At First Sight

by Mya O'Malley

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize…” Annie heard Terry grumbling in the background.

  “Hold on a sec, I’m going into the kitchen.” Sam fumbled.

  “Okay, now what could be so important, Annie?”

  “So I logged onto my profile this morning and there were seventy-five men who had contacted me. Seventy-five! I mean, it’s certainly flattering and all, but…”

  “Slow down, girl. Slow down. I guess I should have told you all about this before, and I would have, had I realized you would be so insane as to wake me up at this crazy hour!”

  “I said I was sorry!” Annie mustered.

  “Yeah, well. You owe me. As a matter of fact, I’m going to cash in on it right now. Get yourself ready and meet me for breakfast at the diner.”

  “No problem. See you in a few. Oh, and it’s on me.” Annie offered.

  “You bet it’s on you! Now get ready!” Sam exclaimed.

  Annie put her laptop to sleep and scrambled to get ready before Sam changed her mind. The two women had a ritual of sorts, to try to get together for breakfast at least once every weekend, but usually that was around ten o’clock or so. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.

  * * * *

  The Corner Diner was a small, casual cafe situated in the suburbs of New York City. Annie loved living in this area because it was only about a half an hour to get to the city, yet far enough away to enjoy the beautiful upstate scenery.

  Annie and Samantha were regulars, so when the hostess spotted Annie waiting by the door, she motioned for her grab the seat near the window, where Samantha was already waiting with two cups of coffee. The hum of low chatter could be heard throughout the diner.

  “Hey, you must have flown out the door.” Annie settled herself in the booth across from her friend.

  “Okay. So tell me all about it.” Any feelings of annoyance appeared long gone by now, as Sam appeared eager to hear all about her friend’s experience online.

  Annie started to tell Sam all about her profile when she stopped mid-sentence.

  “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!” She squealed as she grabbed for her friend’s hand across the table.

  “Whoa, slow down, girl.”

  “So, do you remember that guy from the mall? The one I bumped into?” Annie could hardly contain herself. She told her friend the entire humiliating story, including the part where she ran out of the pizzeria like it was on fire.

  Sam shook her head in disbelief. “Wow, I can’t believe you caused another scene!” She giggled uncontrollably, tears spilling from her eyes.

  This gave Annie pause. “Well, I can’t believe he was with another woman!” She held her head down, avoiding eye contact.

  “Stop pouting, Annie. What do you expect? That he somehow knows you’ve got a huge crush on him and he shouldn’t date anyone because you’re pining away for him?”

  Well, if she put it that way, Annie reconsidered. It sounded ridiculous from an outsider’s point of view, didn’t it? But there was that attraction, wasn’t there?

  “Yeah, yeah. But didn’t you see the attraction between us?” Annie was trying hard not to be insulted.

  “Yes, of course, Annie. But that kind of attraction happens every day, you know. It doesn’t mean anything. Oh, don’t tell me you’re one of those people who believe in love at first sight?” She scoffed, looking across the table at her friend who was slowly but surely turning red.

  “Look. It doesn’t exist. I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t. Now, aren’t we here to talk about your online dating?“

  “I guess.” Annie managed, talking through clenched teeth.

  “Can’t hear you.”

  “I said, I guess.” Annie managed, louder this time.

  She proceeded to fill Samantha in on the huge number of responses to her profile. The waitress came by to take their order. Annie and Samantha both ordered the special, chocolate chip pancakes.

  “I should have told you earlier, but this is how it generally plays out. The first few days, you’re new to the dating pool, so everyone under the sun is interested in you. It starts to slow down and well, you have to sort through the fish in the sea, so to speak.”

  “But, seventy-five fish? How could I possibly sort through so many fish? It just seems downright exhausting!” She placed her head in her hands.

  “No, listen. You see, out of all of those profiles, you’ll most likely narrow it down to only about ten to fifteen realistic choices. Some of these guys, their profiles are a joke. Some guys are divorced, some guys are only looking for casual dating. Decide what you want, what you’re looking for and narrow it down. Easy as pie.” Samantha threw her hands up.

  “I don’t know, this sounds like a lot of work to me, especially when I’m the one paying for this service!”

  Sam reassured her friend. “Come on now, give it a try. Have an open mind.”

  “I don’t know, this isn’t what I thought it was going to be like.”

  “Tell you what, promise me you’ll choose, say, five men. Five men, that’s all I’m asking. Go on five dates, and I won’t bother you anymore.” Sam’s eyes pleaded with her best friend.

  Giving in with a heavy sigh, Annie knew she would probably live to regret this. “Fine, Sam. Five guys, exactly five guys, no more.”

  The girls shook hands to seal the deal.

  Annie couldn’t help but think how methodical it all seemed. So much for love at first sight.

  Chapter Four

  Shane logged onto the website. He sipped his coffee as he waited for his matches of the day. These matches were becoming a joke. His dates were becoming a joke. Was it honestly so difficult to find a decent woman to have a relationship with? He had joined this dating service about three months ago, based on the advice his older sister, Jennifer had given him. Jennifer had never had to go online to look for dates because she was married to her college sweetheart. She was also beautiful inside and out. He figured she wouldn’t have a problem finding a date even if she was single. He had had some bad experiences in the past and was finally willing to get out there again. His sister loved him and always watched out for him, he’d give her that.

  Shane was thinking back to the other day at the mall when the beautiful woman slammed into him. Jennifer had seen the whole thing and rushed over to meet the woman. Before you knew it though, the woman took off like a bolt of lightning. He thought there was definitely a spark between them. And then he saw her at the pizzeria last night, talk about fate! She created a scene by bumping into the waitress. His date was ticked. She questioned him all the way home about the way he flirted with Annie. Well, that would be the first and last date with that woman. He felt warm inside, just thinking about Annie. She was beautiful in a cute, adorable way. She had a young, innocent beauty going for her, not a trashy, showy kind of look. She was just his type. Why did he find himself thinking about this woman? Over the last few days, he found his thoughts wandering to her more than once. What was that all about?

  Shane’s membership expired in two days. Should he renew? No, definitely not. When he joined, he decided he would give it a try for three months, exactly three months, no more. He didn’t like first dates, and he had been on several. He had met up with exactly three women, and he hadn’t asked any of them out a second time. People were funny. Why did they misrepresent themselves? Two of the women appeared nothing like their photos. What did they do, take a high school photo and think they could get away with it? The other woman showed her ugly side on their first date. She had no right to be jealous of his behavior at the pizzeria! Maybe he was flirting with Annie, but he simply couldn’t help himself. Besides, his date was out of ear shot. She had no idea what was being said. Enough of this nonsense, he thought. Shane decided he would try dating the old fashioned way from this point on. The last two days of his membership would be wasted, but so be it. His heart was no longer in this dating game.

  Tiny announced his presence with several quick barks. The
Great Dane was pleased to find his owner and playmate home. The poor fellow was recovering from being neutered. Shane had picked him up that morning from the vet. Dr. Peters was a great veterinarian. He had come in on his day off to send Tiny home. He said the poor guy was homesick and recovering nicely.

  “Easy, fellow. Take it easy, doctor’s orders.” He smoothed his hand over Tiny’s head as he dropped to the floor, content to be at Shane’s side.

  Shane’s parents had thought he was crazy to get a Great Dane for a pet, but being a teacher meant great hours. He taught mathematics at the local high school, so although he left pretty early in the morning, he usually made it home by three thirty. Shane’s house was also large enough to keep such a pet. It was a high ranch with about three quarters of an acre of fenced-in property. Shane had worked hard his entire life to save up for a down payment for his own house. It was great when he had found a house to settle into in his own hometown. His parents had moved down to South Carolina after his dad had retired, but at least his sister was only about a half-hour away. At thirty-three years of age, he had finally bought the property. Now, a year later, he was settled in and making his payments. Albeit, there wasn’t a lot of spending money left over. But his salary would eventually increase and his master’s credits would pay off as he made his way up the salary guide. The one regret Shane had at this stage in his life was not traveling. He had always wanted to live in another country, just to experience the culture for even a short time. Perhaps he could accomplish that goal during his retirement, or even for a summer.

  Something made him look up before powering off the computer. He glanced at the screen which held his matches for the day.

  Whistling softly under his breath, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Well, I’ll be.”

  He took in the photograph of the beautiful woman before him. Yes, that was her alright. It was his Annie.

  It took a moment for his breathing to return to normal. He couldn’t take his eyes off the screen as he read Annie’s profile. She loved animals and taking quiet walks in the park. She was a movie buff, and they had some favorite actors in common. It didn’t say what her occupation was, other than the fact that she enjoyed helping others at work each day. Hmm, a woman who helped others; it could be any job. A teacher, a nurse, perhaps she worked in a day care center, the possibilities were endless. He perused her profile over and over, contemplating his next course of action, if any. He had sworn the last date he was on would be it. But was this actually considered online dating? He had already met her, twice. And what about the fact that this woman ran off in a huff on him, twice. She would probably take one look at him and run for the hills. But could he really let this opportunity pass by? He had to try to connect with her. But the question was, how?

  Chapter Five

  Annie let herself into her apartment, setting her keys down on the coffee table. She padded into her bedroom, avoiding the laptop in the kitchen. Picking up the novel she was reading, she tossed it to the side after five minutes. There had to be a movie on. Flipping through the channels, she settled on an old favorite with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It was odd, usually this movie held her attention. Giving into her temptation, she threw the remote on the couch and grumbled to herself, making her way to the kitchen.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Speaking aloud to herself, she logged onto the dating site. Seventy-five profiles to sort through. She was about four profiles in, disregarding each one so far, when a ringing sound came from her computer. Another one? Make that seventy-six. She took a quick look at the latest profile appearing on her screen and scrunched her brows. That was strange, Annie mused. This one had no photo. Samantha had warned her that the profiles without photos were to be disregarded; those men had something to hide. This one was probably married or something. She continued on her journey of searching through piles of profiles. Samantha was right, most of these guys were a joke or they just weren’t for her. Some men were too old, some were too young, some were just not her type at all. Having no other plans for the day, she decided she would narrow down her choices right then and there.

  A few hours later, she had selected her five men to communicate with. Five men out of seventy-six. There were a few other profiles without photos, which she quickly deleted. Number seventy-six, however, did have an interesting profile name: You’ve Got Mail. She loved that movie. Taking a quick peek, she noted she had a lot in common with Mr. Seventy-six, but then she heard Sam’s voice in her ear, cautioning her against the men without pictures. Her finger pressed the delete button quickly, before she could change her mind. It was the right decision, she was sure if it. Now, to get back to those other seventy- five fish.

  * * * *

  It was three days later and Annie was on her first blind Internet date. The guy’s name was Jack, and he was adorable, based on his photos. He was in his mid-thirties, a bit older than Annie, but not much. She had decided she would go up to eight years older and two years younger. She didn’t want to go too much younger because she was looking for someone mature and responsible, someone who had his act together, who was serious about dating. Having sent several e-mails back and forth, Annie wondered if it was possible she might luck out and hit it off with the first guy she went out on a date with. Sam had met many different men before finding Terry, but, hey, maybe it would be easier for Annie.

  Jack and Annie decided to meet up for a drink at a bar two towns over. It was an Irish pub, set on a street littered with other Irish pubs. McHenry’s was quiet, but then again it was a Tuesday night. Taking off her jacket and shaking off the cold March chill, Annie glanced around the bar for her date. He would be wearing a red sweater and jeans. She spotted a man who fit that description. Annie’s heart pounded as she made her way over. The man moved around ever so slowly, and she realized her mistake immediately. Oh! She retreated quickly, noticing that this man had to be close to fifty years old. She went to find a seat at the bar as she heard her name being called.

  “Annie! Hey, Annie.” She spun around, wondering how she had missed spotting Jack in the nearly deserted bar.

  The man who appeared to be in his fifties gazed at her and reached out his hand. Like a ton of bricks, suddenly it dawned on Annie this must be Jack! Was he kidding!

  “Whew, you look even better than your photo!” Jack’s eyes drank Annie in, savoring every little bit of her.

  “I, uh, Jack?” She had to be sure.

  “Yes. Well, actually, my real name is Joe, I like to keep some privacy online, you know.” He winked at Annie, causing her to cringe inwardly.

  “Oh.” Annie couldn’t help but wonder why this hadn’t come up in their private e-mails to each other. She decided right then and there she would be more cautious before agreeing to meet up with any other dates.

  Jack, no wait, Joe, patted the seat next to him at the bar. Upon getting a closer look, Annie decided that he had to be in his mid-fifties, and although he was handsome for a man that age, he was still misrepresenting himself in a major way. She recalled his photo and determined it must be at least twenty years old. Mustering up her courage, she sat down next to Joe as her mind raced over all of the possible ways to leave the bar as quickly as possible.

  “So, Joe.” She had to find a way to bring up the age difference. Surely Joe shouldn’t be allowed to get away with his lies. She decided to call him out on it. “Hold on a sec.” Signaling the bartender, he asked Annie what she wanted to drink.

  Definitely a glass of wine. Make that a large glass of wine, she thought to herself.

  “I’ll have a pinot noir, please.” The bartender hustled to get their drinks. Annie noted mentally she was pleased with her decision to only pay for a month’s membership on the dating site.

  “A pinot noir for the lady and a rum and coke for the gentleman.” The bartender seemed to study the couple, perhaps sensing what an unlikely pair they were.

  Clearing her throat, Annie tried again. “So, how old did you say you were?” She decided there was no other way to
go about this conversation other than putting it right out there, the undeniable eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room.

  “Oh. I don’t know…” He stammered, looking away.

  “I believe you stated on your profile that you were thirty something.”

  “Okay, so that’s how old I am.” Was he for real?

  “Seriously, why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

  “Would you be here right now if I did?” That gave her something to think about.

  “Well, no…”

  “There you have it. I know some people would just dismiss me without giving me a chance if I don’t fit into their ’age bracket’.” He made finger quotes in the air.

  “How about just being honest from the start and dating women who are interested?” It made perfect sense to her.

  “Well, I could, but then again, I’m not interested in dating women my age.” He said , as if it made perfect sense.

  “Well, maybe I’m not interested in dating someone who starts off a possible relationship with a lie.”

  Joe dropped his head down. “I don’t have a chance, do I?” He ventured, glancing up at her.

  “Not a shot.” Something about the honesty of their banter suddenly made both of them see the humor in the situation.

  “Cheers.” Joe raised his glass.

  Annie raised her glass and wondered aloud what they were toasting to.

  “To a possible chance?” Laugher reached his eyes.

  “How about we toast to no shot but a lesson learned?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, knowing he was defeated. “I’ll take it.” They clinked glasses.

  * * * *

  Later that night, when Annie was drifting off to sleep, she replayed the evening in her head. Knowing this dating thing could turn out to be a disaster, she was determined to chalk it up to experience. It hadn’t been such a horrible night after all. Annie and Joe had a decent conversation and shared another drink, but clearly there was to be no connection. The attraction wasn’t there for Annie, but she was okay with that. She was getting her feet wet, so to speak, and at this point she was up for another attempt at this outrageous dating game.