Me
Looks like you haven’t found the right competition. We can have dinner at a local steakhouse, then go to the fair, and you could beat me at games, since you ALWAYS win.
I enjoyed how we could joke back and forth, and I was hoping she liked my idea and didn’t think it was totally childish.
Serenity
I love the fair!
I let out a sigh of relief. Now I had to win her the biggest stuffed animal.
Me
Then we have a plan. I’ll pick you up at six on Saturday but let me know if anything changes.
She replied with a thumbs up and a heart.
As I started on my to-do list, my thoughts circled back to the possibility of letting myself get close to a woman again.
Ever since I lost the last important pieces of my soul a few years ago, I haven't allowed myself to get close to anyone—especially women.I knew I wanted to one day, but meeting Serenity had fast-tracked the decision. She has brought some light into my life when I spent so much time in the dark. Even the small interactions I’ve had with her have sparked joy in my day, so I vowed to pursue her the right way, the way my grandpa courted my Gram.
Gram always told stories about how romantic andpersistentmy grandpa was when they first met. He took an immediate liking to Gram, but she wasn’t as quickly convinced. He asked her out in different ways—grand gestures, notes, even serenading—but Gram didn’t say yes to a date until he started to give up. He had finally had enough and gave up asking, and the next day Gram approached him in the courtyard and said, “I’ll say yes if you ask today,” and he stood up on the table in the middle of the courtyard and asked her out right then and there. They spent every day together from that moment until the day he died.
Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to grow up with a male role model, the stories Gram told me about grandpa taught me how to be the man I wanted to be. Those two never stopped dating, talking, telling each other how much they love and appreciate one another every day—even on hard days. I believed I was that type of man in my relationship with my first and onlylove, Avery, and that’s probably why I’ve stayed single for so long—giving that much love and then losing it was a different kind of pain. I couldn’t help but be wary of loving someone so hard again. However, Serenity had ignited my readiness to at least try.
I went for a casual yet classy outfit for the evening because that’s how Gram described how grandpa dressed when they went out. I wore a fitted black short-sleeved polo, tan chino shorts sitting snug above my knee, white Vans, and my grandpa's watch that made me feel like this date was something worthwhile.
Once I was showered, shaved, and dressed, I found Gio to get his opinion since he was way more into putting perfect outfits together. “Hey, man, can you come out here really quick?” I shouted as I knocked on his door.
“What’s up, man?” he responded as he opened the door.
“In all honesty, do I look like I can sweep a woman off her feet who I won’t see again for almost a month, or do I look like a douche?”
He laughed. “Is there a third option?”
“Seriously. I want to impress her, but I don’t know what women even like anymore.”
“You look good for a first date. You’re showing you work out but aren’t bragging too hard about it.” He laughed. “It’s also simple and doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard—even though we both know you are.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Anytime.” He winked at me and closed his door.
I stopped at the local floral shop called Bloom Maven to get flowers on my way to her place. I knew I only had one chance to make an impression that would hopefully last until I returned. As I pulled up to park on the curb in front of her place, my palms were clammy. I walked up to her front gate, which was situated farther away from her front door, and rang the gate buzzer. The gate buzzed, letting me into the corridor that led to the front door. There was a walkway with plants on both sides, leading to the door.
Serenity opened the door right as I approached. I was at a loss for words at her beauty. She dressed casually in a burgundy-colored tank top, cut-off jean shorts, and matching burgundy Vans. Her hair was half pinned up with a clip, while the rest of her wavy locks flowed freely. She wasn't wearing makeup the first two times I saw her, but I noticed she had lipstick in the same shade as her shirt and shoes.
“Wow, you’re gorgeous,” I finally mumbled. I watched her cheeks flush as she tucked her hair behind her ear, and her lips lifted slightly in a shy smile. I handed her a bouquet of yellow tulips wrapped in parchment and tied off with a ribbon.
“These are beautiful, thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”
A laugh burst from my chest. “My roommate said I looked like I wasn’t trying too hard. Was he wrong?”
She giggled in response and said, “To be fair, you could have worn a garbage bag, and I’d still be excited to go out with you tonight.”Damn, she was so much better at flirting than me.
“I’m saving that outfit for the second date,” I said with a smirk. “Should we get the show on the road then?”
“Let me go put these flowers in a vase, and then I’ll be ready.” She practically beamed. “But just know my best friend has multiple ways of tracking me, so no funny business.”
