Owen: Florida
Poppy: I bet you’re glad to escape the snow then. I’m jealous.
Owen: Don’t be. I’d rather be where you are.
That’s a weird statement. He couldn’t have meant he’d rather bewith me. He probably means that he’d rather stay in Bozeman. His profile shows he lives within a certain distance, so he must be near here.
Poppy: Well, we’re even then, because I’d choose the heat.
Owen: If you prefer the heat so much, do you think you’ll ever move somewhere warmer?
Poppy: Funny, I was just thinking about that today. I would love to, but I don’t think I could leave my family.
Owen: Didn’t you say your best friend moved? What about where she is?
Wow. It’s incredible how he remembers things we talk about. He really does pay attention, which shows he cares about this. He couldn’tbeany more perfect, unless he needs some major dental work or something. Shoot, they should put that question in the profiles. ‘Do you have all your teeth and are they healthy?’ Or maybe, ‘On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your teeth?’
Poppy: She’s in San Diego, and that’s where I was thinking about. But it was just a fleeting thought, nothing serious.
Owen: It’s a nice place. Sun, salt, and sand. Is there anything better?
Poppy: Normally, people from Montana don’t feel that way. I take it you’ve been?
Owen: Plenty of times. It’s great.
Poppy: What about you? Would you ever move?
Owen: Well, I wouldn’t choose Florida, I can tell you that. I hate the humidity. As for moving? Only time will tell, I guess.
Just then, a notification pops up. ‘Congratulations! You and your match now qualify to level up. Your account will allow for numbers in the text and attachment capability with a qualifying membership. Upon payment, this match will be unlocked. Should you choose to forgo themembership, you are welcome to continue chatting at no additional charge. Happy dating!’
What the heck? I didn’t know you had to sign up for a membership. This is total crap.
Owen: You saw the notification?
Poppy: Yeah. What do you think?
Owen: I think I like talking to you.
Poppy: What does that mean? Do you want to exchange pictures? Or we could just pick a place to meet. Then it won’t be flagged, and we could skip the membership. I didn’t know about that.
Owen: I didn’t either, but maybe it’s a sign we should leave things as is. I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other on a deeper level, and that might not have happened in person. What if we keep it like this for another week and reevaluate?
To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement of huge proportions. What if he’s hesitating because he’s four hundred pounds and can’t get up? But then again, maybe he’s right, and we’re feeling this waybecauseof this process.
Ugh. This sucks. I’m not sure if I should force the issue or give in and wait. The thing is, I can’t move forward with Braden until I’ve let this go, and a few more days won’t make a difference. I also don’t want to push Owen away by putting my foot down since I like him so much.
Poppy: We can do that. But after the week, I’d like to take the next step if we want to keepdating;)
Owen: Deal.
Sleep after our conversation was fitful at best, and this morning at work is about the worst Monday imaginable. The inner turmoil over this new thing with Braden, while letting things play out with Owen, is weighing on my mind.
When Matt walks into my office, he stops dead in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?”
“Huh?” I glance up to gauge his meaning.
