No Strings

Chapter 52--The End of Blind Dates

"Sure I did--I justified it a few months ago and I didn't say you."

His face puffed up.

"I'm sorry, bad date."

"At least you've gotten better at picking them. Who suggested this guy?"

I straightened. I sipped my drink. "My boss's daughter."

"By what criteria?" Lu-yin's face focused in my vision.

"Not sure. She walked into the office and saw me during lunch looking at the personals."

"She doesn't know you?" someone asked.

I tried to flag down a waiter, but failed. He turned towards the table he was serving.

"I know--it could be her ex. Whatever, I don't care anymore. I'm going to be thirty soon. I give up."

"Sad," Lu-yin commented.

"Excuse me," I said raising my hand towards a waiter, "I would like to order."

"Yes?" the boy in his early twenties said. Lucky guy.

"I'd like the rarest steak you'll be allowed to serve, and some of those fritters." I pointed to the item on the list I identified as comfort food. "Oh and soup--clam chowder and mashed potatoes."

"Now you're exaggerating," William said.

"Yes, thanks, and a Sprite please. Thank you."

The waiter repeated my order back and said a thank you. He was still so innocent at that age. He hadn't done serious dating yet--the kind with prospects of marriage.

"Men are not that bad, you should have some confidence. You'll attract the right men then. When a man wants to prey on you, they take you when you're at your weakest. Then you get an abuser. But when you are full of confidence then they are--" Lu Yin said.

"This was a blind date. Do I need confidence to capture a woman giving out men?" I asked.

"It's not my fault. Besides, you didn't know that woman well, did you?" William asked.

"I'm sorry. Crappy day. I'll buy you a drink later. I think I still need a shrink."

William shook his head. "You're a wonderful woman... some self-esteem and confidence would help."

"Why don't you hook me up on a date then?" I asked.

He thought carefully and said, "I don't know anyone that would suit you."

Grace eyed us back and forth. She was someone I knew from the office. She had designs on William. "You know each other very well?"

I nodded. I sunk down the top most ice cube in the long and narrow glass. It looked like a Long Island tea glass. Not many of the large chunks of ice cubes were at the surface.

"We've been friends since elementary school. Reconnected in college... and then been long distance friends since."

"Long distance?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"Lost contact a few times," William supplied.

My steak arrived with the appetizer. I let the other people at the table eat one. They were done with their lunches already.

I sliced into the steak. The red juice oozed out. I bit into a piece. God, it was so good. It made me feel better. It made me think that perhaps I had hope of being normal yet.

"Why rare like that? It's disgusting."

"She only gets something that rare when she's feeling bad," William said, before I could finish chewing the piece of meat.