Page 14 of Fierce-Michael

“Okay, this one will give you an idea of my mindset. Two years ago I got accepted for a reality show for singles trying to find love blind.”

“You were on TV?” he asked.

“No. I don’t think I was ever shown. There were fifteen single women and fifteen single men. You spend a week going on blind dates with everyone. The first two days you go through them all and then narrow down anyone you might like to keep dating. Or if you’re bored you can keep talking to them all, but no one does that. At the end of the week, you get proposed to if you fall in love, then spend a week together on a vacation, then another month or so living together while you plan your wedding.”

“Married in like six weeks?” he asked. “That’s nuts.”

“It is. But when you get to the altar, one of you could change your mind and say you’re not ready. It happens more than those saying yes. But my point is, out of a potential fifteen couples, only four couples matched and moved on and just two married. I spent two days talking to everyone and not one person drew me in enough for a second date.”

“All you did was talk?” he asked.

“Yes. Just sitting in rooms with walls around you. It was comfortable and all, but you talk like people used to do years ago on a home phone.”

“I guess that sounds more reasonable,” he said.

“I had narrowed the fifteen down to three people after two days that I would give another date to. I didn’t feel much for them, but sometimes people are just nervous at first. I’m sure I came off that way.”

“It happens.”

“I don’t think you get nervous over much,” she said as he sat there confidently across from her sipping his beer and watching her intently as she talked.

She wasn’t sure why that description came to her mind other than no other man had done that with her before. Gave her undivided attention.

“I’ve gotten nervous over things in life. But going on a date isn’t one of them.”

“There are more important things out there,” she said. “I know.”

“There are,” he said. “Continue. You go on these blind dates and narrow it down to three.”

“I’ve got my three. After the second date, it was down to one. We had two more dates and I wasn’t feeling it any more than friendship. Maybe it was true what you said that you need to see the person and I wasn’t opening myself up enough or not. I don’t know.”

“That’s why you didn’t end up on TV?”

“Yes. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing the show. If I ended up finding a match, then I’d figure out the next step. But we don’t have our phones or anything during that time. I just took a week’s vacation and would figure out the rest if it happened. I mean, the most that would have happened was a second weekaway with the person and then we’d come back here to live and I could still work.”

“Makes sense.”

“There were a lot of us that didn’t end up being seen on TV as we were edited out. There could have been a time I was caught in the background, but it didn’t happen. I guess I lucked out in a way.”

“Everyone on the show was from the Charlotte area?” he asked, frowning. “You said you’d come back and live here together and could still work.”

“Yes, they were. Or within a few hours. It was easy enough to catch up with some of the people on the show after. Most of us flew in and out at the same time. I went on a few dates with people who didn’t make it for a second date on my list, but they sought me out after we met in person.”

“I bet they did,” he said, smirking.

“That’s a smile,” she said, pointing at him.

“It might be. What happened?”

“I might have been physically attracted, but there was no substance to them to add to it. Both need to be there.”

“So in summary, you’re telling me this for two reasons. One, you’re looking for something that could turn into a serious commitment, not just casual.”

“Yes. If it’s not you, then it’s not. But I want that known going in. This is just a drink. Well, dinner too. But it’s best to know some of the facts.”

“And second, that you’re attracted to me and find I’ve got substance or you wouldn’t have even told me what you had and would have enjoyed dinner, then kept it nice and we would have gone on our way.”

Kelly liked that he knew enough about her to figure that out.

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