#StoodUP

"I can't wait to finally meet you in person," I said while trying to make my cutest but also most seductive smile while simultaneously holding my phone in the most flattering angle. I didn't need Chris thinking my nose was any bigger than it actually was.

The pandemic has been terrible for my dating life, not that it was amazing to begin with, but that's not the point. And it really hasn't been all bad, I've learned so many new Tinder pick-up lines that I could scare away at least half the girls living in New Orleans. What a delightful skill.

I swear I've messaged, Snapped, and swiped through half the guys in the city, and some of them were okay. The relationships just fizzled out like most dating apps: a couple of sexy texts and a dick pick later and we're done. I had my fun with some of the guys, don't get me wrong, but none of them were anywhere near Chris's level of hotness and absolute perfection.

Chris smiled in that effortless way that he does. Gah! He's so perfect. "I can't wait to meet you too." I watched as he laid back onto his bed and put one arm behind his head. When he stretched his head back I could see the defined lines of his jaw and the curves of his muscled shoulders.

"I've got the perfect date planned," I burst out, "We'll start with a picnic on Lark Overlook, watch the sunset, and, well, see where it goes from there." I was so glad that my lighting was dim, otherwise, I'm sure he would see the bright red blush that was spreading across my freckled face.

"That sounds great, what time are we meeting again?" Chris asked with another little stretch that made me swoon to the moon and back.

"7:30 on top of the lookout?" I said with a little toss of my hair so that he could get a better view of the new bra I had bought for the occasion. FaceTime sucks because you can't tell where a person's eyes are actually looking, but the angle I used placed the girls front and center. No way he missed that.

"Cool, I guess I'll meet you there and we can," he paused for what I am sure was dramatic effect, "see where this goes." He smiled again and I bit my lower lip.

"I can't wait. See you tomorrow, goodnight." I swallowed.

"Goodnight, gorgeous," Chris whispered as he left the call.

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and put the phone down. Besides the random booty calls, I hadn't gone on an actual date since I broke up with my college boyfriend almost 3 years ago. Needless to say, I was nervous as hell.

In any case, I knew I needed to get some beauty sleep. After all, if tomorrow night went as planned, I won't be getting much sleep at all. If you know what I mean.

So, I quickly wiped the makeup off my face, pulled on my comfiest sweats, and snuggled underneath the covers. Despite the tingly feelings of complete and total excitement, I was able to fall asleep almost instantly.

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I'd like to say that my day flew by quickly, but alas, it didn't. My boss was kind of a nightmare. Like, the nightmare that's so unorganized that she narrowly misses deadlines and hands me assignments hours before they're due.

Luckily I'm an efficient writer, so when she hands me a pile of topics I can whip through them no problem. On an average day when my mind was not absolute nervous mush, it would've been fine. But on a day when I was planning on sneaking out half an hour early, it was rubbish.

Why she had to pick today to "forget" that we had a new product launch that required a dozen social media posts and an in-depth meeting about our angle is still beyond me. Instead of my plan to leave at 4:30, I got out at exactly 5:17.

I'm not bitter, you're bitter.

I had most of the groceries ready to go, but I had to skip the trip to my favorite specialty wine store so that I could change and redo my makeup. I desperately needed to wash the scent of stress and irritation off my skin. Plus, I was certain I had a bottle of something in the cabinet, but now I had to worry that Chris wouldn't like the bottle of something.

By the time I got home, it was already after 6:00, which meant I had 30 minutes to get back out the door. That wasn't a problem, I'd gotten ready in much less time. So, I quickly touched up my makeup, put on my best bright red lipstick, pulled on my cute navy polka-dot dress, and ran into the kitchen to gather the picnic supplies.

I already had the charcuterie packed up and everything I needed for the picnic was neatly placed in the basket. As I was pulling on my white flats I remembered that I needed to grab the wine, so I dashed over to the liquor cabinet and scanned through the cheap vodka and tequila before landing on my last bottle of wine. I quickly glanced at the label and noticed that it was a Merlot. It wasn't my favorite, but a room temperature red was better than a room temperature white.

Lark Overlook was only a 15 minute walk from my apartment, so I still got to my favorite spot in time to set up the most cliche picnic ever. After I had laid down my red checkered picnic blanket, artfully arranged the charcuterie board, and placed the wine glasses carefully against the picnic basket, I sat down to admire the views.

The view of the city from Lark was like a hidden treasure. Not very many people knew about it, and even fewer thought it was worth it to make the hike because it's on the opposite side of town from all the nightlife. But maybe that's why I liked it.

I glanced at my phone and it was 7:20. He should be here any minute. I sat in silence and listened carefully for any sign of a car parking or footsteps along the trail.

5 minutes passed. Chris must not be the type of person who shows up early. But that's fine, I could vibe with that.

Then 10 minutes. I guess he is the "I will arrive right on time" kind of person. No problem with that.

20 minutes. Fashionably late, he must have got caught up with work or something.

45 minutes. Maybe he got lost? I sent him a text just asking him if he was on his way, but hadn't gotten a reply.

Now that it was 8:30, the sun started to fall lower in the sky. I'd been trying to push that sinking feeling out of my chest, but I finally let it take over. Chris stood me up.

I wish I could say that I was surprised, but this was how my dates usually ended up going. I sighed and grabbed the bottle of wine and some cheese. No way was I going to let this spread go to waste.

As I uncorked the bottle of Merlot, the rich, fruity aroma took over my senses. I tipped the bottle and the dark red liquid filled my glass. I'm not a wine connoisseur by any means, but the soft, velvety taste was a familiar comfort. Maybe Merlot wasn't my favorite wine of all time, but it sure hit the spot tonight.

Just as the sun was getting ready to disappear over the horizon, the sound of crunching leaves jerked my attention. It sounded like someone was running, maybe Chris was coming after all! As the sound got closer, whatever was making the noise zipped through the trees and started sprinting towards me.

I could tell you instantly that it wasn't human, and coyote immediately crossed my mind. My heart rate picked up and I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. But before I had time to do anything else, the yellow lab was at my picnic blanket and wagging its tail in my direction.

I burst out laughing and my heart rate started to return to normal. She was round but had one of those "I will love you forever" types of dog faces.

She immediately came up to me and demanded pets and attention, which I happily supplied being the dog lover that I am. Wondering if she was lost, I looked around for her owner. It wasn't common to have dogs wandering around the trail alone and with no collar, she must have escaped from somewhere.

While I was busy scanning the tree line, the dog took the opportunity to dive into my picnic spread. She took a huge bit of cheese and crackers and dipped her long tongue into my wine glass before I had time to stop her.

But I couldn't be mad. Her owner was nowhere in sight, and at least I finally had some company. When the dog realized I wasn't going to get upset with her, she plopped down next to me and I gave her some more snacks.

Together, the two of us watched the sun set over the city in a brilliant display of reds, oranges, pinks, and purples. Even if my date had been a bust, the sunset was still beautiful.

As the sun disappeared, the dog's ears perked up and she turned her head towards the trail. I could vaguely hear someone yelling, maybe it was the dog's owner? The dog started wagging her tail and let out a mightly bark, and a man came running up the trail and towards our picnic.

"Maggie! Thank goodness, I was getting so worried," when he noticed me, he immediately began rapid-fire apologies. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! We were walking and Maggie slipped out of her collar. I hope she didn't make a mess or ruin your picnic."

"Not at all," I replied, "I was supposed to meet someone here but he never showed. Maggie was just the company I needed, " I paused, "my name's Vanessa, and you are?" I smiled.

I finally got a good look at Maggie's owner. He was tall and had a lean yet muscular build. He had smooth, dark skin and curly dark hair. But what was most stunning were his eyes. They were hazel, which I have to admit were my favorite eye color.

"James, we just moved into that apartment building that's not far from here. Do you know it?" He asked.

"I live there! No way," I trailed off and got an idea. It was a long shot, but I had worked so hard to make this picnic happen, "Maggie has already made herself at home, do you, um, want to finish out the picnic with us? We could walk home together after."

He gave me a curious look, but didn't hesitate to say, "Yeah, if Maggie likes you I might as well hang around." I grabbed the extra wine glass and poured him some red and handed it to him. As I was reaching into the picnic basket to grab the rest of the snacks, I noticed a notification light up on my phone. It was Chris.

My heart raced as I opened the message. I was hoping for some dire circumstance and perfectly sound reasoning for him to have stood me up like this. But nope, no apology, no excuse, just:

Hey sexy. Netflix and chill?

I hadn't heard that pickup line in ages, you'd think he'd come up with something more creative. But it wasn't over. An image started to load, and there it was. A classic dick pic.

I glanced over at James who had sat down on the picnic blanket. He was rubbing Maggie's belly and looking up at the night sky. I don't know if I believe in fate or anything, but I decided to take the chance.

After blocking Chris's number and turning my phone off, I turned back towards my new company and took a sip of wine. I guess this hasn't been the worst first date after all.

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Thanks for reading!