Page 4 of Sheltered

I’d arrived as scheduled, looking forward to having a good time. Only after I’d gotten here had I received a message from Rob telling me that he was running behind. I’d waited twenty minutes for him to show up.

I hadn’t wanted to start things off on the wrong foot and hold a grudge about him being late, but when he didn’t even apologize, it was difficult to be understanding.

He’d already had one strike against him, and yet, I let it go in hopes that we could still have a nice time.

So, having chosen to take this avenue in my life, I didn’t wait around for things to happen. I wanted to get to know the guy and see if there was a connection.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you in person,” I told him.

Nodding, Rob replied, “Yeah. Yeah, same here. I saw your picture and read your bio, and I just knew I had to take a chance. You’re gorgeous.”

My face flushed. “Thank you. Your bio mentioned you were in the automotive industry. Are you a mechanic?”

Rob shook his head. “No, I’m a used car salesman.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, my body tensed. I didn’t have a problem with someone being a car salesman, but why wouldn’t he have listed that as his occupation in his bio? Was he being intentionally deceitful, or was I reading too much into it?

“Oh, okay. Do you have your own place, or do you work for someone?”

“I’m working for a guy right now,” he answered. “The plan is to open my own spot soon. I’ve got to find the right location first. What about you?”

Ambition. I could get behind that. “Well, I’m a hair stylist, and I’ve got my own salon here in Steel Ridge.”

“That’s cool.”

I nodded, feeling a bit unsure of how to proceed. Then I thought it was possible Rob was feeling some of the same as I was, so maybe it would be wise to attempt to put us both at ease. “I’ve got to tell you, I’m a little nervous about this.”

“This?”

“Yeah, I joined the dating app only two weeks ago, and this date is my first,” I confessed. “And it’s been a very long time since I’ve gone on any dates. I’m a bit unsure of myself.”

Rob sent me a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it. You’re doing fantastic.”

That made me feel better. “Thank you.”

Things might have started off shaky, but maybe we were really going to turn them around.

As soon as I had that thought, though, things started to spiral downward. “Maybe I missed it on the app, or perhaps it’s not even there at all, but what exactly are you looking for?” I questioned him.

“Unlike you, I’ve been doing this dating app for a while, and it’s been great,” he shared. “I’ve met a lot of cool women.”

“How long have you been on the app?” I wondered.

“About a year.”

My eyes widened in surprised. “And you haven’t found anyone you’ve wanted to get serious with yet?”

Rob shook his head. “No. Some women don’t have the same views that I do on certain things I refuse to negotiate on, so that always sends me back to keep looking.”

If nothing else, I was intrigued. I thought it was good to be a person with strong convictions, so I couldn’t say it felt like a red flag. “What things have you not seen eye to eye with people on?”

“Fucking.”

My body went solid again, and my stomach dropped. Apparently, I was wrong about the red flag. I had to have heard him wrong. “I’m sorry?”

Rob let out a laugh. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Harlow. I’m looking to have a good time with someone. Yeah, I want to find a woman I want to spend my life with, but I’m not going to entertain dinners and dates with someone beyond this if she’s not interested in fucking.”

“Are you serious?”

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