“Oh shit,” Jake said in alarm. “Are you okay?” He grabbed ahold of her arm and lifted her off the floor before someone ran into her.
The palms of Holly’s hands stung like fire and her butt was so numb that she could barely stand up. “Yeah…I’m just an idiot.”
With Jake’s hands supporting her at the waist, Holly limped painfully out of the rink and sat back down on the bench. The moment she felt pressure on her tailbone, she winched in agony.
“Hey, I’m going to try and find you an ice pack.” Jake scurried off, leaving Holly to feel terribly humiliated. He was back rather quickly with a small blue and white, pillow like ice pack.
“Here…sit on this.” He slid the ice pack under her rear end and patted the top of her hand sympathetically. “I’m sorry. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea for a date.”
“No, no—are you kidding me? I was having a great time.” Feeling foolish, Holly looked down at the ground. “I’m just a klutz, that’s all.”
Jake knelt down to her level and placed his hands on her knees. With a raised eyebrow, he asked, “You’re sure you’re not just appeasing me?”
“No,” Holly said with a playful smile. “I haven’t been on a date like this in years, Jake. I’m so used to the same old, boring routine that this was a nice change of pace for me.”
“So you promise that you’re going to be okay?” he asked after removing her left skate.
“I’ll probably be sore for a little awhile, but I’ll survive. This is what happens when I decide to turn into a dare devil.”
Jake chuckled and playfully pinched her right cheek. “Okay, dare-devil, what do you say we get out of here and grab dinner?”
***
Jake was just full of surprises that night. Holly would have never guessed that he would take her to Dresden, one of the many restaurants in Hollywood that celebrities loved to dine. The eatery had a classic continental setting with a screen of Mandarin patterns and subtle lighting. The lounge was to the left and dining was to the right, and noticeably, they were a bit under dressed for such a fine atmosphere.
The two chatted about unusual topics, as well as the future of the group home, over sautéed sand dabs and lemon-buttered salmon. Throughout their three-hour dinner, Jake spoke more about the present and his future rather than his past. Geek and all, this intelligent man had the potential to make a great boyfriend. It was a shame that she was only using him for experimental purposes. If this were any regular date, she might have actually given him a shot.
“So how’s the bum?” Jake asked as he took a mouthful of vanilla ice cream.
“Other than it feeling numb—”
“I’m sorry. I kind of feel like it’s my fault.”
Holly took a sip of her café mocha and replied, “No. I was just trying to be a show off. I’m truly and sincerely having a great time tonight.”
“Me too,” Jake said with a smile that nearly made Holly blush red. “So tell me something about you that I don’t know already.”
“Me? What about you, Mr. Humanitarian? I still don’t know anything about your past.”
“My past is not very noteworthy, believe me.” He looked away suspiciously, like a thief avoiding the truth. “Tell me about your last relationship.”
Even if he was blatantly avoiding the topic of himself, Holly had no qualms about opening up and talking about her personal life—to a certain extent. The one thing she could be honest about was her past relationships. In the end, nothing she’d say would really matter when all of this was just a game in the first place.
“We were together four-years.”
Jake stared back at Holly pensively. “Wow, four-years. That was pretty serious. What happened if you don’t mind me asking?”
“After my mom died—” Those words still hurt like hard-edged stones. Before she continued, Holly took a deep breath to prevent herself from going back to her dark place. “Things changed and we drifted apart.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry about your mother.” Jake placed a sympathetic hand on top of hers. “How long has it been?”
“Five-years—from breast cancer.”
“What a shame for her and all the people who show their true colors when a tragedy strikes.”
“Yeah, his colors were true blue.” Holly decided to change the subject when she felt herself tense up. “Okay enough about me. When are you finally going to tell me something about your mysterious past?”
Jake absentmindedly dragged his finger around the rim of his empty wineglass. “I haven’t been in a relationship for a while, never a serious one, that is. I’m so focused on the group home that most women don’t wait around.”
“Sadly, there are way too many, selfish, needy women in this world,” Holly mentioned. “Are your parents still married?”
“No, divorced. My mom lives in Los Angeles and my dad stayed back in Kentucky.”
“Oh—a country boy at heart.”
“And an only child.”
“I would have been as well if my parents hadn’t adopted my little sister.”
Jake was enthralled by this discovery, like a child on Christmas Day. “Adopted? Your parents are very admirable for doing such a thing. It touches my heart to hear this.”
“Unfortunately, you can say that Kacie has been cheated twice,” she mentioned sadly. “Did either of your parents ever remarry?”
He raised his eyebrows in an expressive manner and cleared his throat. “My dad’s going on his third divorce. My mom never did.”
Before the conversation went any further, a young brunette with a slender body and dark eyes approached their table with a pen and paper in hand.
“Oh my God! Are you Holly Sparks?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “I just love your blog.”
At that very moment, Holly believed that everything she had worked for had just blown up in her face.
The teenager quizzically eyed the two of them back and forth and then whispered in Holly’s ear, “Oh. Are you like on one of those dates right now?”
Holly’s heart beat a million beats per second as the young girl continued to linger at the table. All she could do was nod her head in acknowledgement and hope that Jake wasn’t paying attention.
“Oh, gotcha,” the girl replied with a wink. “Can I please have your autograph?”
“Of course.” Holly scribbled down her signature on the small piece of paper and then rather hastily, pushed it back at the girl who took off with a spring in her step. The soft, deliberate tap of her high-heels reverberated off the hardwood floors.
“What was that all about? Who’s Holly?” Jake asked.
Think quick, Holly. “Oh, just an old pen name of mine—way back in the day.” She waved his question off. “I used to write these controversial articles that got a lot of exposure. No big deal.”
“What did she whisper in your ear?” he asked curiously.
“That she thought you were cute.”
Jake blushed like a school-boy and with that, Holly’s no brainer response had saved the night. It was a seriously close call, and now she had to take all the necessary precautions to make sure something like this never happened again.
***
After dinner, Jake drove Holly back to the group home. They stood in front of her car saying their goodbyes.
“Thanks again for a wonderful evening. I’ll talk to you soon.” Holly turned to open her car door, but Jake stopped her. He gently grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. His lips moved in close to hers and she could feel his warm breath coming closer to her face. Holly knew that if she allowed him to kiss her, even just once, she’d be in trouble. For a blind moment, she felt weak and faint, almost powerless to move. Then, instinctively, she pushed him away.
“Jake, I like you, but let’s take things slow, okay?”
He actually whole-heartedly agreed, knowing anything worthwhile took time. “Okay. I’m good with that.”
Holly couldn’t let something as minuscule as feeling
s or kissing get in the way of this experiment, but she had to be honest with herself: If they did continue dating, eventually the time would come where she would have to kiss him. No male with red blood running through his veins would last long without some kind of affection, so she really had to think this through rationally. What she needed the most right then was a chat with Dr. Cat Adams.
June 16, 2013
Sparks101.com- I Teach Women How Men Think
What to Talk About on the First Date
Class is now in session.
Do you know what appropriate and inappropriate conversation is on a first date? There is a good chance that many men and women of us have lost out on a second date only because they failed on this one major detail. I’ve been on a countless number of first dates where a man will tell me things about himself that I considered, “TMI” or had me wanting to run for the hills. We must remember that the first date sets the precedent for the entire relationship, so listening to your gut instinct can be crucial. When you choose someone to be your significant other—what you see is what you get. If you decide to let the little things slide due to your desperation for love and a relationship, then you’re going to end up with exactly what you settle for.
DO: Talk about your career- It’s okay to find out what your date does for a living and it’s not considered prying unless you are a gold-digger. This information is valuable and helps you gain insight and not to mention, an understanding of their work ethics. You want to find out if your date actually has a steady job to make sure that they are not sitting at home on their ass, living off employment.
DON’T: Talk about unfavorable job experiences- Maybe later down the road, but on a first date, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you end up getting into how you’ve been changing jobs like you’ve been changing underwear—your date could likely get the wrong impression of you and think that you are the same way in a relationship. Not to mention, going down this road also indicates that you might be flakey, and that can leave a bad taste in your date’s mouth.
DO: Talk about your life- It’s perfectly okay to talk about yourself and get a feel for your date. Just avoid topics such as religion, politics and sex. Take note of the way your date is listening and interacting.
DON’T: Reveal your whole life story-I used to be friends with a girl who had no qualms about revealing her life plans to her date within the first twenty-minutes. She made sure that her date knew she wanted to be married by 30 and have kids by 32, before he could even say, “check please.” This is not normal first date etiquette. If you both are needy and feeling hopeless in your love lives then it would be considered okay. However, you generally don’t want to go there. It’s best to leave a little mystery and have your date wanting to know more about you in the future.
DO: Talk about your hobbies- Sometimes two people can sit in front of each other and not say a word only because they don’t know what to talk about or where to start. Bringing up your hobbies and interests is the only way to find out if you two will click. Finding out if you enjoy the same things will help you discover if there is any chemistry or common ground.
DON’T: Talk about sex- Sparks101 followers do not talk about anything sexual on the first date. No exceptions. If your date happens to break this rule, then you should know that this person is only looking to get into your pants. Someone who is genuinely interested in getting to know you will not be disrespectful, or make you feel uncomfortable by talking about sex on the first date. Anyone with common sense should know this. When I go on a first date and this topic comes up, it’s an immediate deal breaker. 99-percent of the time, he was only looking to hook-up.
DO: Talk about animals, even if you don’t own one- One surefire way to judge someone’s character is to know if they like animals. If you’re an animal lover and your date is not, chances are it’s not going to work out. Personally, I could never be with someone who despises or fears dogs and cats.
DON’T: Talk about pet peeves- The last thing your date wants to hear is you ranting about all the things gone wrong in your life or you bitching about everything that annoys you.
DO: Talk about family and friends- It’s good to get a taste of your date’s home life, as well as them getting a good sense of your own. If either of you talk negatively about your family, it’s likely to be a deal breaker. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders will see this as a red flag.
DON’T: Talk about your ex or exs- No one wants to hear about how your ex screwed you over or how you were so in love with your ex and they broke your heart. Hello! You are focusing on what’s in front of you. The past stays in the past. Your date doesn't care about your past relationships and truthfully, it’s a little tacky. Sure, when you get into a relationship it’s more appropriate to talk about your past, but never on a first date. If your date happens to ask you about your last relationship—don’t divulge more information than needed. Just answer the question and stick to the basics. This subject is off limits—which means don’t even go there unless you plan to scare your date away.
Class dismissed
Lesson 10
Holly had never imagined that the experiment would get to this point. The more she hung around Jake, who she had now renamed to “J” on her blog, the more she realized there was no reason to date around on the website. She had found that one good guy to work with and now she wanted to focus solely on him, no one else. If she wanted to go through with this game plan, she had to get Dr. Adam’s approval. How the doctor was going to react to her request was anyone’s guess. Dating someone exclusively was not in the contract. Hopefully, with a little persuasion, Holly could get her to change her mind. Holly and Jake had become some online celebrity couple with all the positive responses pouring in from the blog.
Holly dropped by Dr. Adam’s office, only this time, she wasn’t meeting with her alone. An attractive blonde with very large blue eyes and corkscrew hair, sat in an overstuffed armchair in the corner of the room with a pad of paper in her lap. She dressed conservatively in a blue blouse and beige, knee-length skirt.
The doctor’s stuffy office felt like the windows hadn’t been opened for months. The place should have been in a museum where it had its own shrine dedicated to Dr. Adams. Everywhere she looked, outdated framed articles or awards with the good doctor’s weathered face stared back at her. Dr. Adams had black and whites, close-ups, colored photos—shots of her with famous celebrities and dignitaries, which varied from her twenties and into her golden-years.
Dr. Adams announced from behind her desk, “Holly, this is Janet Camp.”
“Hi there,” Janet said with a chirp comparable to a twiggy little cricket.
The reason for this woman’s presence was still unknown. Holly warily took a seat in front of the doctor’s desk and said to Janet, “Uh, hello—”
“Janet is training to become one of my relationship coaches,” the doctor explained. “She will be observing and listening in on our conversation. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Um—I kind of do. This is a very personal matter.”
“Don’t worry,” Dr. Adams waved the comment off as though she had swatted away a mosquito. “Janet signed a confidentiality agreement. Everything you say stays in this room.”
Confidentiality agreement or not, Holly wasn’t thrilled about this idea. She wanted to speak to Dr. Adams in private. “Obviously, the reason I am here is to discuss our project.”
Dr. Adams pushed her eyeglasses up with one finger and leaned into her desk. “From what I read, the experiment has evolved.”
Holly shook out of her daze and found Janet smiling back at her like some giddy teenager. Janet’s perkiness was a bit over the top for Holly’s taste.
“Yes. That’s what I need to discuss with you,” Holly finally replied.
Janet raised a finger, motioning that she wanted to speak. “It seems there is something more going on with you and “J” than you are revealing on your blog. Would you care to share the real nature of the relationsh
ip with us?”
“Um—no. Not with you,” Holly mumbled under her breath.
“Janet keeps abreast of everything going on your blog, so you can be frank with both of us,” the doctor said.
For now, Holly would just have to grin and bear it. “Listen, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”
“About our experiment?” Dr. Adams asked.
“Yes, and with your permission, I would like to see Jake exclusively.”
Dr. Adams removed her eyeglasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. With a sigh, she replied, “Holly, you know those aren’t the terms.”
“I know, but just hear me out first.”
The doctor crossed her arms over her chest and stared back at Holly pensively. “Go ahead.”
“Should I take note?” Janet asked.
“Yes,” the doctor replied. “Take note on how the subject is devoid of taking direction due to insecurity.”
Holly shook off the comment and blinked in confusion. “Look, he’s a really decent, down- to-Earth guy. He’s the type women all over the Internet hope to find on a dating site.”
“So? What are you getting at?” Rather bored by the conversation, Dr. Adams began cleaning the lenses of her eyeglasses with a tissue.
“If you give me your blessing, I’ll document this whole so-called relationship on the blog. I will treat it exactly as if I was dating multiple men.”
Janet cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me. I’d like to comment if I may.”
“Go ahead,” Dr. Adams replied.
“If you do go through with this, how do you propose on keeping your feelings and emotions out of it?”
Holly glanced at the doctor hesitantly, as though afraid of her reaction. “Nothing of that sort will ever happen.”
“You’re only human,” Janet mentioned as she quickly jotted on her notepad.
The Experiment Page 19