Kimberly
Never in my entire lifetime would I have expected someone as handsome and charming as David Strowman to be interested in me. If someone had suggested that, I would have laughed them off or cursed them for their sick little joke. Yet there the proof lay in my read text messages, a simple request to meet him for lunch. It wasn’t much, but part of me felt like David wasn’t the type to ask girls out. That hadn’t been his vibe at the club, at the very least. The first thing I did when the day of the date arrived was call Tiffany in a panic. She had ten times more experience than I did with dating, so I was hoping she’d have some sort of tips or advice or… wisdom to impart upon me.
“Tiff here. What’s up, girl?” she asked casually over the phone, and I tried to swallow the squeal that burbled up in my throat. I had so much to tell my best friend, but I wanted to do at least the majority of it in person.
“I have a date, and I was hoping you could come help me pick out an outfit… give me some tips… you know, the usual girl stuff,” I stammered out, curling my hair around my fingers as I spoke. Tiffany paused for a moment before loudly gasping, and I fought the desire to smile.
“A date?! You have a date? About time, girlfriend. You’ve been moping over that jackass, Chad, for far too long. I’ll be there in about thirty, alright? Is it casual or more of a formal date?” she asked hurriedly, and I could hear her fumbling around to get ready. I chuckled, shaking my head. In spite of how silly she could be, I was sure I would never be able to find another friend as sweet and caring as Tiffany Rodriguez.
“I think casual. Do you have some cute earrings or something I could borrow? I don’t really have any jewelry, and I want to make a really good impression. Not exactly a first impression, but still important,” I rambled, and she cleared her throat curiously. I could almost envision her tilting her head, looking much like a confused little puppy.
“If this isn’t a first impression, then who is this guy? Do I know him? I swear to God, if you tell me you’re actually going out with Chad—” she ranted, and I was swift to cut her off.
“No, no. Actually… it’s the really hot guy I went home with from the Red Room. Would you believe the luck that I actually met him again? And good news — he’s a doctor,” I said, realizing I was gushing but not caring enough to stop myself.
“A doctor, huh? Then this requires the big guns. I’ll bring my pearl earring and necklace set. They’re pink pearls, so they’re not necessarily as formal as wearing your fancy schmancy white pearls,” Tiffany said in a rush. I could hear her opening and closing her front door. I swallowed a squeal of glee, unable to believe my good fortune. It was still sinking in that I had actually met the strange man—David–again. It was almost as if we were fated to come together again. I had stopped believing in fate some time ago, when Chad had ruined the idea of love, romance, and even soulmates for me. I knew I might be moving a bit fast, but something about David was different. Something about him made my heart ache, but in a good way.
I didn’t realize Tiffany was hanging up until she stopped speaking, and I felt embarrassed to have tuned her out for the previous five minutes. Hopefully, she didn’t blame me too terribly — I was excited, after all. I sat on my sofa, patting my hands on my thighs in a random rhythm to pass the time until Tiffany made it here. I was sure I’d lose my mind waiting, but the woman must have gone at least thirty over the speed limit, because five minutes later, I heard a knock at my door. I rushed to answer it, grinning at the blonde as she hurried inside my apartment.
“Okay, girl. We have got to make you look good — not just good, fan-fucking-tastic,” she grinned, following me to my bedroom where I had a few potential outfits laid out. She considered them for several moments, tapping her finger to her chin with a soft sigh. “Do you have a sundress? Maybe in some kind of pastel?” she asked, moving to rummage through my closet. I hesitated, not really sure what kinds of dresses were contained within. I had a bad habit of buying clothes and then never wearing them, never even taking the tags off.
“Maybe…?” I answered, and Tiffany giggled in response.
“You don’t know? Girl, I know every article of clothing in my closet, even if I haven’t worn it in over a year. I still have my bridesmaid’s dress from Veronica Bauer’s wedding—remember?” she hummed, sorting through my clothes. I grimaced, remembering the tacky green dresses we’d been forced to wear for our fellow teacher’s wedding. Veronica Bauer did very little beyond working, so when she’d needed to find a set of bridesmaids, she’d turned to us.
“God, I wish I could forget,” I muttered, leaning back on my elbows as she continued to rummage through my closet.
“Aha! I knew you’d have something that fit the bill,” she announced, pulling a mint green sundress out of the closet with a cheeky grin. Truth be told, I couldn’t even remember buying it, but I did have a bit of a shopping problem.
“Will the green go alright with the pink pearls?” I asked nervously, moving to put the dress on.
“They’re both pale colors, and pink and green is like… a classic combo. It’ll be fine, girl. Don’t worry.”
I considered myself in the mirror for a long moment, twisting the pearls around my fingers as I tried to decide if I looked suitable for my date. I looked… acceptable. Perhaps even better than acceptable. I actually looked pretty good — aside from the whole desaturated watermelon look. I glanced at Tiffany, who clapped her hands eagerly together as she eyed my outfit with a precision that I could only expect from her.
“You’re gonna knock his socks off, honey,” she crooned, absolutely beaming at me. “Hell, you’ll knock the socks off of every man in the place. Maybe some women, too,” she continued, adjusting my dress straps a bit before taking a step back.
“Don’t be silly, Tiff. I’m only out to impress one guy, tonight,” I giggled, feeling a bit self-conscious. I could only pray David would find me as attractive as my friend seemed to, but there was nothing to do but bite the bullet and make my way to the cafe. I walked alongside Tiff to the door of my apartment, allowing her to step out before turning to lock the door behind me. I inhaled a steadying breath, allowing myself a final hopeful stare at my friend. “You really think I look that good?” I asked with a faint grin. She chuckled, fanning herself as if dealing with a sudden gust of heat.
“You’re absolutely smoking, babe. Now, go knock him dead,” she grinned, reaching out to adjust my hair a bit before walking me to my car. “Call me with all of the dirty details, alright? I expect to hear that my girl got some, with as much effort as we put into this outfit,” she grinned, waving a bit as I shifted into the driver’s seat of my car. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, whispering a quiet prayer that things went as well as planned — or maybe even better. Then, shifting into gear, I began the tortuous trip to the cafe where David and I were planning to meet. I was going to be early, of course, but that was nothing new. It would give me time to touch up my makeup and make sure I was poised just so in the dining chair. As I drove, I continued to self-consciously check my reflection out of fear that a renegade pimple might mysteriously pop up. Upon finally pulling into the parking lot, I glanced at the mirror a final time before getting out of the car and brushing myself off. I’d expected the cafe to be busy, but not as busy as it actually was. Fortunately, there was an outdoor table available, and it was a lovely day, so I was swift to snatch it up.
Settling into the cool metal chair, I crossed my legs primly as I waited for the waiter or waitress to appear with a menu. Of course, it would be more prudent to wait for David before ordering anything, but I thought I could get us started with some beers at least. I looked at the drink menu that was already placed on the table, humming under my breath as I looked over my options. When someone approached the table in my peripheral vision, I was startled, but I figured it was just David arriving early. I was much less pleased to see my ex looming over the table, his hands shoved into his pockets. He smiled at me when I noticed him, and I felt my good mood begin to diminish almost immediately.
“Kimmy, baby! It’s been too long,” he announced, leaning in to embrace me. I stiffened, leaning as far away from him as I could without falling out of my seat. He tilted his head, chuckling under his breath as he took a step back. “Come on, baby. Don’t be that way. I’ve been meaning to call you, you know. I’ve evaluated my life, and you know, maybe kids aren’t the best choice for me. And when I realized that, I knew I had to find you. I mean, what better than a broke pussy to call home when you’re not looking for a family life?” he crooned, reaching down to grip my chin in his hand. I couldn’t help but stare at him with how outlandishly rude he was being. Tears pricked my eyes as I began to notice other people in the area watching the exchange.
“I’m done with you, Chad. I’m not broken, and I don’t need you to convince me of such ever again,” I said coolly. He raised a brow, looking as if he didn’t quite believe me. After a moment, he chuckled, throwing his head back as if I’d told the most hilarious joke in the world.
“You think anyone besides me is going to want you? Come on, baby. I knew you were delusional, but this brings it to a whole new level,” he said with a toothy grin. I felt my eyes begin to water more, hating myself over the effect he still had on me. I wasn’t some wimp for him to just throw around, was I? I mean, there was a chance David would be interested. “Come on, baby. Come fuck around for a while,” he leered. Before I could answer, I was vaguely aware of another figure in my peripheral vision. I didn’t even have time to process that thought before a fist collided with the side of Chad’s face, sending him sprawling across the floor. I looked up, my heart pounding at the sight of David with bloody knuckles and a bouquet of a dozen red roses. I was vaguely aware that there was a bit of a fuss going on all around us, but I couldn’t think beyond how handsome David looked in the smart suit he was wearing.
“Hey. You want to get out of here? It’s a bit… noisy,” David said quietly, looking a bit chagrined at the attention we were receiving. I smiled, taking him by the hand and rising from my seat.
“Sure. Why not?”