Page 1 of Hesi-Dating
ChapterOne
SETH
A close-up of me flashed across the gigantic TV behind the bar. I hunched over my drink to ensure the brim of my black cowboy hat shadowed my face. A swirl of my bourbon distributed water from the melting cubes.
"One more?" the bartender asked.
"No, ma'am." How long had I been here?Oh, crap.Three minutes late for my app date, my first in a decade. Now I'd gone and made her wait. Not a good way to start.
Just as I began to push back my stool, a woman with long brown hair threw her arm across my back in a one-armed hug. Her citrusy scent conjured images of spring. "Sorry I'm late."
Who is this?
The woman leaned in as if to kiss me but whispered, "Save me from this jerk. Please."
I eyeballed the walking cologne commercial with styled dirty-blonde hair, red facial stubble, and pale eyes stalking behind her. With a wave, I invited her onto the empty stool beside me. "Saved you a seat."
"You don't know this random dick. You agreed to a second date and now that you're here…"
She craned away from the blonde guy's outstretched hand. "I said no."
I jumped up to block him from grabbing her. "Why are you bothering her when she's clearly not with you?" I towered above him by a solid foot.
He shuffled back a step, eyes bulging. "You can't be with her. You're too old."
That hurt. "I suggest you leave, or would you like to step outside and discuss what happens when you harass a woman?"
"Step outside?Like a fight? Over her?" He glanced over my shoulder to the TVs. His hands went up as he backed away. "I'm so sorry, sir. Meant no harm. Thinking I mistook her for someone else." With a turn he darted into the crowd.
As I resumed my seat, I took in her fitted dark T-shirt and jeans. A silver necklace came to a small sliver at the front with a single string of sparkly beads that fell in a line straight into her shirt between generous boobs.
I swallowed and forced my gaze up and off the…beads.
"Wow. How'd you make him run away like that?" She squinted into the throng of people crowding the San Diego restaurant bar, which was busy this Friday night. "He ran all the way out the front door."
"Power of persuasion." He must've seen the rerun of my interview on the big screen behind the bar. Time for a polite good-bye to go meet my date.
"I had a strange date with that guy a few months ago. I walked out after five minutes when he suggested a threesome with his girlfriend. He seems to think there's still a chance at that threesome." The woman had long eyelashes, which didn’t look fake.
"That's probably the kind of ask that needs at least fifteen minutes."
She chuckled. "You're funny."
"Listen, I've got to…" The words "go meet my date" fizzled in my throat when she fully faced me.
This looked a hell of a lot like my supposed-to-be date, although she was far more attractive in person. Her online profile had said twenty-nine. Now that I sat next to her, that felt young for me. Her skin was tanned in a healthy way that suggested she liked the outdoors but didn’t worship the sun. Long brunette hair rested in waves down her back. She folded her arms, which pushed up her cleavage and brought attention to that delicate strand of sparkly beads between her breasts.
Oops.Look up. Look up.
With a throat clear, I pushed the brim of the cowboy hat back and held out my hand. "Seth Briscoe. NewDate App match. I’m thinking you might be Joley."
Her eyes narrowed but took my hand. "I thought it was you. The cowboy hat gave you away. Didn’t we agree to meet up front?”
"I…uh…" I took off my hat and ruffled my hair, which I kept long on top to give me something to comb through. "Look, ma'am, I’m sorry. I arrived too early. Didn't know if I could get us a table, but they wouldn't seat me until my whole party arrived. I thought I'd get some email work done but lost track of time."
"Did you justma'amme?" Her eyes crinkled in humor even though she didn't laugh. "You sure you weren't having second thoughts?"
"I'd have tried to tell you in person if I was ditching. This dating thing is all kinds of new to me. Real sorry I screwed it up."
