“Ooooh, you’re going to get so many ladies,” Paige declares.
“Yeah,” I hesitantly reply. “I’m actually a little worried about that.”
“Why’s that, sweety?” Mom asks.
“I’m afraid it’s going to get me the wrong kind of attention from girls who only want me because I’m in the magazine,” I explain. “Not because they actually like me.”
“That can’t be true!” Paige protests. “You’re a great guy, Zan.”
“Sure, that might be true, but it doesn’t matter. The only women that seem to hang around us are puck bunnies or gold-diggers, and I’m not interested in playing the field with any of them anymore.”
Especially since seeing how happy my friends are with the solid, loving relationships they’ve found.
I’ve tried to date over the years. Met girls I thought were nice and sweet, only to find out they were only interested in me because of my profession. I even had one girl ask me if she thought a gangbang with other members of the team was possible.
I deleted her number right that fucking moment.
The closest I came to anything real was when I was hanging out with Skyler. She was the first girl in a long time who seemed to like me for more than my skills on the ice. Though things didn’t work out in the end, admittedly for the best, I got a taste of what it could be like to be with someone… real.
I can’t go back.
“Why don’t you have your sisters introduce you to some nice girls,” Mom suggests. “I’m sure they have some single friends who’d be perfect for you.”
I sigh and shake my head. “That’s a nice idea, Mom, but it’s hard when people already know who I am. It’s a lot harder to find a girl who wants me for me because I can’t be, I don’t know… anonymous.”
There’s a moment of thoughtful silence - at least on the part of Mom and Paige - before my sister lets out a squeak of realization.
“Oh, I know what you should do!” Paige declares. “You should try Cloak.”
“What the hell is that?”
“Language, Zander,” Mom chides me.
“Sorry, Mom,” I mumble.
Paige chuckles. “Okay, so remember my friend Bethany who just got a divorce? Well, she found this app and has been bragging all about it and how great it is, and oh my gosh it would be perfect for you! It’s all about making anonymous connections and getting to know each other and stuff like that!”
She’s talking a mile a minute, but I manage to catch what she’s saying. “Really?”
“Yep,” she says. “It’d be a way for you to meet someone without having to wonder if they have ulterior motives to be with you.”
“Huh… ” I mutter. “Thanks, Paige. I’ll give it a try.”
“You can thank me when you meet the love of your life,” she teases.
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “I’ll do that.”
At that moment, the Uber comes to a stop outside of my building.
“I gotta go,” I tell Mom and Paige. “I’ll talk to you both later, okay?”
“Okay,” Mom replies. “Love you.”
“Love you, Zan,” Paige says.
“Love you, too. Good night.”
I hang up the call, thank my driver, and get out of the car to hurry to the front of my building. Making my way inside my apartment, I immediately head past the open kitchen and living room, down the hall, and to my room. I take a quick shower, then climb into bed. I can’t get Paige’s suggestion out of my head, so I grab my phone in order to check out the app.
