Note this is quite a slow burner, I've gone for story line not just shagging... hope you enjoy...please leave feedback either way, this is only my second attempt so I'm still learning...
Travis was sat at his table in the restaurant, 10 or so metres from the door, eyeing up everybody who walked in, looking for a red carnation. He could feel the sweat on his palms, his teeth were tapping out some unknown tune when he wasn't taking another swig of his whisky and Coke.
"Calm down!" He told himself, and then realised he'd actually said it aloud. He checked the nearby tables, but nobody seemed to have noticed.
Signing up for the blind date had been a hard decision, he'd turned down 2 offers before he finally agreed, it's amazing what an older sister can force you into, even at 27. Surely he wasn't going to be stood up...maybe he wanted to be stood up. He thought back to his profile.
-
Firstly you had to upload 3 pictures of your face, which felt strange for a blind date website, but apparently the computer rated you out of 10 for match purposes. Your dates never see them. He felt sure this was the job of an IT apprentice in reality, but he let it slide. Rated out of 10 worried him though. He scored himself maybe a 6 or 7, he always thought there was a little too much Neanderthal in him. He didn't class himself as ugly, but a childhood scar ran through his left eyebrow, his nose was wider than he'd like and his close cropped hair was beginning to head backwards earlier than hoped. He was always being told his eyes were a stunning shade of blue though, that had to help.
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue (He wanted to put Yes)
Glasses/Contacts: No
Facial Hair: Full Beard
Piercings: None (Not anymore anyway)
Tattoos: 6
Facial Tattoos: None
Height: 170-180 cm (mid way)
Weight: 70-80 kg (just inside the top end)
Body type: Sporting/athletic (kind of)
Employment: Finance
Hobbies: Running, watching football, reading, socialising. (This part reminded him of his first cv...)
Favourite food: Italian
Favourite music: Rock
Favourite film: The Dark Knight
And then the last profile question...
Describe yourself in 20 words or less: Really, 20 words? That's tight. Be funny? Be sincere? Be truthful? After a long time he settled on...
Sporty but no six pack looking for significant other to wet myself laughing with. Just kidding, possibly
.
If nothing else it would start off the conversation.
He also had to provide a copy of his passport or driving license. A sensible enough check he figured for a site sending complete strangers to meet up.
But then he had to select what he was looking for.
He'd decided to leave most of the options blank, unsure whether this was bravery or stupidity. He had ruled out the smallest and largest body sizes just for personal preference, facial tattoos for the same reason and also anyone taller than him simply because he had found it hadn't worked in the past. He figured the rest he'd leave to the computer gods...
Once a connection had been found, they were only able to contact via the website and only give first names. The software blocked anything looking slightly like a number, email address or other contact details, although he thought that would seem dramatically like missing the whole point of joining a blind date site.
So, he was linked to Sara who had described herself as "Gullible, funny and silly, likes to be treated like a lady but not everywhere. ;0p". They'd message-chatted a bit and agreed to meet up in a local Spanish restaurant, both carrying the website tradition of a red carnation.
-
He took yet another sip of his drink and checked the time on his watch. 7.22. Almost half an hour late. He sighed and stood up to leave, and found himself looking straight into the eyes of one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and burst out laughing.
"Erm, laughing why?" His date asked, looking annoyed.
"Sorry," he composed himself. "I've a feeling one of us a bit happier with the blind date match than the other," he chuckled again. "You're stunning!"
He could see a blush cross over Sara's freckled cheeks through the light touch of make up, and her shoulders relaxed a little.
"Have a seat. Drink?" He offered.
"Vodka. Large. With ice." She replied while sitting, "So sorry I'm late, taxi mess up, I was half expecting you to be gone. I'm glad you're not."
A smile spread across her pretty face showing a perfect set of bright white teeth beneath her bright red lips and Travis found he was staring. She let her hazel eyes drop self-consciously and brushed her auburn locks around her ear.
"Don't worry about it," Travis said still lost in face. "But look, seriously, I'm a realist and before we start let's talk about the elephant in the room."
She looked puzzled, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
He continued. "You are way out of my league and I know I'm not what you came looking for! So how about we set about to just have a lovely night out and probably get really drunk?"
"I'm not so sure you're giving yourself enough points here really," shaking her head."But I'm certainly up for the rest."
The waiter arrived so they ordered Sara's drink, a replacement for Travis' and a collection of items from the tapas menu before Travis decided to start to try and get the evening going.
"Right then. Quick fire questions. Taking it in turn, ladies first."
"Ok, family?"
"Yes I have one."
"Funny boy! Details please."
"Mum and Dad are divorced, both remarried, Dad probably about to re-divorce. One older sister, a bit controlling, I keep expecting to see her hiding in the corner behind a newspaper, in fact is that..." Sara turned to look over her shoulder and then span back embarrassed.
"Damn. You got me."
"Yup." He laughed.
"Hey, don't be wetting yourself," Travis' turn to blush. "Anymore?"
"1 ex-wife, 7 kids."
"Truthfully this time."