date?”
I sipped my tea and placed it carefully in front of me. I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “He wasn’t for me. He was good-looking and successful. But…”
Her shoes hit the floor heavily as she kicked them off. “But what?” she asked, her eyes widening with concern.
“At first I thought he was a gentleman. He opened doors. He pulled my chair out. He ordered a bottle of wine for us to share. All of which was very nice. But then he ordered an appetizer for himself…and then an appetizer for me. He didn’t ask me if I wanted or even liked clams. So when I told the waiter I wanted a Caesar salad instead, he interrupted me and said—and I quote—‘she’s fine with the clams. Thank you.’”
With her mouth agape, Summer laughed incredulously, “Bullshit!”
“No, I’m serious. So I was already put off by that but then he explained how he loved FX and the clams were excellent. He seemed really excited about me trying out his favorite dish so I relented. His enthusiasm almost seemed charming, gentlemanly even.” I paused for effect. “And then when it came time to order dinner, he again ordered for me. Lamb! And I don’t even eat lamb! So I told the waiter I’d have the chicken marsala instead. He insisted I have the lamb. The waiter looked uncomfortable and then told us he would give us a minute. So finally, after standing my ground, he relented. But he went on to tell me about why the lamb was so important, why it was a must-have dinner option. I don’t know. He did stuff like that all night. He was sweet but it seemed like he needed to control everything. He seemed like a man who was used to getting his way and it just wasn’t for me.”
Summer frowned. “I’m sorry. He didn’t come off like that when I met him. I’m so sorry, Auty.”
“No worries. I know you wouldn’t have set me up with him if you knew he was a control freak. But you know what? I really am glad I went.”
Summer’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Really?”
I nodded as I sipped my tea.
“Why?”
“Because this month is supposed to be all about dating for the fun of it. Enjoying the company of sexy men while figuring out what it is I want out of a relationship. And I learned something valuable tonight.”
“And what’s that?”
“Well, I just finished reading this sexy book where the male character was aggressive and dominant and the female love interest was submissive. It was hot. I mean really hot. And I thought it sounded romantic the way he took care of her.” I took a long gulp of my tea, finishing the cup. “But girl, as soon as he tried to force those clams on me, I was like ‘oh hell no!’”
Summer threw her head back and laughed. I got up from the table to rinse out my cup and put it in the dishwasher. Sitting back down at the table, I leaned forward and wiggled my eyebrows.
“So tell me about your date. How was Johnathan?” I asked.
Summer huffed, “Johnathan was fine. It was me that was a mess.”
I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I just mean that I was completely off of my game.” Summer put her head in her hands briefly before looking back at me and shrugging.
“ I’m still confused,” I said slowly. “What happened?”
“So Johnathan is a nice guy and he is such a cutie. But he’s not really for me. I didn’t feel…”
I smiled slowly as I anticipated what she was going to say. Feigning further confusion, I asked, “You didn’t feel what , Summer?
Rolling her eyes, Summer replied haughtily, “I don’t think I like the turn this conversation is taking.”
I laughed, “What are you talking about? I just want to know what you didn’t feel.”
Fighting a smile, she continued, “Anyway, he’s
I sipped my tea and placed it carefully in front of me. I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “He wasn’t for me. He was good-looking and successful. But…”
Her shoes hit the floor heavily as she kicked them off. “But what?” she asked, her eyes widening with concern.
“At first I thought he was a gentleman. He opened doors. He pulled my chair out. He ordered a bottle of wine for us to share. All of which was very nice. But then he ordered an appetizer for himself…and then an appetizer for me. He didn’t ask me if I wanted or even liked clams. So when I told the waiter I wanted a Caesar salad instead, he interrupted me and said—and I quote—‘she’s fine with the clams. Thank you.’”
With her mouth agape, Summer laughed incredulously, “Bullshit!”
“No, I’m serious. So I was already put off by that but then he explained how he loved FX and the clams were excellent. He seemed really excited about me trying out his favorite dish so I relented. His enthusiasm almost seemed charming, gentlemanly even.” I paused for effect. “And then when it came time to order dinner, he again ordered for me. Lamb! And I don’t even eat lamb! So I told the waiter I’d have the chicken marsala instead. He insisted I have the lamb. The waiter looked uncomfortable and then told us he would give us a minute. So finally, after standing my ground, he relented. But he went on to tell me about why the lamb was so important, why it was a must-have dinner option. I don’t know. He did stuff like that all night. He was sweet but it seemed like he needed to control everything. He seemed like a man who was used to getting his way and it just wasn’t for me.”
Summer frowned. “I’m sorry. He didn’t come off like that when I met him. I’m so sorry, Auty.”
“No worries. I know you wouldn’t have set me up with him if you knew he was a control freak. But you know what? I really am glad I went.”
Summer’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Really?”
I nodded as I sipped my tea.
“Why?”
“Because this month is supposed to be all about dating for the fun of it. Enjoying the company of sexy men while figuring out what it is I want out of a relationship. And I learned something valuable tonight.”
“And what’s that?”
“Well, I just finished reading this sexy book where the male character was aggressive and dominant and the female love interest was submissive. It was hot. I mean really hot. And I thought it sounded romantic the way he took care of her.” I took a long gulp of my tea, finishing the cup. “But girl, as soon as he tried to force those clams on me, I was like ‘oh hell no!’”
Summer threw her head back and laughed. I got up from the table to rinse out my cup and put it in the dishwasher. Sitting back down at the table, I leaned forward and wiggled my eyebrows.
“So tell me about your date. How was Johnathan?” I asked.
Summer huffed, “Johnathan was fine. It was me that was a mess.”
I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I just mean that I was completely off of my game.” Summer put her head in her hands briefly before looking back at me and shrugging.
“ I’m still confused,” I said slowly. “What happened?”
“So Johnathan is a nice guy and he is such a cutie. But he’s not really for me. I didn’t feel…”
I smiled slowly as I anticipated what she was going to say. Feigning further confusion, I asked, “You didn’t feel what , Summer?
Rolling her eyes, Summer replied haughtily, “I don’t think I like the turn this conversation is taking.”
I laughed, “What are you talking about? I just want to know what you didn’t feel.”
Fighting a smile, she continued, “Anyway, he’s
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