Page 44 of Hello Handsome
There was a hint of concern on her face, even as she asked, “Don’t you get hit on at the diner all the time?”
“Not anymore,” I admitted. An unexpected pang of sadness went through me. When I was younger, men’s attention annoyed me. Now, I wouldn’t mind the affirmation that I was attractive and wanted.
Etta came my way with the mug of steaming tea. “How about you ask your friends if they know anyone single?”
“Great idea,” I said, taking a cautious sip of the tea she handed me. “Do you know anyone single?”
She snort-laughed. “Not anyone good enough for you.”
“Well, there goes that plan.” I pretended to pout.
“Why don’t you try online dating?” she suggested, bringing our mugs to the kitchen sink.
My face must have shown my thoughts on online dating because she said, “You should give it a try. That’s how my daughter meets most of her dates. There are duds, sure, but she’s met some good guys, too. And if you hate it, you can always delete your account.”
When she said it like that, I felt silly for my trepidation. Still, I asked, “Isn’t it embarrassing, though? If someone finds me on there, won’t they think I’m desperate?”
“Anyone who sees you on there is also on the apps,” she pointed out. “Here, I’ll help you make a profile.” She reachedfor my phone sitting on the coffee table. And we both saw a text from Gray on my notification screen.
Gray: Please call me when you’re ready to talk. I’ll wait for you.
Etta met my gaze with a questioning look, and I said, “It’s okay. Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you.”
With a nod, she set my phone down on the table. “Of course. And call me if you need to brainstorm. Or if you just need a friend.”
“I will,” I promised.
We hugged goodbye, and once I heard her car pull away, I sat back down on my couch. With a sigh, I picked up my phone and typed “dating apps” into the app store search bar. Several options came up, and I downloaded a free one with the best reviews.
My heart squeezed as the opening lines came across the screen, talking about finding your person. I already felt like I knew who my person was, but I wasn’t his. That realization kept me going as I typed my name in and then found a few photos of me to add to my profile.
When I got to the part telling me to describe myself, I wondered what to say.
How did you sum up decades of life in just a few sentences?
Deciding to just go with whatever came to mind, I started moving my thumbs over the screen.
Single mom of two amazing adult children. Love my job. Enjoy a simple life. Will do anything for those I care about.
It wasn’t much, and it certainly wouldn’t win me any writing prizes, but itwasenough to post my profile and start seeing potential matches. My cheeks flashed hot as soon as the first man came across my screen.Phil, 47.
Would these guys be seeing me too?
I tapped to see more of Phil’s profile. He wasn’t bad looking. And he was a few inches taller than me. No kids…
The app instructed me to swipe left if I liked him and right if I didn’t.
My lips tugged down. Why did this feel like online shopping for men and checking the specifications? A few pictures and sentences and we were making snap judgments about other humans? It seemed wrong to me. Maybe I was just old-fashioned.
With a sigh, I clicked my phone shut and started getting ready for bed.
30
GRAY
Two weeks later,and Aggie still hadn’t called or texted. I hadn’t gone into the diner because she said she didn’t want to see me. We’d been friends for so long, I hoped she would come around and forgive me. Each day that passed made that possibility seem even more slim.
But now my nerves were ragged, as this evening Ford planned to introduce his girlfriend, Mia, to the rest of the family. Everyone was coming to my house for a cookout, even my youngest son Bryce, who was coming home from college to meet her.
