Chat Love (13 page)

I shove a piece of shrimp roll in my mouth, feeling my cheeks flush. “Can we please just talk about something else?” I ask.

Autumn takes over the conversation, going on a long tirade about her hatred for men and how she wishes she were a lesbian. Oddly enough, I can kind of understand her point.

The next evening, I am finishing getting ready for my first date with someone from Chat Love when my phone rings. I answer and hear my mother’s voice, announcing that yet another one of my cousins has just gotten engaged. As she continues talking about the announcement, I roll my eyes and turn up the volume on my TV, halfheartedly listening to the celebrity gossip being discussed on the screen. Suddenly, I hear my mother gasp, and she tells me to change the channel to the local news station immediately.

“Why, Mom? What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Lucia,” she exclaims, “just do it!”

As I change the channel, I’m met with a news report discussing a recent murder investigation.

“Lucia Pia,” I hear my mother say worriedly, “you are not doing any of that computer dating, right?”

I freeze in the middle of applying my mascara. “Why?”

“They just found this girl murdered and they think that it was someone she met on the computer. My baby, promise me you will not go on the computer and date anyone.”

I groan out, “Mom, how do you expect me to meet anyone?”

I hear shuffling on the other end of the line, and I suddenly hear my father’s voice. “Lucia, you are forbidden to go on the computer. You could die,” he says, placing dramatic emphasis on the second sentence. He continues, “You have to stop being picky and just find yourself a good Italian man. What ever happened with Tony’s nice friend?”

I moan, trying to convey my frustration without causing an argument. “Dad, I would rather stick a fork in my eye than go out on another date with Angelo.” I look at the clock and notice that it’s already five minutes past the time I had planned to leave. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry, but I have to go. I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you later.”

A little while later, I walk into the bar, looking for Frank. Although I’d only seen him in pictures, I immediately recognize him standing at the bar with a beer in his hand. Frank is an attractive gynecologist with dark brown hair and eyes, and after having spoken with him on the phone, I’d decided that he seemed like a kind, respectable man, making him a good choice for my first date from Chat Love.

With a hop to my step I make my way over to where he’s standing. I stand behind him and I can smell his cologne. I take a deep breath and tap him lightly on the shoulder.

“Frank?”

He turns around with a smile but it disappears when his eyes fall on me. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?”

I chuckle. “It’s me, Frank. Pia?”

I’ve been using my middle name online to help keep my identity a secret, planning on only revealing my actual name if I find that I truly like the person once we meet face to face.

Frank’s eyes narrow and he says, “You don’t have blonde hair.”

I chuckle nervously. “It’s a long story, but my profile does say that I have brown hair, if you read the information page.”

“I don’t read profiles; I only look at the pictures,” he replies.

“Oh, well I’m sorry, but you can learn more about me tonight. I didn’t mean to mislead you or anything.”

He puts his hand up and chugs the rest of his beer. “Honestly, this is not going to work out. I only like blondes and I thought you were a blonde. Please delete my number from your phone and don’t contact me through Chat Love again, OK?”

He brushes past me and heads for the exit, leaving me standing there confused and hurt. My first date is an epic failure.

Tonight is Saturday night and I have another date from Chat Love. After last night’s disaster, I went straight home and changed into my pajamas, sitting on the couch with a depressed Autumn while we watched sappy movies and moaned about our romantic failures. Tonight, however, I’ve got a brand-new attitude, and I’m ready to get back up and try things again. After all, it couldn’t be any worse than last night’s date, right?

While trying to decide what to wear, I finally choose to wear the same dress I’d worn for last night’s terrible encounter. I’d barely worn it for an hour, and it fits me well, making me feel sexy and confident. After last night, I need all the extra confidence I can get. I leave Autumn on the couch again and head for my date, praying that it won’t be another disaster.

As I walk into the wine bar, looking for Alan, I focus on thinking positively. Judging by his pictures, he is a tall, handsome man with brown hair. I finally spot him standing by the bar, nervously scanning the room. The conversations I’d had with Alan were insightful ones, and I’d learned that he is a very intelligent man who had joined Chat Love after having been cheated on by his girlfriend. In many ways, he’d reminded me of Wayne.

Taking a deep breath, I approach him. “Alan?”

He turns around and gives me a big smile. “Pia? Wow, you look absolutely beautiful. Your picture doesn’t do you justice.”

So far so good.

An hour later, I’m sitting at a table and trying my best not to fall asleep. Alan is a very kind man, but he is also one of the most boring people I’ve ever met. There is no chemistry, and the date has been completely devoid of any sparks. The conversation has been pleasant, but it’s unbelievably dull. When I’d talked to Alan on the phone, I had assumed that he was simply a man who liked to discuss world politics, but I was now beginning to realize that he didn’t know what else to talk about.

“So did you vote Democrat or Republican?” Alan asks me.

“Democrat,” I answer curtly.

He rolls his eyes and starts giving me a speech about why it’s better to vote Republican
.
I can feel myself withering, and I fear that I’ll eventually just fall asleep without even realizing it. I glance at my cell phone and groan when I realize that I’ve already endured two hours of this nonsense. I wonder how much longer I’ll have to sit here and listen to his monotone rambling. For the rest of the date, I just sit and listen, smiling politely and commenting only when absolutely necessary. By the time the night is over, I feel as though five years of my life have passed. I kiss Alan on the cheek and thank him, knowing that we will never meet again.

The following week at work is a blur, helping to distract me from the disappointments of the previous weekend. In an attempt to be polite, I had e-mailed Alan through Chat Love, explaining to him that I think we’d be better off as friends. Within the hour, I’d received a reply informing me that I was a cold bitch. Alan had then proceeded to call me several times each day, but I’d refused to answer, which I feel was a reasonable response.

One day I was telling Skyler about my horrible dates when I spotted Jackson eavesdropping on the conversation and laughing at my horrible luck. This pissed me off more than it should have, and I am back to disliking him, once again. And as much as I hate to admit it, even at the peak of his rudeness, I can’t help but find him attractive. Damn that man.

It’s another Thursday night, and I have a date with someone new from Chat Love. His name is Sam and he works in finance. His pictures reveal that he is a very attractive man with brown, curly hair, big blue eyes, and gorgeous, tan skin. According to his profile, he is also very physically active, and I’ve seen dozens of pictures of him playing different sports.

I sit at the bar, waiting for him. Sam is already fifteen minutes late, which is not a good sign. I smooth out my shirt and take another sip from my glass of wine. I’m dressed more casually than on the previous two dates, this time wearing black skinny jeans with a blouse and blazer.

The restaurant doors open and I can feel a hint of the breeze rushing in from outside. I turn to see who’s come in and see Sam taking off his jacket in the entryway. Honestly, pictures don’t do him justice; he is
very
handsome. He sees me and gives me a big smile, revealing a set of straight, white teeth. I can already tell that tonight is going to be a good evening.

Later, I’m laughing hard as Sam tells me a story about a previous date he’d had with a woman from Chat Love.

“I won’t be rude, but let’s just say that she did not look like the person in her picture,” he says, motioning with his hands to indicate that she’d been significantly larger than he’d expected.

I hold my stomach and laugh more. We’ve been talking and laughing like this for almost two hours, and I’m having a great time. The conversation has flowed freely, covering a range of topics including both humorous and lighthearted stories and more serious issues such as past relationships. Sam is honest, polite, and a perfect distraction from any thoughts of Jackson that I might have.

He suddenly grabs my hand and looks into my eyes. “How do you feel about compliments?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

He gives me a small smile. “I mean, how do you feel about someone complimenting you? Do you take compliments well, or do they make you uncomfortable?” I feel my face blushing and look down at my pasta. He squeezes my hand gently, and I look back at him.

“I’m only asking because I will be complimenting you often. I think that you’re beautiful.” I laugh nervously, not sure how to respond. He adds, “And I think that you have a cute laugh.”

I’ve taken a break from my date to visit the bathroom, and as I’m washing my hands I can’t help but smile at how well this date is going. Sam is handsome, sweet, charming, and intelligent, and I have no idea why he’s still single. As I exit the bathroom, my thoughts still on Sam, I bump into someone. I turn to apologize and suddenly find myself face to face with Alan.

He crosses his arms across his chest, standing tall and still, his eyes glaring from beneath a furrowed brow.

“So what does this guy have that I don’t?” he demands angrily. “You’re on a date, right?”

I take a step back, trying to distance myself from him. “How did you know I was going to be here?” I ask him, feeling very uncomfortable.

He takes a step closer to me. “Let me take you out again,” he says, ignoring my question.

A woman on her way to the bathroom walks by, pushing her way through our confrontation and providing me with a chance to escape back to my table. I’m glad to be back with Sam because the dangerous look I’d seen in Alan’s eyes had made me feel uneasy.

I quickly take a sip of my wine, my hand trembling ever so slightly. Sam grabs my hand, a concerned look on his face.

“Are you OK?” he asks. “You seem a little shaken up.”

I glance in the direction of the bathrooms and see Alan standing there, just staring at Sam and I. His presence gives me goose bumps. I turn my attention back to Sam, trying to ignore Alan and enjoy the rest of my date.

Hours later, Sam and I are still talking when our waiter politely reminds us that the restaurant will be closing soon. Alan is gone, although I missed seeing him leave, and the thought of him lurking somewhere nearby continues to tie my stomach in knots. Luckily, Sam is a perfect gentleman, and helps me hail a taxi, waiting by my side until I’m comfortably seated inside the cab. Although he wants to go out again the next night, I already have plans to celebrate Ian’s birthday with my friends, so I have to decline his dinner invitation. However, I did manage to get him to agree to come and join us for a bit at the bar, and I’m excited to introduce him to my friends. For some reason, I have a good feeling about this one; Sam is truly a great guy.

The next night, I’m at Johnny Utah’s with my friends, busy watching Ian’s current love interest—a blonde woman with large breasts—attempting to ride a mechanical bull. Johnny Utah’s is a restaurant designed to imitate a saloon, featuring a full bar, southern-style food, and a large mechanical bull situated in the center of the dining area. The bull attracts plenty of attention, and most people, when given enough alcohol, are more than willing to make a complete fool of themselves in front of a group of thirty dining strangers.

Ian’s date is named Stephanie, and they met on Chat Love. She joined us after we’d already finished having dinner, and was obviously here for two things: the alcohol and the promise of sex. Tonight during dinner, Ian and Corey had proudly announced that they too had joined Chat Love.

Unimpressed, I watch as Stephanie giggles and screams on the bull, attracting Ian’s attention with her ample cleavage. I sigh and turn away, scanning the restaurant for any sign of Sam. While looking around, I see a young-looking girl in a skimpy black dress and heels standing out in the crowd. Her eyes fall on Corey and she makes her way over to him, tapping his shoulder. He turns and smiles, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t you think she looks a little young?” I turn and see Danni sipping on her drink, also watching Corey and the girl. “She looks like she’s eighteen.”

“Did he meet her on Chat Love?” I ask.

Danni nods her head. “Ian and Corey love it. Since they joined, all they do is brag about how many women they’ve been hooking up with. It’s getting old, fast.”

I turn to her, giving her a smile. “Speaking of Chat Love, the guy I went on a date with last night might stop by. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Danni gives me a sly smile. “Looks like everybody will be getting some tonight. Ian and Corey have their whores, you’ve got your date, and I’ve got Chris. Now all we have to do is find a way to help lift Wayne and Autumn out of their dry spell.”

“Wait, do you mean Chris, as in Jackson’s friend?” I ask. Danni nods.

Just then, Ian saunters up to us with his arm wrapped around Stephanie.

“Which one of you ladies is going to be next on the bull?” he asks us casually.

Stephanie chimes in excitedly, “Oh my god, guys, you have to try it. It is
so
much fun!”

After arguing with my friends, I finally jump onto the bull. Ian and Stephanie had begged, and Danni’s encouraging them hadn’t helped. Eventually, I had just given up and headed over to the machine.

Now I am sitting on top of a fake, mechanical bovine, wondering if I’ve made a mistake. Out of the corner of my eye, I see flashes of light. I look over and see Autumn taking pictures of me. I make sure to give her a deliberate frown, hoping she’ll capture it in one of the photos. The bull starts moving, and I can hear my friends cheering me on while strangers whistle from the bar. I’m surprised at how much harder this is than it looks. The bull is throwing me everywhere and I am holding on for dear life, thankful that I’m wearing a top that won’t slide down to reveal any cleavage. Within minutes, I’ve reached my limit and I let go, sprawling onto the padded mat below. Autumn’s camera flashes again, making sure to catch every last minute of my embarrassment.