SWIPE LEFT

I arrived at Starbucks early, ordered a drink, and sat down to wait. I positioned myself with a view of the door and got a little catch in my breath every time it opened. I always felt nervous about meeting someone new, and today was not any different; the jumping beans were having a rave in my intestines. Finally, I saw him come thru the door, and I held up my hand and waved him over to my table.

Right away, I liked his smile. It made his whole face light up and gave me warm fuzzies. He stood a few inches taller than me and his stocky build made me think that he must have played football in high school. He held out his hand when he stood in front of the table.

“Hi! I’m Lance. You must be Selina. You’re even prettier in person.”

I stood up and took his outstretched hand. “Thank you, Lance. You sure know how to flatter a gal.”

He winked at me. “It’s easy when it’s true.” He pointed in the direction of the coffee counter. “I’m going to get something to drink. Would you like anything?”

I blushed at his compliment. “I have one already, so no thank you.”

“Pastry? Cookie? My treat.” He waited for my response.

“Okay, twist my arm. I suppose I could eat a chocolate chip cookie.”

He nodded his head. “Done. I will return.” I sat down to wait. He came back to the table carrying two small plates stacked on top of each other and a steaming mug of coffee. He set the coffee down first, then handed me the top plate. The cookie covered it completely.

“Geez, it looks like the Jolly Green Giant was on baking duty this morning,” I chuckled.

He laughed. “I guess it does.”

“I’m just thinking about the size of the cookies my mom used to bake. These are like three or four of those put together. Hilarious!”

We chatted for about an hour, just getting to know each other. I had to go pick up one of my kids from preschool, or I would have stayed longer.

“I would like to see you again,” he said.

I smiled at him. “I would like that a lot.”

“I know you have to go now, but can I text you later about getting together?”

“Yes, that sounds good to me.”

“Excellent!” He laughed. “I will talk to you later, then.” He stood up and gave me a hug.

As I left, I felt good about our short date. He seemed funny and genuine, and I was looking forward to seeing him again.