A Second Glance [Completed]

The Bar

Small? Probably. Fat? Most likely. Lives with his mom? Most definitely. Leah could tell from his "I only show half my face to make me appear mysterious" pictures that this guy wasn't even going to be Mr Right Now never mind Mr Right and she held no expectations. Her love/sex life now apparently revolved around Tinder and aside from the odd second date It was fair to say things were going pretty disastrous. Fvcking Tinder.

She sat in her car with the radio playing on low and heating on full blast waiting for him to text to say he had arrived. How Pen had ever convinced her to even join Tinder escaped her. Pen had met her long-term partner on some other dating site and has since made it a habit of pushing all the other sad singletons in that direction. Guess it was nice of her, that's Pen for you. She had met Pen a few years back at a networking lunch she attended for work.

"Hiya I'm Penny," smiled Pen as she held out her hand and introduced herself to Leah.

"Penny?" Leah had questioned wondering if she had somehow time warped back to the 1930's.

Yep," Pen replied. "You can imagine how fun school was for me. You can call me Pen or P for short, only person who actually calls me Penny is my mom." Leah recalled not knowing which nickname was worse P or Pen but she quickly settled on Pen.

Leahs phone vibrated and a text flashed across the screen

Guy6 from Tinder: I'm here where you at? I'm by the bar in a grey top.

She quickly checked the mirror, reapplied her lipstick then rearranged her hair before walking into the bar. Her eyes darted around the room trying to secure the target, she found him and made her way over. She wore a baggy off the shoulder dress with black ankle boots. He noticed her approach and his eyes widened as he saw how the dress was clinging to her curves with each stride. She definitely knew how to leave something to the imagination.

"Hello," she said boldly walking towards him. He wore a grey long sleeved oversized t-shirt with blue jeans and white trainers. He had short back and sides with a curly high top with a little too much gel. He had a slightly big nose and kind eyes. Not bad, she thought.

"You alright babe?" he replied leaning in to kiss her on her cheek. Leah obliged before responding, "Yeah not too bad thanks, freezing out there isn't it,"

"Yeah," he replied. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds anticipating the conversation would flow and then their eyes shifted to their surroundings when it became apparent that that wasn't going to happen.

"Are you guys being served?" asked the bar tender, interrupting their silence.

"Ermm no," squeaked Leah, she cleared her throat, "I'll have a white wine spritzer please,"

"And I'll have a diet coke," her date added.

They continued in silence until the bartender brought their drinks over and placed them on the overly polished but under cleaned and slightly sticky bar.

"So," pressed Leah deciding to take it back to basics "what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a data analyst," he smiled, happy the way a dog is when its owner arrives home after a long day at work. Leah was starting to realise this guy had zero conversation skills and unwilling to put forth the extra effort herself she quickly started to plan an exit route. Her mind wondered to all the train wreck dates she had found herself on recently. The leach who practically ordered the entire menu then asked her to pay, the loser who continually called himself ugly and fished for compliments the entire date and her all-time favourite, the lawyer who took her to a fancy restaurant then sent her unrequested d!ck pics every day for the next 7 days. No words. Just the picture.

It was all good and well trying to move on from Jacob but 21st century dating was exhausting and Leah was very close to allowing her mom to set her up with some random. The technique had worked for centuries before and she was beginning to wonder why it became so outdated.

"Leah," guy6 from Tinder broke Leahs concentration. "I'm going to have to go my mom's locked out and I've got the key." Leah blinked. She couldn't feign any dissatisfaction at his impending exit and she was most certainly not going to offer to go with him or even worse try and convince him to come back.

"Ah that's a shame we'll have to catch up another time, "she responded uninterestingly.

"Yes, definitely I'd love to see you again," his eyes widened. But you never will thought Leah. He kissed her on the cheek then grabbed his jacket and left. She decided to stay to finish her wine spritzer to end the worlds shortest date with the worlds most uninteresting man.

"Wow that was painful to watch," said the bar tender leaning over to collect the half drank glass of diet coke. Leah smelt his subtle but powerful aftershave and it awoke her from her self-pity.

"Didn't realise we had an audience,'"

"yep, Ryan is always watching,"

"did you just talk about yourself in the third person?" questioned Leah in jest.

Ryan dropped his head slightly in embarrassment and then laughed "yes I did but it didn't sound so rubbish in my head. Right I'm Ryan and your name is?" he asked reaching out his hand,

"Leah," she stretched her hand towards him expecting a handshake but he grabbed it and kissed it instead. Tingles ran all the way through her body. She took a quick moment to look at Ryan as he lifted his head up from kissing her hand. He wore a navy shirt covering his broad shoulders with the top few buttons undone, his sleeves were rolled up halfway exposing a large white gold watch on his wrist above his large thick fingered hands. He had dark hair and dark eyes to match with plump lips. How had she not noticed him up until now? Her stomach fluttered as she felt the shyness covering over her like a veil.

"Aren't you a bit old to be a bartender?" she asked. What a question idiot now he's going to think you're shallow she thought mentally kicking herself.

He laughed unoffended, "Well Leah would it helped if I owned the place?"

She stared at him willing him to answer his own question. He started back at her hypnotizing her with his dark eyes

"I own it with my brother," he continued. "Now it's my turn to ask a question,"

"yeah?" she waited.

"What's somebody like you doing in a place like this?" Silence for a second and then they both burst into laughter. Their eyes locked as she picked up the spritzer to take a sip. Hmm she thought, guess this evening hasn't been so bad after all...