Gabby

 

"Be gentle," I asked her. "This is my first date in over a decade."

"I will," she said reassuringly. "We're going to have a good time."

Gabby was my first date since getting into the world of online dating. After we matched we chatted it up a bit. She was a short, curvy, brunette with big dark eyes and a beautiful smile. She made sure I knew she was hispanic, but grew up in the DFW area all her life.

She gave me her number and I called.

"I should've faked a hispanic accent," she said after we exchanged greetings.

"That would've been hilarious," I replied.

I explained that I was new to the dating scene in Dallas and this is my first real stab at doing this online. She rattled off some horror stories, then I found myself in a 40 minute conversation about ghosting. Gabby explained to me that it was popular for uninterested parties to simply not return calls nor texts when they decide you're not a good idea. She made me promise to man up and tell her if I wasn't wanting another date, and she swore she'd do the same.

Interesting, I thought, but I was in a new world where romance starts electronically rather than organically, but I paid it little mind. I vowed to be honest and would honor that.

"We were on the phone for 2 hours. I could've talked to you all night," was a text she sent me after we said our goodnights on the phone. I admitted I could've done the same, but sadly sleep was in order. We made plans to eat some sushi and see where the night takes us.

I arrived a bit early and nerves started to set in. It was my first date in a long while, but I quickly relaxed knowing that she seemed really into me and was very interested in learning more about my kids and their situation. I ordered a martini and waited at the unusually empty restaurant. There was seriously more staff than customers, each making sure they made their presence known at regular intervals while I sipped my drink. Then she arrived.

She was even prettier in person, but she was the spitting image of a good friend of mine. It was eerily similar, but I quickly shrugged it off and we gave each other a hug. We sat and ordered; she was well versed in the cuisine. We had fun getting to know each other, laughing and sharing rolls. I felt good sitting with this pretty girl and sharing thoughts and food. Dinner came to a close and we both agreed that we weren't ready for the night to end.

"Ice cream?" she asked. "I know of a good ice cream shop near here."

You know it was a nice evening, and ice cream did sound good. We went to a small shop that I never knew existed, sat outside sharing our dessert, and continued the friendly banter. She did say she that she sees us meeting in the area a lot, so I took that as a good sign that she's already thinking we'll be dating for a while.

We then went to a favorite pub of mine and had some more drinks. She was a bit playful as we threw fake punches and ribbed a bit. It was fun, and I hadn't had that much fun with a woman in so long. As we sat in the bar, smiling and laughing I felt something. Confidence, knowing that I could offer a girl a good time. Maybe I can make someone happy, even if it's in small way. I wasn't completely worthless, unattractive. I had qualities that a girl could appreciate.

We said our goodbyes, but I didn't go for a kiss. We already had plans for a second date, so maybe there would be some smooching.

To be continued...

“Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake & help us see we are worth so much more than we're settling for.” ― Mandy Hale