Page 16 of Just for Fun
My mouth drops in shock. I realize how much she has been tiptoeing around me. Same with my brother. They’ve been trying to protect me and treat me like I was made of glass. And now they’re tired and need me to have a life so they can live theirs.
It’s a tough pill to swallow.
SIX
Kyle
I thoughtthat all I had to do was sign up for thisHolidatesapp, and I’d have my pick of all the women desperate to find a date. The problem arose when I realized that most of them were the type I was trying to avoid. I spent so much time scrolling that I almost gave up.
And then I found her. Zara Bray, looking as plain as can be and totally unapologetic for it. The picture she posted sure did her no favors.
I read her profile with bated breath, the excitement building inside of me when I realized she was what I needed. It looked like she needed a date for a Fourth of July party. That would not be a problem since I loved parties. I was sure hers would be as boring as the picture attached, but I was good with that.
I wasted no time in sending her a message, surprised when I did not get a response back right away. She just struck me as the type of person who would waste no time in getting back to me.Now, it is hours later, and I cringe at the thought that I might have to start searching all over again.
A ding from my tablet gets my attention. Dropping the work one I’ve been drawing on, I pick up the other one, which I booted up just for this purpose. My eyes light up when I notice it’s a notification from theHolidates, wasting no time to tap on it.
“Yeah, baby!” I grin at the screen when I see the girl replied.
My excitement is replaced with confusion when I finally pause for long enough to read what she said back.
Kyle,
Thank you for your message. Before I can take your interest into consideration, I respectfully request that you filled out the questionnaire attached. Since time is of the essence, I would appreciate a prompt turnaround.
Sincerely,
Zara
I shake my head and read it again. Then, I bust out laughing. This girl is perfect, and I could not have picked any better if I tried. My friends won’t believe their eyes and ears when I show up with her on my arm. And she sent me a questionnaire. Fuck yeah.
Grabbing my e-pen from the desk, I open the attachment she sent, ready to scrawl my answers. A quick glance shows there are ten questions, so not too bad.
The first few of them are pretty standard, like how far are you willing to travel for this, do you need a date for an event in exchange for attending her event, stuff like that.
Then, half of the questions on the page have something to do with punctuality. As I answer, I am at a loss on how to answer each question without basically copying the answer from the question before. They all just go in a circle, but the bottom line to all this is that always being on time is very important to her.
In all honesty, I don’t really care for schedules. I have the type of job where I don’t need to clock in or out. I just work whenever inspiration strikes. When I get together with my friends, none of them care if I am there a little late. The only times I try to make an effort is when I go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned every six months. Other than that, I don’t care.
Getting the feeling that this girl would not appreciate my scattered ways, I respond with what I think she needs to hear. I save the document before hitting reply and uploading it to send it back.
“Dear Zara,” I say while I type. “I hope you will find my answers to your questions to be satisfactory.” I snicker at the pompous tone of the email. “I would appreciate a most prompt response to my message, as time is of the essence.”
I grin and hit Send. This girl is really as boring in her real life as she looks in the picture she posted on here. But it could be fun, I decide. I will take it as a challenge and run with it.
My eyes about pop out of my head though when I see a notification in the app before I even have time to turn my tablet off. I tap on it, and I am not even a little bit surprised when I see it is indeed a response from Zara.
Kyle,
I appreciate the detail in your answers, and I would like to meet with you in person to discuss this arrangement. The sooner, the better, I’d say. Please give me a few options that work for you.
Sincerely,
Zara
I drop my head back and laugh out loud. This girl is something else, and no wonder she has to find a date this way. I can’t imagine how this would work in real life. Then again, I’m trying to score a date in the same way, so maybe I shouldn’t laugh this hard about it. With that thought in mind, I hit Reply.
Zara,
