At dinner, I told Brian and Charlotte all about Connor. Well, I told them everything I could get out of him in the two hours we spoke on the phone. As we were leaving the Pie Place, which was amazing as always, Charlotte told me about an event that was about to take place in the mall. I asked, “Well….don’t keep me in suspense. What’s going to happen here?”

Charlotte tried to hold back a smile.

“What is it?!?”

“You’re favorite show in the whole wide world is doing a cross-country tour. They are here in three weeks.” She couldn’t hold it back any longer. Sometimes I hated her. Okay, not really, but you know what I mean.

I shook my head in disbelief. “What are you talking about?! Is ‘Kansas’ coming here? How did I not know about this?” Where have I been that I would miss this crucial bit of information?

“You have a lot on your mind these days.” She seriously needed to stop smiling like that. I was getting upset.

“Not so much that I would miss THAT!” I would give anything to meet the lead actor Jason Branton. I knew that he wasn’t gay, but I would still like to meet him. And who knows, maybe he was curious. The last time I saw him in the tabloids on some talk show, he was talking about some girlfriend. She was definitely one lucky bitch to have snagged Jason Branton. Now I totally hated her because she could have him and I couldn’t; but I digress.

Charlotte could barely contain herself. She so loved to make me squirm. “It’s supposed to be on August 21st. I think it is being held in Burdines’s.”

“I guess I’ll have to get that day off. I hope he comes. That would be the best thing ever!!!”

After we got home, I went into my room and turned on the computer. A few minutes go by while I waited for the computer to finish starting up. I pulled up Connor’s picture. “Hey Charlotte….I have Connor’s pic if you want to see it.”

“Give me a minute,” Charlotte said from her room.

About five minutes later, she came in with a glass of water in her hand. “I was thirsty.”

“I didn’t say anything.” But I’m sure I had my patented stare going.

“You didn’t have to say anything. You gave me a look.”

“I always give a look, that doesn’t mean I was going to say anything. You’re too paranoid,” I said.

“Whatever….is that him? Ooooo, he’s pretty!”

“I know right? And he seems nice enough. But I haven’t had any luck with online dating in the past.”

Charlotte shook her head and said, “but you go on dates all the time.”

No one seemed to get it. I guess I should educate everyone, and I would start with Charlotte. “It’s true, I go on dates all the time, but they are only ever first dates. I’ve never had a second date with any of those guys. Not one single guy has called me back for another date. We might talk a few more times, but even that ends shortly thereafter.”

Charlotte drank some water and came to sit down next to me. “I find that hard to believe. Are you telling me that you’ve never had a relationship? I mean, you’re gorgeous. Someone must have tried to scoop you up at some point.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’ve never had anyone scoop me at any point in my dating history.” It was too sad to even think about. Such a terrible time in my life.

“Did you ever think that they might not have been the right guys for you?” she asked.

I went over to the computer desk and brought up the pictures of every guy that I had gone out with over the last two years. I only started dating after I turned 21. I showed the pictures to Charlotte. There were a lot. “In the past two years, I’ve gone out with at least 20 guys. Not a single one called me back. Supposedly I’m attractive. That’s what I’ve been told at least. I’m not sure it’s true, because I am never approached at clubs or bars. People do stare at me, but I don’t know what that’s all about.”

“You’re very attractive. Why would you think that you were not?”

“I’m sorry Charlotte, but at 23 and not to have had a single relationship, ever…….”

“But you’re still young; there’s still time.” She was trying to be sweet but her kindness felt like daggers being thrown at my heart.

No one had any idea how hard this was, but I tried not to show it on my face so I told her, “Thank you Charlotte. I really appreciate you saying that to me.”

“It’s not a problem. Just you wait. This Connor guy sounds like the real deal. He could be the one.”

“You’re right, he could be.”

Charlotte left and I sat at my computer wallowing in self-pity. This depression really sucked. But she was right. Maybe Connor would go beyond date number one.

I went into the kitchen to get some water when the phone rang. I walked to it and checked the caller id. It was saying caller unknown. That could be an unlisted number or a solicitor. I took a chance and answered it. “Hello.”

“Hi, may I speak with James please?”

“This is he. May I please ask who is calling?”

“Oh hi James, it’s me, Connor.”

I dropped the phone.

“Hello, is anybody there?”

“Sorry Connor, I dropped the phone. I didn’t expect to hear from you tonight. My roomie and I were just talking about you.”

“Good things I hope.”

“Of course not, it was all bad stuff.” He laughed. “I thought you had a lot of work to do.”

“I do, or rather I did. I’ve done most of it and decided to call you back. Sorry I had to go so suddenly before.”

“I get it; you’re a busy man.”

“Yeah well, that’s no excuse. I could have finished that work at any time. I’m really calling to find out when you would like to meet up. We didn’t really iron out the details.”

I left the kitchen through the bat wing doors and headed into the living room. I kept my calendar by the front door. It was where I put all of my daily plans. Well, the plans that I couldn’t already remember. In other words, it was virtually empty. “So Friday still works for me, but maybe 7 o’clock would be better. Miami traffic is so bad on Friday nights.”

“Yeah, I can still do Friday. And, it’s only a couple of days away.”

“That’s too long. I’m not a patient person by nature,” I said.

Connor just laughed. “We’ll have to do something about that.”

We had the best time conversing on the phone. He told me that he was from Miami originally, but decided to go away for college. He attended NYU for his undergrad and then received his masters at Harvard for business. I told him my little origin story. I grew up in Houston, but after graduating, I decided to move here for my undergrad. I received a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Music.

I was so engrossed in our conversation that when I looked over at the clock, I nearly dropped the phone again. “Umm, Connor?”

“Yes James?”

“You do realize its 2:21 in the morning right?!”

“What?!? Oh my God! I have to wake up in less than four hours!”

I laughed and then yawned. “Yeah, there goes my work-out tomorrow morning. Thanks a lot Connor.”

“It’s more your fault than it is mine. If you hadn’t told me your whole life story…..”

“Now wait a second mister; that was all you. I only told you where I grew up. You were the one who talked about all of his friends from kindergarten through high school.” This man’s voice was doing amazing things to me.

“Yeah well…..alright, you win.”

“I know I do.”

“Well James, I need to get some sleep. I will call you tomorrow when I am done with work.”

I was already in my bedroom at that point, but I was still dressed. I took off my clothes and laid them beside the bed. I so didn’t feel like putting them away right then. I pulled back the covers and got into bed. “Alright, I will talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well for the next few minutes. Good night.”

“Very funny mister. Very funny. You have a good night James.” And Connor hung up the phone.

Not feeling like walking into the kitchen, I put the phone on my night stand. If Charlotte was right, and based on the great conversation we just had, Connor could be the guy I had been searching for. I would find out in a couple of days. I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

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