Page 10 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
Other ailments got sympathy. But as a woman, I had learned that no one gives a damn about your period cramps. You’re expected to suck it up, not complain, and act like nothing is wrong.
No matter how much it hurts.
At least it’s over.
I slunk out of my bed like a snail and stumbled into my attached bathroom. Once I caught a glimpse of my puffy, sallow face in the mirror, I wrinkled my freckled nose in disgust and splashed cold water on my face. It was Saturday, which meant I didn’t have to worry about the fact that I’d slept until 11 a.m. I had no plans, so it was my day to do whatever I wanted.
No plans…
Wait…
Shit.
I dove out of the bathroom, scrambling for my nightstand. My phone was still there, although I hadn’t plugged it in to charge in my period-pain-filled stupor. But it was hanging on at 5% battery life, and I unlocked my phone to discover that I had three notifications.
One of them was spam, but the second one was from Aaron, asking why I’d left the night before. I groaned,making a mental note that I’d need to come up with an excuse for that later.Maybe I’ll tell him I had food poisoning.
But the final notification, the one that had my immediate interest, was from Tristan.
I popped open my dating app, eager to read his message.
Hey! How’d TCG night go?
The timestamp read 11:26 pm, long after I’d gotten home from Critical Games. Whether I was in the throes of my disorienting pain episode at that time or already asleep, I had no idea. But I’d still ignored his message the entire night.
I scrambled to write a response, but after a few seconds, I pulled my fingers away from my phone screen and took a deep breath.Why are you panicking? You don’t know this guy. It’s no big deal.
Besides, being late to respond makes you look less clingy.
Good morning! Yeah, I got home really late last night. It was fun! No wins, but that happens a lot. I played a lifestealer deck most of the night.
I hit send with a satisfied smile. It was a sweet, cheery, friendly response. One that a confident, mature, interesting twenty-six-year-old would send. Not one that was still in her pajamas at 11:15 am and in desperate need of a shower.
Just as I undressed, ready to settle under the soothing stream that poured out from the shower nozzle, my phone buzzed with another notification.
That’s cool! By the way, since it’s Saturday… are you free tonight?
I stared blankly at those words for several minutes, the shower still fizzling behind me. It was the question I’d been waiting for, but somehow it sent panic bubbling up my stomach and into my esophagus.
Yes. I am.
Would you like to get a drink at Mulligan’s tonight?
My heart thumped in my chest, but Tristan’s words also tightened the knot in my throat. Mulligan’s was an Irish pub in Oviedo, near the university. I knew it was a popular first date spot, but I wasn’t a fan of alcohol. Plus, I was a lightweight, and one beer was usually enough to make my head spin.
I sighed.But their food is pretty good. And I do really want to meet him.
We exchanged a few more back-and-forth messages, settling on meeting at 6 p.m. that night. He offered to pick me up, but as eager as I was to meet him, he was still a stranger, and I wasn’t ready for him to know where I lived. So we agreed to meet each other there.
Thanks, Avery. Can’t wait!
He can’t wait.The butterflies started rustling again.
I smiled and put my phone down, high on excitement. But as I came back to reality, I realized that it was now 11:45 a.m., and my shower had been running behind me for half an hour. The whole bathroom, and most of my bedroom, were cloaked in a humid fog.
I chuckled at my stupidity and jumped in the shower, scrubbing myself off in record time. As I emerged, theprevious night’s painful grime now washed off me, I ran a towel through my long curly hair and patted my face dry.
Of course, I’d have to tell him my secret eventually. It would be a make-or-break moment in our budding relationship, and I had no idea if he’d be willing to work things through with me or bail as soon as I told him. But I had to take this chance. Deep down, I prayed that for the right guy, my sexual dysfunction wouldn’t matter. That it would be a problem we could solve together.
