Page 83 of Kiss and Make Love

I reached out to see if I could feel the device next to me. Yup, there it was.

“The settings have been configured to always be in night mode with the lowest possible brightness, so if you’re hoping to get a glimpse of one of your dates using the iPad screen, you’re out of luck,” Lauren informed the participants.

Okay. We needed to move this along. The quicker we started, the quicker I could be out of here and back to reality. I didn’t even realize speed dating was still a thing, let alone in thedark.

“I hope you enjoy the experience and meet someone magical this evening!” Lauren yelled, with far too much excitement for my taste.

The sound of a bell pierced the air, and the shuffling of feet could be heard as dates were escorted to their first tables.

“Hey there,” a baritone voice said from across the table.

Well…I may as well take part since I’m here. I forced a pleasant tone and said, “Hi, I’m Megan.”

“Megan. That’s a sexy name. May-gehn. I like that.”

Oh boy. “Um, thanks? And what’s your name?”

“Chuck. Guarantee you’ll never forget it, either.”

Was it possible to hear a smirk? Because that’s one thousand percent whatChuckwas doing. I’d bet my left leg.

“I know I’m going to regret asking this, but how do you guarantee I’ll never forget it?”

“‘Cause you’ll be screamin’ it later, Megan.”

Ew. Shouldn’t have asked.

“I think I’m gonna pass, Chuck.” Keeping my obvious disgust out of my tone was a Herculean effort.

“I don’t think that’s how this works.” His cocky baritone increased an octave. “You have to finish two minutes with me.”

I sighed. Chuck was right, of course. But no way I was interested in this douchey disembodied voice.

“I’m sorry, Chuck. You can talk if you want, but I’m not interested in a man who presents themselves the way you do.”

“Fine.” He huffed so loudly a puff of air blew my fringe out of my face. “But it’s your major loss, babe.”

“I think I can live with that.”

Terrible start. Now I had to wait the timer out with an annoyed dickbag sitting across from me, grumbling in the blackness.

Boy, this was awkward.

Was I really going to meet someone at speed dating in the dark?

Could he tap his foot any louder against the chair leg?

Ding!

Oh, thank goodness. But the woman next to me was about to meet Mr. Douche Canoe, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

Escorts came to the tables to usher the men to their next date. I wasn’t sure how close she was sitting, but the din of the room was enough that I was sure the dates wouldn’t hear me if I whispered to her. “Good luck with this next guy.”

“Am I going to need it?” a sweet, melodious voice asked.

“You have no idea,” I chuckled.

Metal chair legs scraped against the floor, and my next date plunked down across from me.

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