The Best Date I Never Had

As I sit and stare at the menu of a moderately expensive Italian restaurant, I wonder if my date is ever going to show up. I’m at the end of my 3 month free trial with a dating app I never wanted to join in the first place, and every single one of the dates I’ve gone on so far has been a dud. Between the nagging of my best friend and the constant reminders from my mother that I’m not getting any younger, I decided to throw my hat in the ring of online dating.

I’m really disappointed because this guy seemed pretty great. He was decent looking based on his pictures and we had some good conversations. He was flirty without being pushy, polite but not boring. He suggested we meet here and it was only a 15 minute drive from my house so I figured I could have a couple of glasses of wine and still drive home. I needed the wine for my nerves so I didn’t come off too stuck up.

And also I love wine. It’s the one thing in my life that has never disappointed me.

So I arrived 15 minutes early to make sure I made it through at least half a glass before he showed up, and I’ve been sitting here for a total of 45 minutes. He’s half an hour late and I haven’t received a message on the app from him. I’m still wary about giving out my phone number right away because the first guy I went out on a date with turned out to be a clinger.

I stroke the rim of my second glass of Merlot slowly, pondering the risks and rewards of having a third glass when a man walks up to my table.

“Hello,” he says. He looks nothing like the picture on his profile and I’m taken aback.

I think I’ve been reverse catfished, because this guy is gorgeous. Similar coloring and face shape, but more defined and manly. Is this the same guy? Am I hallucinating? Did the wine go bad?

What am I thinking, wine never goes bad.

Maybe they were old pictures and he had some work done, or just got better with age. Just like wine.

I really am losing it. He probably thinks I’m a nutcase because I’ve been staring at him open mouthed for a few seconds too long and not speaking.

“Umm...hi...Brendan?” I say with a questioning tone.

“May I sit?” he asks with a twinkle in his eyes. He’s probably silently laughing at me, or wondering if I’m missing a few chromosomes.

“Of course,” I reply. He smiles and a dimple appears in one cheek. Dear Lord, I’ve hit the dating jackpot with this one. It is a little rude that he hasn’t apologized for being late, but I’m going to overlook it this time.

“I have a confession to make,” he says as he sits down.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“I was very nervous coming over here to talk to you,” he admits with a charming smile.

“I find that very hard to believe,” I reply with a flirty smile of my own.

“Why do you say that?” he asks me.

“Look at you. You obviously don’t have any trouble getting dates,” I say.

“But you don’t know me. I could be horrible in bed, have awful hygiene habits, or even be a serial killer,” he replies with a laugh.

“Is that another confession?” I ask and he laughs again.

“I do have another confession,” he says with a sheepish look.

“Uh oh, worse than being a serial killer? I can’t imagine,” I giggle.

“I’m not Brendan,” he informs me.

Well that explains a lot, I think.

“Oh, I see,” I say as I look down at my lap. He’s just here because he saw a vulnerable girl sitting alone and decided to have a crack at her.

Suddenly, he takes my hand gently in his and I look up and into his eyes. They seem sincere, but I’ve been taken in by his kind before.

“What do you see?” he asks.

“A handsome man out on the town, looking for a good time,” I reply.

“Well, I can’t deny that I’m having a good time. But I think you mean something different than I do. Why don’t you give me a chance?” he asks with a little squeeze of my fingers.

I find myself compelled to do just that, and not only because he’s drop dead gorgeous, but also because he seems genuinely kind and down to earth. It was a very good decision, because a couple of hours and a bottle of Merlot later, I felt like I had known him my whole life. In fact, our deep connection blossomed into a relationship, which then turned into a marriage and a beautiful family to call my own.

I love to tell the story of how we met to people now, about the best date I never had.