First comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes a-
Unfortunately, life is not a checklist, and there's no white picket fences and baby carriages. After a failed long and stable relationship, Arryn Rivera tries her hand at online dating and gets mo...
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Things were looking up. Arryn's editor liked the articles she'd submitted so far. If readers left positive comments, the Lovin' the D column would be hers. He'd said as much. With it came a big raise and a secure future. Barring a scandal snorting coke at a Chuck E Cheese, she'd have the by-line for eternity.
She opened eDen and read over her latest selections, then listed them by their monikers. Urban Singing Cowboy, Skygirl, Homeboy, Chef's Kiss, and Medicine Man. Each profile offered information that caught her eye.
She put The Chosen Five on her calendar. First up, Cowboy. He had written, I'm a hopeless romantic and an old school gentleman when it comes to women. I love movies and music. Sounded nice, but how often did those old school gentlemen turn out to be incels in her past? Still, she would give it a shot. If anything, it'd help her article along.
In his last message, he'd suggested the location for their date, which was fine by her. This was an opportunity to try new places, and just because there'd been no connection with Magic Man or Starlight, Cowboy couldn't be any worse.
In choosing the five, she'd used the elimination process of her compatibility rules. Some might judge the approach cold and calculating, but that's not the way she saw it. The list served as a reminder. Some women flew by the seats of their pants, but if they were serious about finding true love, and not just a good time, priorities needed to be in place.
Pushing the laptop aside, she went to the closet to choose an outfit. He'd asked to meet at one of the newest country bars in town, Save a Horse. The rest of the lyric, ride a cowboy, made her stomach clench. She hoped it wasn't a subliminal message. She didn't have western boots but had a pair of knee-high black suede with some studs around the top. They'd work.
She'd studied each bio and prepared conversation. This was a mission, and to make it a success, she needed to prepare like a soldier. In college, she recalled reading The Principles of War. She didn't remember all nine points, but four came to mind.
Objective. Direct your operation toward a clear, decisive, and attainable objective. She had defined it, now needed to attain it.
Surprise. Strike in a manner for which the enemy is unprepared. This is where planning ahead came in handy. Study their interests and have plenty of knowledge concerning each one. She could stroke an ego with the best of them.
Security. Never let the opponent gain the upper hand. She'd heard a joke a long time ago which proved to be true. During a date, the woman was the only one who knew if sex would happen. A definite advantage for her dates with guys, at least.
Simplicity. Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding. Without sounding needy or desperate, she'd find out each of their timetables for the future.
A wide smile spread. If she had fatigues and combat boots, wardrobe selection would be solved.
By the time Arryn got to the bar, trucks and a few cars packed the parking lot. She circled around a second time before she found a space barely big enough to fit Shania. The name made her smile. When she turned sixteen, and Papi helped her purchase a used car, it'd been a club much like this one. She and her two friends had christened the Taurus by Yennefer puking in the back seat while belting out the lyrics of Man! I Feel Like A Woman, and insisting they name the car after the singer.
