking as a hobby. Seems much more realistic than you saying reading."

"I do read though," he defended.

"Don't say a cookbook."

There was no response.

A short laugh escaped you. "You can't count reading a cookbook as reading a book."

A corner of his lips lifted, as if he was fighting back a smile. "It's a book and I read it."

"It's instructions and you follow them," you said matter of factly. "You can't enjoy doing that."

"When it comes to cooking, I do."

You let out a fake sigh. "Oh no, we can't seem to meet eye-to-eye on this. How could we possibly continue on this date?"

"What a shame," he agreed, his tone rising for a split second to match the humor. "Sadly, the food arrived."

As the waiter came up to place the dishes, you said slowly, "Well, I guess I can stay for the food."

For the next couple of minutes, the two of you fell silent. However, not because of any awkwardness on this blind date but because of how delicious the food was. The food itself took over and it was as if you were both here to eat rather than actually conversing.

When you were about halfway done with your meal, you realized what just happened. You looked up just as Bennett did. Your eyes met, both with the same realization that led you to have a chuckle laugh.

"Maybe we should do more of the talking part of this blind date?" You offered.

"Yes, we should," he agreed.

While the two of you conversed back and forth between bites, another question came to.

"Do you have any siblings?" You asked.

"I do," he responded.

"Let me guess," you said. "Maybe one younger sibling. You seem like the older brother type."

"Do I?" He thought about it for a moment. "Maybe for a certain group of friends but that's not actually the case."

"What is it then?"

"I have two siblings," he informed you. "An older sister and a younger brother."

"So you're a middle child. How are your relationships?"

He gave a halfhearted one shoulder shrug. "Just as how typical sibling relationships go. You try to stay out of each other's way."

"Oh, I see..."

He paused. "But you can't help but wonder how they are. I think our relationships have gotten better recently."

You smiled. "That's always good. If it's not too much, how so? I'm a little curious."

"My sister has her own life but when she comes to visit, she acts like she's always been there. I often thought she's trying to force this role of an older sister."

He glanced out the window, as he said, "But I came to believe it's just her way to be in our lives."

You nodded. "And how about your younger brother?"

"He seems to have his own life too and doesn't want to have anything to do with me." He swirled the water in his glass, mindlessly staring at it. "But I can see us having a better relationship later down the line."

Before you could say something back, the waiter came to the table with two plates of dessert.

"We are honored to have you dining with us, Mr. Frazier," the waiter told him as he placed a plate in front of each of you. "We wish to thank you by giving you some chocolate ganache cake with hazelnuts. On the house, of course."

Bennett nodded. "Give my thanks to the manager and chef."

"Of course, sir."

As the waiter walked away, you whispered, "Do you know the manager or chef personally?"

He gave you a confused look. "No, of course not."

Your curiosity wanted you to ask more but was distracted by the delicious looking cake in front of you. When you saw Bennett take the first bite, you took it as a signal to begin eating yours.

Once more, the table fell silent as you ate the dessert. People looking would shake their heads in pity that a date fell into such awkward silence. But little did they know, the cake deserved that moment of silence to praise its deliciousness.

Although with the several pauses throughout this blind date, you figured that he would have picked it up by now. You slowed down your pace in eating the dessert thinking, maybe even strategizing, how to jumpstart the conversation. Suddenly during a pause from his eating, he looked up and blinked, perhaps realizing his mistake.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin, clearing his throat. "I've never really been one for these things," he admitted.

"Then I have to ask..."

"Why am I on a blind date?" He finished for you. "My sister. It's her attempt to make up for things. She believes she's doing me a favor but..."

"Make up for things?" You asked in confusion. You realized too late you should not have pressed further.

Bennett cleared his throat. "I'll spare you on the details, but it's about the family business. She's the eldest but I'm expected to take over it."

Family business? Maybe that can explain the free cake.

"Expected?" You echoed.

"My father. He's a..." He let out a short sigh. 
"Let's just say that once he decides on something, it will happen."

"Always?"

"Always," he confirmed.

You nodded slowly, trying to fit the pieces together in your head without trying to ask further. "You make it sound like you don't really want to do it."

"Yes, it's more of a matter that I have to."

"Ever plan on running away?" You ask, trying to lighten the mood with the sad attempt of humor.

He mindlessly touched his earrings. "Sometimes."

"And at other times?" You asked.

There was a short, bitter chuckle from him. "What? And become a chef?"

"Why not?"

The smile faded from his face as if it never existed. "I've always been a realist. Always thinking about the future, with everything I have done and has been prepared for me."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," you told him. "But I believe that while planning for the future, you can carefully place things too. Important things to you."

He thought about it, but shook his head. "I think it's just time to face reality."

"If everyone wanted to face reality, no one would have dreams," you told him.

Bennett's blue eyes flickered at those words. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something back, but hesitated and didn't.

You both ate in silence once more as you finished the rest of your dessert. You didn't know if that could have been considered an argument to say you won but you took his silence as him acknowledging your words.

As Bennett paid for the check, you saw the worried look on the waiter, thinking if he had brought the mood in the blind date down because of the dessert.

The hostess thanked Bennett with a kind smile while quickly flashing dagger eyes at you. But you were too preoccupied to take it to heart. You didn't know what you did wrong. At the same time, you don't believe you did anything wrong. You didn't know if you should have regretted saying anything but they were your words and values to believe in.

The two of you stood in front of the restaurant, a cold wind blew between the both of you, marking the end of this blind date.

You were about to thank him for the date before you head to the train station, but he then spoke up.

"What you said earlier," Bennett said. "I will try to keep it in mind."

You nodded. "That's alright."

"What you said is something someone I know would usually say to me."

"Then it's good you have someone to tell you these kinds of things."

He smiled. But it wasn't one of his smiles he showed throughout the date- faint, forced, or sad. It felt like a true smile. Bennett's smile.

It was from it you realized something and had to say the next words.

"I came to this blind date as a favor for a friend," you told him. "I'm not looking for anything. So while I had a nice time, I believe this is where we should part ways."

Bennett seemed surprised by your words. Perhaps you saw a flash of realization on his face from it.

"Thank you," he said.

You smiled at him.

"Also, I called you a car," he said as a car drove up in front of the restaurant with almost comical timing. The chauffeur left the driver's seat to open the door for you.

"I couldn't let anyone go home alone, especially at night," he told you.

You chuckled, slightly shaking your head at the gesture. You figured it must be typical for him. That must be some family business.

Before you entered the car, you looked back at him.

It was a cold night. The wind blew harshly through the city streets. The whole world seemed to shiver against the weather. And Bennett stood in the middle of it. Unfazed to the cold weather, despite the wind rustling violently against his clothes. He reveled in it just as it embraced him. No, perhaps it even yielded to him.

A chill went down your spine. You called out, "Have a good future, Bennett Frazier."

In response, Bennett wore that faint smile once more.

~

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters. I will make an announcement once I'm more settled in getting back to writing, setting my bio linktree website, and getting back into the Discord.

Let's make 2024 a good one.

-

Bennett Frazier Summary:

• Bennett is known for his cold personality, as icy as his blue eyes. He is usually a man of few words, that when he does say something, people know to listen. He unconsciously gives off an aura to be intimidated and respected, but is covered by him deliberately showing a nonchalant attitude that makes you question why you were so on guard in the first place.

• But while other people have that perception of him, his close friends see him as a reliable leader who knows how to utilize their strengths and weaknesses to best help the team. His serious attitude, almost to the point he seems obtuse in jokes, is found to be a comfort, if not a joke in of itself.

• Bennett has two siblings. An older sister named Brennan, five years older, and a younger brother named Bentley, one year younger.

• Brennan is an independent young woman who pursued a career outside of business to not inherit the company. While she shows she actively cares about her brothers, her decision to not takeover the company shows her selfish capabilities.

• Bentley is a prickly young man, but has begrudgingly implied some form of care for his brother. While he shows a capacity to also run the company, he does not fight the position of president with his older brother, either as a means to believing his brother deserves it or he does not want to bother fighting for something that can never be his.

• His father, Benedict, is CEO and founder of their conglomerate company, Frazier Corp, that has subsidiary companies in industries like hospitals, banking, and hotels. His word is law for the Frazier siblings that make them know that any attempt of breaking away from his expectations is short-lived and futile.

• The mother of the Frazier family passed away in a car crash, breaking the family apart. It may be the main reason their father has become a stoic man to his own children, caring about the company and his legacy more than anything else.

• Bennett had a passion for cooking from his family's personal chef and his mother's cooking. He had gone through cycles of wanting to pursue a career in cooking but also being expected to takeover the family business- both sides of him slowly tearing him apart.