The One she didn't see coming

I had swiped right on this guy, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember why. I stared at this egotistical face that hadn’t noticed I hadn’t said a word in around thirty minutes. He was holding his old fashioned, which should have been my first clue, and finally looked at me.

“You are really interesting.” He said, with no hint of sarcasm. I took a drink of my water, which I had been grasping onto as a way to tether myself to this world so I didn’t daydream away.

I looked around quickly for an escape, and laughed, “yes I guess I am.”

He continued his soliloquy, and I was vaguely remembering Hamlet and his brush with life and death. As I finished my water I became frantic with how I was going to get rid of this man. This man can’t seem to take a hint. I started drumming my fingers on the table and still scanning the restaurant for an excuse to leave. I almost didn’t notice the man walking up to the table.

“Honey, what are you doing here?” He asked me, completely seriously. He looked at me like he was cross and distraught. My head swiveled around to stare at him in confusion. My date had finally stopped talking.

The mystery man looked at my date and stated, “She’s married, I’m sure she didn’t tell you that.” The look on my face must have contorted to even more confusion.

However, my date took that as a sign this mystery man was telling the truth. As my date got up and muttered something like, “she wasn’t even that great” I let out a long breath. As if that man actually knew anything about me. My date had left but was replaced with this man. He sat down and stared directly at me.

“Honey, I am so upset you would do this. We have kids, we have been married for over twenty-five years. My best friend found your tinder account.” He crossed his arms and had a mischievous look on his face. I smiled for the first time that night. I made eye contact with my “husband”.

“I am so sorry. I was feeling to understood and listened to, I had to try the dating pool to understand what my friends at the country club were complaining about.” I dramatically put my head into my hands. “You just understand and respect me so much. I couldn’t take it.” I fake sobbed into my hands. The man reached his hand across the table and took my hand in his. He hesitated as if worried I would be afraid of the contact. I reached my hand to his as a sign of contentment with the interaction.

“I’m Tone, I had seen you across the room, looking like a deer in the headlights. I had to save you.” His smile was blinding, and his dark opal eyes glistened. He had some wrinkles, around his lips and eyes, like he was permanently amused.

Our hands were still embracing as I stared at the intertwined fingers, “well, thank you. That man was intolerable. He ordered me a salad, and then only talked about himself. I think I know more about that man than I know about myself.” I was clutching the glass of ice in my free hand. I noticed that Tone was smiling as he grabbed the other hand. His hands were soft, with some colossus. He must have used his hands in his work. Something about him felt familiar, yet he was so new.

He sighed, “well at least that date is over, would you like to try another one?” He asked. His smile was slightly crooked, and he was gently holding my hands in his one hand. His hands were so big. He was in a polo and jeans. He looked like he couldn’t be much older than me. I looked at him and just shook my head. “Only if you promise to only talk about yourself the whole time.”

He laughed, “Oh no, I am far too interested in how a woman like you ends up on a dating app.” It was my turn to laugh, I felt myself blush. “My name is Eva,” I said sheepishly.

He cocked his head to the side, “can I order us something, and I can ask you more questions?” I nodded, “okay that sounds nice to me.” He signaled to the waiter and whispered something to the man. Within moments the waiter was back with a bottle of wine.

“I love a good merlot,” Tone said to me and raised his glass to mine. I went to clink his glass and said, “to great wine and to an even better company.” The satisfaction of the clinking glasses of merlot rang in the new date.