A short story: 'The Next First Date'

If all went well, tonight would be yet another successful first date. Or at least to her, they felt like successes. First dates were always exciting, always tantalizing, but they all ended the same. She would never hear from them again.

She never used her real name. It added to the titillation of where the night might lead. She always made up a name when a man would strike up a conversation with her, and they always did. Nothing special. All typical. They wanted her, and she knew it. She paid a lot of money for the twists and turns of her body. Money was always tight, but the investment in herself was worth it. She could have made more money leading a pharmaceutical lab rather than being a rotating chemistry technician. But her love of travel outweighed her desire to move up the ranks.

Dating matched her personality because, after all, she was a free spirit and the thrill a first date brings.

She had some vacation time and decided to take a road trip. She’s been to all the big places—Chicago, New York City, San Francisco—so she headed east to visit the Air Force Museum in Dayton. Because that’s what tourists do, right?

Before heading south, she wanted to find a date. She wanted to know what Ohio men were like. She signed up for her go-to dating app, and in seconds she found Rex. They sent a few messages, and they agreed to meet at a restaurant halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati. She needed a place to get ready and found a hotel near the restaurant.

Tinder was her playground to find dates. She hadn’t gone on a date since she got a new phone recently and created a new account because tonight felt different. She never used the same name twice in a row. She liked her anonymity. It added to the excitement. She wanted to get to know them first, then maybe reveal her real name. Tonight, she would be Lisa.

Lisa swiped left on a lot of would-be Tinder dates. There wasn’t anything wrong with some of them. They just weren’t…the right ones.

Rex looked pretentious like a few of the guys she swiped left on, but something about his face made her swipe right. Though she wasn’t certain he would be the one, he’d be okay to be the next one. At least she would have a nice expensive dinner even if he turned out to be a pompous ass.

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