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“How can you say there isn’t a romantic element to what you do? It’s all very mysterious, which makes it sexy, which makes it romantic, don’t you think?”
“That’s a reach, but sure. Whatever you say, me lurking in a corner and feeding the drunken groom his dinner toast is romantic.” I roll my eyes. “Okay.”
Decker leans against the bar, cocktail glass in his hand, studying me. “Are you not a romantic, Miriam?”
“Of course, I’m a romantic.”
“But you have no interest in helping me.” His brows are raised and I notice one of them has a small scar through it.
I wonder how it got there but don’t ask.
“Pardon me for saying so, but you hardly seem like the kind of gentleman that needs help from someone like me.”
“Based on what?”
His appearance. The sound of his voice.
I shrug. “You don’t seem to lack confidence, why don’t you go out and meet someone?”
He hesitates. “As I explained on the phone, I work a lot and typically spent a lot of time in the office so I didn’t have the ti—”
I cut him off with a laugh. “You’re going to sit there and tell me you don’t have the time and don’t leave the office? Then why on earth would I want to help you find a girlfriend when you don’t have time for one?” I sip from my glass. “That’s horrible. I would never set someone up like that; for a relationship you have no time for.”
“Are you going to let me finish?”
I huff, a puff of air coming out my nose. “Fine. Finish.”
“I typically spent a lot of time at work. I don’t anymore. And it feels like I was underwater and finally came up for air and now I’m looking around,” Decker looks around. “With no idea where to go from here. I have no idea how to go about it.”
“Most people start with the dating apps.”
Jeez, does this guy know nothing?
“I did that.”
“That’s a good thing.” I pause. “And?”
“And… it’s not great.”
“What do you mean, it’s not great?”
“I don’t know half of what anything means. LTR? FWB? What even is that?”
Blankly I stare, not sure if he’s being serious or not. “LTR,” I repeat. “Means long term relationship. FWB means friends with benefits.”
I assumed most people knew this but Decker’s eyes grow wide, mouth opening. Closing.
“Oh… okay, that makes sense.” He reaches up and scratches his head, then uses those same fingers to readjust the smart red bow-tie beneath his chin. Seems to loosen it a tad. “I had a few theories about what those meant and neither of those were on the list.”
“You could have googled it on the internet.” I laugh.
His face blanches humorously as if looking the acronyms online had never occurred to him and I laugh again, damn near spitting the wine out of my mouth.
He looks so goofy I soften.
“Would you mind showing me your dating profile? Not because I want to help you—I’m suddenly curious.”
I might not be on dating apps but I know how important they are in attracting the right people—or, rather, the kind of people you want to attract.
