Speed Date

Kathy was wearing a peach colored blouse, tan slacks and heels. She sat in a smallish booth, the kind with cheap leather seats and a dim pendant light overhead. She was waiting for her next suitor to arrive. She noticed he was listening to the woman he was sitting with even though the buzzer ending the five-minute session had sounded. He was wearing a dark suit, sky blue dress shirt open at the collar.

Kathy came alone to the event. She noticed that most of the other women came with a friend or two. The man finally sat down opposite Kathy and smiled. She glanced at her scorecard. His name was Rodger. If he started their session asking the same questions all of the other men asked, she would insist on a refund. After all, the flyer promised stimulating conversation.   

She came to the speed dating event with high expectations. She knew it was foolish to be so optimistic, but she was sure it was the only way to go about such a thing. Low expectations would affect her mood and her conversation, possibly ruining her chances of meeting someone interesting. After chatting with 11 other men though, her hopes had dwindled. She was relieved Rodger was her last date.

"Kathy, I’m Rodger. I’ve been waiting all night to meet you.”

“Why?”

He smiled. “It may be one-sided, but I feel there’s an irresistible, even exciting chemistry between us.” It isn’t just that you’re pretty. You have a certain look about you, mysterious maybe.”

Kathy smiled, wondering if this smooth talker said the same thing to the other women he met. “I’m curious, Rodger, when you sat down with the woman before me, what was the first thing you said to her?”

“I said, I can’t wait to meet the woman in the next booth.”

They laughed. At least this guy was funny. The first man she met was wearing eyeglasses with one temple piece missing. The other one was held together with dirty, white adhesive tape. Another guy pulled out his cell phone and showed her several photos of his baseball card collection. Number five made a point of asking if she liked to drink. He said, “a few stiff drinks are the best way in the world to unwind.” It seemed to Kathy that none of the men gave the event much thought. Whether they believed their looks, or perhaps their bank accounts, would be more than enough to satisfy a seemingly lonely woman, she couldn’t say.

A server with a tray of wine-filled glasses stopped by to replace their empty ones. Kathy took a sip of hers. “Are you mysterious?” He asked.

“I can be, I suppose. I think most women try to be in some way.”

“I got here early and saw you walk in. You came alone. Most of the other women came with a friend.”

“That makes me mysterious?”

"I have no idea what makes you mysterious. But what impresses me about you is that you don’t seem the least bit intimidated by the speed dating thing. I think almost everyone else here, including the men, are nervous.”

Kathy fiddled with her fresh water pearl and black onyx bracelet. “You don’t look nervous.”

“That’s because I speed date every night.”

Again, she laughed. Who was this guy? He was nothing like the other men she met. Not eager to impress by mentioning the kind of car he drove, or what he did for a living. The other men were all about deals they were making. One guy named dropped his five minutes away starting with the Governor and ending with Pope Francis. When the buzzer went off signaling the end of the round, he stood, pulled out his phone and said, “Another text from the Lieutenant Governor.”

“Every other guy I’ve met tonight started off by asking me where I’m from and what I do. You didn’t do that, why?”

“I like being mysterious too,” he said. “Seriously, if we decide we want to know more about each other, there’s plenty of time for that sort of thing. We’re all from somewhere and we’re all working or looking for work. I want to know if you’re bright, friendly, generous. Do you trust people?”

“How can you tell all that in five minutes?”

“Actually, I would be happy if I had a good handle on just one of those things.”

“Which one, if any, have you learned about me so far?” Kathy asked.

Rodger drained his glass. “Not bad,” He said. “Do me a favor. Write down your Social Security Number on my napkin here. We’ll play a little game.”

Kathy looked at Rodger, staring in disbelief. Another strike out. And he seemed so promising. She leaned back. “No thanks.”

Rodger grinned. “I can answer your question now. You’re bright and you don’t trust people.”

Catching on now, she asked, “And if I agreed to give you my social security number, what would that tell you?”

“You’re friendly and very generous,” he said. “By the way, what have you learned about me?” The buzzer sounded. Their session was over.  

Kathy smiled. “You’re funny, possibly crazy and certainly a con man.”

“Does that mean you’ll put a yes for me on your scorecard?”

“I will if you give me your American Express card number.”

Rodger nodded approvingly. “Nothing beats chemistry.”