This wasn't a good idea.
Norman tried not to fidget as he studied the advertisement for WΓΌsthof knives, wishing he had one about now.
I shouldn't have let him talk me into this.
His already sweaty palms exuded more moisture and the cooking magazine nearly slipped out of his grasp. He was glad he was alone. It would have been embarrassing to have other people watching while he had a nervous breakdown in the reception area of the "It's Just Sex" dating service. He should have made Adam come with him. After all, it was his best friend that had suggested the visit and it should be his best friend holding his hand while he waited.
The double-glazed glass window moved aside and a busty young woman smiled at him. "Norman Glazer?"
"Y-Yes." He arose with a stammer, dumping half-a-dozen magazines from his lap, then awkwardly stumbling about, gathering them up and replacing them on the table.
"Ms. Harris is ready to see you."
The fight or flee instinct warred in Norman's body and he fought the urge to race out of the door and forget that this had ever happened. However, he drew his thin body up straight and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks."
Norman grasped the golden doorknob and stepped through into Ms. Harris' spacious office. Sexual prints of each gender and every position hung in dark wood frames and Norman slowly made his way to her desk, ignoring her completely.
Jesus!
He thought, examining one picture.
I didn't know you could do that ...
"Mr. Glazer?"
Norman trained his eyes on Ms. Harris, an attractive older woman who was immaculately coiffed and dressed in a cleavage-revealing suit dress. She gave him a knowing smile, looking up at the print he'd been closely inspecting, then politely extended her hand. "I'm Sonia Harris. Won't you sit down?"
Norman sat down after taking her hand and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. He noticed that she wiped her hand on her dress and cursed his nervousness. He plucked at an invisible piece of lint on his pants leg while Harris observed him.
"So what brings you here, Mr. Glazer?"
He cleared his throat, daring to look up at her. "I'm a virgin."
"At the age of thirty-two?" She laid the manila folder down with his personal information and smiled broadly at him. "How very refreshing!"
"You're the only woman I've ever found who thinks it's
refreshing
." He spat, his anger overpowering his unease. "Women I've been with hear that and I'm suddenly accorded leper status."
"That's too bad, Mr. Glazer. I think you've been hanging around the wrong women." She sat back in her chair, absentmindedly chewing on the end of a pencil. "Well, you know that we're a dating service and that we solve problems."