"Is this as awkward for you, as it is for me?"
I hope that by shooting the elephant in the room, we'd have a little space to breathe. Horton's internet dating stories never mentioned uncomfortable moments like this. They always started with him being a douche, doing something stupid, and fucking an overweight chick with big knockers. I shoot a glance at Tammy Sue's pretty blue eyes and slender runner's legs, and wonder if awkwardness is my punishment for having standards. This point in my life is no time for standards. In the wake of my first and only loving relationship, I should be sticking my key in every possible lock. Who cares what door it opens?
I spend the next four seconds reviewing the past two hours:
Two hours ago I woke up unusually early for a Sunday, and rushed out the door for my first online date. The throbbing hangover in my head made me question if "watching the 1pm Bills game" as a first date was a good idea. The throbbing moved from my head down to my half erect cock as I take a look at the bra and panties pic she sent me Saturday evening. Why is it, that the pounding of one's heart beat feels so good in the phallus, but so bad in the neocortex?
Back to the present. More than fours seconds have elapsed since I spoke, and she finally has the courtesy to respond,
"Uhhh, yeah, this is kinda awkward, haha."
Wiser words never uttered.
The pounding is now in my heart as I realize there is no easy escape. I hate awkward moments. I just drove an hour south of my home in Buffalo to pick her up from her small bumblefuck town where "there's more cows than people." I am growing irritated that everyone from Cheyenne County loves to say that phrase, as if "more cows than people" something to be proud of. I hate country girls. In New York City I could make up an emergency, hail her a cab, and retreat to the comfortable solitude of my bachelor apartment. Right now, the only escape will involve another awkward, silent, hour-long drive back to Tammy Sue's cowtown, which seems far more nauseating than sitting on the couch with her. The things single people do for sex. I flash through my mind the mistakes I could have corrected to have stayed happily not single. I miss Carly. Let me stop thinking now. Thinking too much is dangerous.
Last night, setting up this date seemed like a great idea. Being newly single, I jumped on the opportunity to meet up with a blonde cutie from the internet. We started messaging early last week. Within a few days we were texting and exchanging photos. She seemed very gregarious via electronic communication. Last night, without any request from me, she sent me black and white photo of her posing in a dark lacy bra and matching silk panties. My appetite was whet. She asked me to reciprocate. I responded with "Why don't we meet up tomorrow and you can take a picture yourself?" I become aggressive when aroused. I went to bed last night with a stiff erection and the thought of what an outgoing nymphomaniac she must be to send an unsolicited underwear picture.
In person she was anything but. I parked outside her house around 12pm and called her cell phone to announce my arrival. All I heard in response was verbal static.
"What?" I said.
"...." she mumbled again.
"Huh?"
"I said, I'll be right out!" She finally squeaked.
I made a note to to get the volume of my phone fixed. Once in the car, I observed that my phone wasn't the problem. Tammy Sue spoke in an inaudible whisper reminiscent of the new girl in kindergarten introducing herself to the class. I wasn't expecting to deal with an auditory issue. My only concern before the date, was in the visuals. At least that wasn't an issue. Tammy Sue had bright blue eyes and fair blonde hair that were not apparent in her muted online photos. She wore a pink spaghetti strap tank top under a hooded sweatshirt that was just tight enough to show her hour glass figure. Her ratty white-washed jeans over flip flop sandals fit in perfectly with the country girl stereotype I had already conjured in my head. Now only if she could talk...
Being extremely quiet myself, I'm not used to interacting with other shy people. The entire car ride's conversation consisted of me making comments and laughing at my own jokes while all she did was smile and look down. Not fair! I'm supposed the be the quiet one. By the time we reached my rented house in north Buffalo, I was seething at Tammy Sue for forcing me to carry the conversation. Carly would always pick up my slack with her hyper-social nature. Tammy Sue was giving me more work to do. Two introverts can't be expected to have a comfortable first date.
At this moment, these two introverts are sitting on my couch in silence. I've already forgotten our last conversation thread. Kelley Sue sits silently in my periphery. She seems content to stay speechless for the next fifteen minutes too. I'm starting to panic. In uncomfortable times like this, one must seek the counsel of wiser minds. What would an extrovert do? As the Bills game goes to commercial, I offer to get Tammy Sue a glass of water and go to the kitchen to text Horton for advice.
Nick Horton is the archetypical social butterfly frat boy. He gets too drunk, has sex he doesn't remember, then brags about it to his social circle, family, and just about anyone else who will listen. I text him,
"Awkward online date. Help!"
I consider adding, "You can swap out with me if you want, she has big tits." He loves going on dates like this. I'm sure his are more fun. I certainly don't want to be here anymore. Why did I put myself in this situation? Maybe Horton is the reason that I feel this pressure to seek sex through uncomfortable dating experiences. Your friends set a point of reference for all of your accomplishments. The only reason I feel financially secure at this point in my life, is that I earn more money than my friends. Is the only reason I feel lonely, that my friends have more sex than me? I'm twenty-two years old, I should be fucking someone. Right?
Why do we fuck? My left brain's collection of science facts reminds me we have these little slave drivers in our cells called "genes." These microscopic, selfish fuckers are the underlying reason for all our animal behaviors such as eating, drinking, and fucking. If it wasn't for my selfish genes trying to duplicate, I'd be able spend my Sunday watching football, curled up in ball, wallowing over my failed relationship. Yes, that's what I'd rather be doing right now.
I take a deep breath into my belly and notice that I'm in the kitchen. It's the first time in two months that I've acknowledge our linoleum floors. For this thin slice of time, I forget all the looming social pressures: to have sex so I can look cool, to look cool so I can impress this strange girl in my living room, and to impress this girl so that we can have sex. I like these linoleum floors. They are easy to clean and feel silky through the thin dress socks that my feet are in. I think of Tammy Sue's bare feet on my living room carpet. Two hours ago, Tammy Sue first stepped those slender feet into my car. I immediately found it odd that a girl who didn't paint her toenails would wear flip flops to a first date. My negative internal dialogue entered to explain to me that a girl who doesn't care about the presentation of her feet on a first date, clearly doesn't give a shit about the guy. Hence, there was no way I was going to see this girl again and get laid. Fuck you internal dialogue.
The throbbing of my heartbeat which had found a home in my chest, now moves slowly down my abs to where my belly is breathing. I feel calmer. Dr. Neal says that high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood is correlated with anxiety. If you breathe with your chest, carbon D sits in your lower lungs and keeps circulating. Exhaling fully with your abs forces the stale air out and reduces anxiety. I make a mental note to try to always breathe like this.
My science daydream is distracted by the rustle of Tammy Sue adjusting herself in the sun-spotted living room. From the kitchen, I can see the afternoon sunlight sneak through the venetian blinds and pepper Tammy Sue's summer-tanned skin. I take a side step so she can't see me indulging in her visual. The light looks warm as it kisses the contours of her female figure. The outside plane of her left tit is keeping unusually round shape for being braless in a spaghetti strap tank top. She must have just taken off her hoodie when my back was turned. Yes it is hot, isn't it? Afternoon shadows synthesize in the crevices of her left earlobe and neck. I want to kiss it. And lick it. And bite it. From my rear view of her from the kitchen, she is a glowing silhouette sitting on my sofa. My cock glows with a rush of hot blood. He knows what to do. The wisest mind was in my jeans this whole time.
I enter the living room like I'm splitting labia. I totally forgot about the water. She doesn't notice. I guess she isn't really thirsty. She licks her lips anyway. I plant myself next to her and slide my hand behind her head to put my arm around her, while also catching some blonde locks in my hand comb. She is warm. I want to touch it. I mean, her. I want to touch her.