Page 13 of The Girlfriend Game
Or maybe that’s Kendall’s influence and the work I’ve been doing with her. She’s the one who has helped me open up and share the shit I’ve buried for so long. Whatever it is, I’ve enjoyed learning to be more open.
Last night, I spent well over an hour messaging back and forth withThe Other Sisterwith no real aim or end game except to get to know each other. I’m sharing things about myself that might not otherwise come out. Except, of course, what I do for a living and that I recently suffered from an anxiety attack on national television.
I find an open spot on a chair someone just vacated in the corner of the coffee shop. Plopping down, I take my first sip and open my phone to begin scrolling through my latest chat fromThe Other Sister. I’d just asked her about her favorite movie and local place to eat.
The Other Sister:Hands down my favorite movie is Braveheart. It checks all the boxes for me. There’s action and adventure. Romance. History. Big, broody men with Scottish accents. And strong females who won’t put up with societal standards and the patriarch. Did I mention the broody men with accents?
My favorite dinner spot is my kitchen table. Dining out takes more time and work than necessary. I like a good bottle of red, a well-appointed charcuterie board, and a perfectly seasoned piece of grilled Copper River king salmon.
My stomach growls at the mention of the varietal Pacific salmon only found in Alaska. Last summer, some of the guys from the team chartered a boat, and we spent the day out on the ocean fishing for salmon.
I quickly tap out my reply.
Mountain Man:Let’s go fishing. I know the perfect spot to catch our very own salmon. Name the day and we can set up a date.
I can see the green light appear by her profile name indicating she’s active and sees my message. There’s an immediate reply.
The Other Sister:Hmm…sounds fishy to me. Pun intended. You’ll understand if I’m a little skeptical of making plans for the first date with a man I don’t know and haven’t met yet out on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
My laughter rises from my stomach and garners the attention of two students at the table next to me who glare in my direction.
“Sorry,” I mutter, my mouth turning down into an apologetic smile.
My fingers fly over the keypad as I type out my response.
Mountain Man:Touché. Well, you could always bring a friend or your sister and her husband with you. Safety in numbers and all that jazz. Oh, speaking of which, you never answered my question about your favorite music. If you’re not a Zeppelin fan or don’t enjoy listening to great 70s music, we might as well end this discussion now.
The Other Sister:TBH, I’m not a huge fan, no. But I do enjoy the classics. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Strauss. In fact, I played the violin back in high school. I was very good except I had a huge case of stage fright. That’s a story for another time. But I have to go now. Work calls.
Laughter expels from my throat again, but this time it’s softer so I don’t get the look again from the duo next to me. The more I learn about this woman, the more I want to meet her. And soon.
In fact, Ansel told me that the app supposedly “unlocks” once the partners have met criteria involving a level of interaction. It will give us a signal that we’ve met the required number of chats and we can meet up if we both want.
And I definitely want. These past few weeks of online chats has increased not only my confidence, which had waned for months, but also my sex drive.
I type out my final message before I get ready to head out the coffee shop.
Mountain Man:Color me intrigued. I’m looking forward to it. Have a good rest of your day.
