Page 8 of New Girl in the City
Chapter Three
Iturned my head and stared down at the city below me. It was a pretty night, clear, and the lights of the streets and buildings were brighter than the stars I could make out. I tapped my fingers against the glass, looked up and sighed, laying my palm flat against the glass. I wouldn’t lie to myself. I did miss the nights in the mountains. Though, the mountains didn’t have awesome curry, or people like Walter and Claudia. They also didn’t have elite dating apps either, now did they.
I turned away from the window and looked at the end table where my phone was currently resting. I’d put it there to charge after making my way up from Walter and my last curry feast. The melancholy of knowing he was leaving had finally settled into me along with the quiet of the night, and now here I was doing what every singleton knew to be a line that should not be crossed under pain or duress, but even still…
Suddenly I was in motion, pushing away from the window and reaching for my phone before I could stop myself. I sank onto my couch holding the phone to my chest and closed my eyes for a beat before I opened them, let out a deep sigh and clicked on Claudia’s text message. I tapped on the link before I could stop myself and a promo code popped up on the screen before it blinked away a second later. A screen prompting me to enter my info appeared.
I worried my bottom lip but proceeded all the same, dutifully handing over my information to the website. It had been a while since I’d made a dating profile, but I knew my angles and selected a couple of great photos from my social media. I nearly rolled my eyes at myself when I entered the typical ‘About Me’ profile fodder, and downright cringed when I listed a quiet evening at home as one of my past times.
“When did I become 97? I should just list watching baseball and reading the paper while I'm at it.” I hit enter and chose not to think on it too much. This information could change. It wasn’t set in stone and besides, it was a free pass.It was free.No reason to worry too much.
After I submitted my profile for review, I balked when I saw the dating site, a site proudly named The Diamond Dating League. It informed me that I had two months of free access to their ‘extensive clientele of influential bachelors’. I sucked on my teeth and considered the site for another minute.
“Diamond Dating League? What the hell is this? Some Pokémon game?” I got up from the couch and made for the fridge. If I was going to do any sort of online dating, it was going to be with a good Chardonnay in my glass. There was no other way for the modern woman to handle dating.
I poured myself a glass of wine and it was then that the first buzz of my phone sounded. It alerted me that while I was fortifying myself for an evening lingering over profiles, the men of the Diamond Dating League were already hard at work. Another buzz and then another told me much of the same, and when I sat back down on the couch it was to no less than seven messages.
“Shit,” I breathed, staring at my inbox. Was dating supposed to be this easy? I had listed staying in like an old fuddy duddy, and the men had come running! “Let’s see what kind of men are here before we gettooexcited, Mel.”
I tapped on the first message and let out an appreciative hum. He was cute. He also thought I was enchanting and lovely.Okay, okay.He was saying the right words, but was I attracted? I tapped on his photo and nearly coughed on the wine I had been swallowing.
He wasn’t just cute.
“He’srealcute.” A strong jaw, a head full of dark hair stylishly combed, suit cut to fit a pair of broad shoulders. “Well, okay then, Pokémon league.” I settled into the couch with a hum and propped my feet up on the coffee table in front of me.
The next profile was equally as alluring. This time a ginger haired mogul on a yacht who promised me a night I would never forget. I sipped at my Chardonnay and nodded in appreciation. I could get used to this.
“Finally, men that can give me what I need.” Adoring words, promise of worship, yachts. Fuck. Yes. I was already working on the third message when another buzz of my phone alerted me to yet another prospect, but I was forcing myself to stay focused. It had been a while since I’d tried this dating thing and I was pretty sure the men on this site were not the normal fare. I mean, come on, the site was named the Diamond Dating League and they were 1000000% serious about it. I was potentially out of my depth and needed to stay on track if I wanted to make any positive moves.
“One man at a time, Mel. One man,” I tapped on the photo and let out an‘ooooohhhh’at the sight of a dark-skinned man in a form fitting tan suit, “one man at a time,” I ordered myself.
Who needed reality television when they had this in front of them? And for free. Claudia was the best. She didn’t need to get me cookies. I was going to buy her a whole damn bakery with how she’d set me up. I replied to another message before the first replied to me, and to my delight we struck up a flirty enough conversation. His name was Wren.
Yes, like the bird but it could have been worse. Besides, I kind of liked it. He was a Pisces. He worked in finance but was an artist some of the time and wanted to invite me to his art show two nights from now.
Of course, I said yes. What women wouldn’t?
After that, I cut myself off. I didn’t need to stumble downstairs to meet Walter’s replacement looking sleep deprived. I wanted to make a good impression. Walter had become dear to me, so who was to say the new driver wouldn’t as well? I brushed my teeth, washed my face and when I went to bed it was with a slight thrill of excitement at meeting a new person. A stranger was just a friend you hadn’t met, and I had high hopes for my new driver.
Walter had said I would like him, hadn’t he?
That had to count for something.
* * *
Walter’s wordscounted for jack. The old man had abandoned me and even worse had set me up with the New York City’s, no, dare I say, theworld’sshittiest driver.
I glared ahead, refusing to meet eyes with my new driver. A big asshole with tattoos and a sneer that I would give anything to wipe right off his asshole face. When I’d come out to meet him at the corner like I did Walter, it had been with two coffees and a smile on my face.
“Good morning!” I called to him, holding out a cup with a smile, “I didn’t know how you took your coffee so I just—”
“Don’t need coffee, ma’am.” He brushed the cup aside and looked down at his watch. “’Sides, you’re late.”
“I’m what?” I blinked at him and looked down at the cup I was still holding out to him. I had a few packets of sugar and some creamers in my bag, but I suddenly didn’t want to tell him that.
“You’re late. If I’m gonna be taking this gig, you need to get down here on time.”
My eyes snapped up at that. “I was late because I was getting you coffee.”
