Barely Attracted

I’ve been on enough bad dates to know when something isn’t going to work out.

But that Sunday afternoon in the middle of January, I didn’t just see a red flag I saw fur.

It started when my friend Mia insisted I “just try one more blind date.”

“You’re too picky,” she said over coffee. “He’s funny, he’s tall, he’s into wildlife photography. You’ll love him.”

I wasn’t convinced, but boredom is a dangerous motivator. So, I agreed to meet him at the city’s winter fair, where apparently, a “surprise” awaited me.

When I got there, I spotted him immediately. Or at least, I thought I did.

A massive grizzly bear stood by the hot chocolate stand. Not an actual bare, a man in a full bear costume, head and all, waving to kids and handing out flyers for the park’s new wildlife exhibit.

I laughed to myself, thinking, What are the odds? Then he turned, removed the head, and there he was. My date.

“Hey! You must be Emily,” he said, slightly breathless from whatever was going on inside the fur suit.

I blinked. “You’re… in a bear costume?”

“Yeah! I volunteer for the conservation society,” he grinned. “They needed someone to fill in today. It’s fun, plus it raises awareness about endangered bears.”

I wasn’t sure if I was barely attracted or barely attracted. There's a big difference.

Still, I went along with it.

We wandered through the fair, him in his bear suit and me trying to look like this was totally normal. Strangers kept stopping us, asking for photos. A few kids hugged his legs like he was some kind of fuzzy superhero.

And I’ll admit he was charming. Even inside all that polyester fur, he had a warm energy. He told me about his work as a travel photographer, his trips to Alaska, and his obsession with wildlife conservation. I laughed at his stories, and somewhere between the third and fourth hot chocolate, I realized I was actually having a good time.

When the sun started to set, we walked toward the park’s frozen lake. He took off the costume head again, his hair messy and cheeks flushed from the cold. He looked at me with that kind of hopeful smile that makes you forget your dating checklist.

“I know this is… unconventional,” he said. “But I’d really like to see you again.”

I hesitated for just a second before smiling back. “I think I’d like that.”

The twist came three days later.

We agreed to meet at a small coffee shop downtown. I was excited partly because this time he’d be wearing normal clothes. Or so I thought.

I walked in, scanned the room, and froze.

He was there but not alone. Sitting across from him was another woman also in a bear costume.

“Oh, Emily!” he said, jumping up. “This is Chloe. She’s… my bear partner.”

“Your what?” I asked, trying to laugh it off.

“It’s part of the conservation work,” he explained quickly. “We do events together, sometimes travel as a team. We, uh… also dated for a while.”

Chloe waved from behind her bare head. “Still do, sometimes.”

I just stood there, my hot coffee suddenly feeling very cold.

It hit me then that I hadn't been on a romantic comedy short date with a wildlife photographer. I’d been on a trial run for joining whatever this was.

I mumbled something about having to feed my cat and left before they could offer me my own bear suit.

Conclusion

Sometimes unexpected love isn’t what you expect at all. And if someone shows up to your first date in a bear costume, make sure you’re ready for the whole forest.