Page 2 of Surrender

“Mr. Palmer, your one o’clock is here.”

Mr. Palmer motioned me in. “Thank you.”

She nodded and left the room, leaving us alone. Mr. Palmer stood and extended his hand with a warm smile.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Mitchell. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

The moment I sat in the chair, I became overwhelmed with nerves. I was a naturally calm person, yet in this moment, I felt a little bit of panic seep in. My hands felt clammy. My throat felt dry, and suddenly, the button-up I wore felt like it was choking me.

“Can I offer you a beverage?” Mr. Palmer asked.

“Water,” I choked out, rubbing my throat.

He turned and fetched a bottle of water from the small mini fridge behind him. When he handed it to me, I eagerly took it, twisted off the cap, and downed half the bottle.

“Nervous?” he asked, as I wiped my mouth.

“I wasn’t… I’m not so sure anymore.”

He chuckled. “It’s a natural feeling. I mean, you are about to put your love life in the hands of strangers. Nervousness is warranted. How about we do an icebreaker? Tell me a little about you.”

I capped the bottle and relaxed into the chair.

“Well, I’m thirty-four. I was almost an only child until my parents started over when I was thirteen. Now I have a little sister who sees me as her personal ATM.”

He chuckled. “She’s just preparing you for parenthood.”

“At this point, I’m overly prepared.”

“How does your family feel about you going through this process?”

“They think I’m crazy. I don’t expect this to be a walk in the park for them. My parents want me to go through the whole process of dating and getting to know someone. I don’t think you ever really know a person. People change from sunup to sundown.”

“Amen to that. We are constantly evolving. Different circumstances and stages of life birth new people.”

“I agree. Let’s see, where was I? Oh, I graduated from South Carolina State University with a BA in creative writing as well as a master’s in fine arts. I’m a writer and illustrator of children’s books. The world knows me as J.A Mitchell.”

Mr. Palmer leaned forward. “I read your books to my five-year-old almost every night. She’s obsessed with them. We have quite a collection of your work.”

“I appreciate that.”

He grabbed a legal pad and a pen, before settling in his seat again.

“Alright, Mr. Mitchell, let’s get down to business. First thing first, do I have your consent to record this interview?”

“If it helps in the matching process, by all means.”

“It most definitely will.” He pressed record on the camera. “I have a few questions for you, just to gauge your compatibility on what we consider are the most important areas in match making. I’ll tell you what we tell everyone who walks through our doors. Relationships work when you put the work in. This is far beyond looks. This is rooted in compatibility, deep connection, understanding, respect, and acceptance.”

“I agree with that 100%.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that. Shall we get started?”

“I’m ready.”

“First question. What are the most important values you look for in a partner?”

I thought for a moment. “Loyalty, honesty, respect, first and foremost. I need a woman with strong communication skills with the emotional intelligence to match. I don’t like to argue, and I never want to go to bed angry. One of us may not wake up the next morning, and I don’t want the last words I hear or say to be something I can’t take back or apologize for.”

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