BRODERICK: Holy shit, me too! If we decide we want to meet in person, this makes things a lot easier.
JEANNIE: To be honest, I’m not sure how this is supposed to work. I understand that the concept is to get to know each other before we decide to meet, but I’ve never been on any kind of dating app before.
BRODERICK: Me either. I figured I’d give it a try since I’m in a new city and will be busy with work starting in a few weeks. Plus, the anonymity was interesting to me. No photos. No details other than age and state we live in. Most of my past relationships have been one-night stands, if I’m honest.
JEANNIE: That’s kind of the opposite of me—I’ve never had a one-night stand.
BRODERICK: Nothing wrong with that. I’ve just been sowing oats, I guess.
JEANNIE: And now you’re ready for something more?
BRODERICK: With the right woman, I think so. I’ve been working on myself this summer. Seeing a therapist.
JEANNIE: Can I be honest with you?
BRODERICK: Sure.
JEANNIE: I’m kind of nerdy. And most guys are turned off by it.
Chapter
Five
Bodi
Nerdy.
That could be a red flag, but I promised myself—and my therapist—I would make small changes. Like not just going for one-night stands. I don’t have to get serious with anyone but I need to give someone a chance. Maybe lots of someones. That’s why I chose the Blind Love dating app. My therapist, Tiff, is the one who recommended it. Her husband plays in the NHL too, and she came highly recommended, so I trust her advice.
BRODERICK: Nerdy how?
JEANNIE: I like books. A lot. I’m always reading. Writing. Journaling. Studying. I’m probably too introverted for my own good.
BRODERICK: Introverted is okay as long as you’re willing to get out sometimes too. Let your hair down once in a while, so to speak.
JEANNIE: That’s my plan. I’m trying to figure out who I am as an adult. I’m graduating in nine months, thinking about the future. Trying new things.
That sounds familiar.
BRODERICK: Same.
JEANNIE: Did you find it intimidating? Getting out in the real world after college or whatever?
BRODERICK: So, I guess that’s something we can talk about. I never went to college because when I was eighteen, my parents and younger sister were in a fatal car accident. We lost our parents, and my sister was seriously injured. I had to forget about college and get a job right away so she wouldn’t be put in foster care. There was no one else to take care of her.
JEANNIE: Oh no. I’m so sorry. That had to be really hard.
BRODERICK: It was. In some ways, it still is. My sister and I had a huge argument three months ago and she told me the only way we could work things out was if I promised to go to therapy this summer. Turns out, I channeled my grief into overprotectiveness, to the point my sister wouldn’t talk to me. I mean, she’s an adult, twenty-three—I had no business forbidding her from dating one of my friends. It was kind of a dick move, and I realize it now.
JEANNIE: That’s awesome that you’re taking responsibility for your actions, though. Is she still dating your friend?
BRODERICK: Yup. They’re living together and probably going to get engaged soon. I think he’s too old for her, but my opinion doesn’t count. The only thing that matters is that she’s happy, and she is.
JEANNIE: And you’re getting help you didn’t know you needed. How does it feel?
BRODERICK: To be honest, sometimes it feels shitty. Like, how did I not see how overprotective I was? She’s a grown woman, going to school and working full-time. I had no business giving her shit.
JEANNIE: How old is her boyfriend?
