Author note: This is my entry for the
Literotica April Fools Story Contest 2025
.
Coincidentally, the night of my date was also exactly one year since I'd last had sex. I knew the date because it was my ex's birthday. He was who I'd had the sex with, and I'd spent the subsequent year trying to forget him.
The guy I was meeting for the first time, Henry, had picked the Rod & Perch, which used to be a run down locals' pub but had been taken over by a national chain and tarted up. It did serve food, but we were only going for drinks, and I didn't want to dress up too smartly. I'd gone for a maroon jumper dress that complemented my chestnut hair; low-cut enough to show cleavage but not so much to make it look like I was desperate. With tights and ankle boots, I thought it looked cute but still attractive.
Brianna: Here's what I'm wearing. Not sure about the gold necklace...
Mel: Gorgeous, babe. Go silver necklace x
Mel had set me up on this blind date with Henry, since he was apparently a friend of a friend. I knew almost nothing about him except that he was supposed to be both handsome and polite, which really was like the bare minimum. Would you go on a blind date with someone described as 'ugly' or 'rude'?
And anyway, I thought as I got out of the taxi outside the pub, pulling my jacket around me more tightly against the surprisingly cold westerly; it wasn't as if I was going to have sex with Henry tonight. It was a first date. Even if we were compatible, a kiss might be too much. I didn't even want to have sex; that was the reason my ex left. He said it was a lack of all kinds of intimacy and connection, but it was about sex, I knew. Sex just wasn't for me. Especially with a stranger I was meeting for the first time.
"Hello, you must be Brianna," Henry said as soon as he saw me, standing up out of his chair. He'd got a cosy table in a corner of the pub, leaving me the comfortable bench seat and taking the hard wooden chair for himself.
"Hi, Henry, of course," I said, smiling as charmingly as I could muster and shaking his hand, feeling more nervous than I'd expected.
"Do sit down. I got you a glass of wine, but if you want something else-"
"Wine's absolutely fine, thank you. Better than fine. It's what I would have chosen anyway."
"Oh, okay, good. Great."
We were both plainly a bit nervous as I folded my jacket onto the seat beside me and flicked my hair off my shoulders. Perhaps unusually, he was drinking wine too; my glass of white, covered in condensation, was untouched, but his red was half gone. I was on time, but maybe he'd been quite early. Or maybe he was a heavy drinker.
"This place has changed," I said, glancing around. "I remember when this was all dark wood and racing on the TV."
"I haven't been here before," Henry said, and the conversation lapsed. I picked up my wine and took a few big mouthfuls, partly to catch up a bit, and partly to steady my nerves. He was looking at something just above my right shoulder and I wondered if the cleavage was too much.
"So, um, I suppose I should introduce myself," he said when I put my glass back down. "I'm Henry, I'm thirty, I work in car sales, and I'm single, although I suppose that's pretty obvious." He laughed slightly. "I've never been married or anything and I live by myself near the middle of town. I do have a cat, though. Well, sort of. The cat probably belonged to the previous owner of the flat and I feed it, but I don't know if it's really mine."
As he spoke, I took in his appearance. He was wearing a shirt with an open collar and chinos, so he'd clearly made a bit of an effort. His hair was cut quite short, and you could see that he was trying to minimise the impact of a receding hairline, but I supposed that happened to most men at some point. He wasn't bad-looking but he wasn't an oil painting either, with a nice smile and kind-looking eyes, but an asymmetric nose and large ears. But I was being overly judgemental. It wasn't like I was a catwalk model myself.
"I'm not really a cat person," I said, sipping my wine again.
"Oh, are you allergic?"
I shook my head. "No, just... they don't like me."
"Ah, okay."
There was another pause. So far, no good. I jumped in.
"I'm Brianna, I'm thirty-one, I work in a cafe, and, uh, I suppose that's it. I got out of a long-term relationship about a year ago."
"Well, sorry to hear that. I mean, I'm not sorry you're here, because otherwise you wouldn't be single, but it's hard when a relationship ends." He was blustering.
"It was a year ago; I'm over it now."
"Good!"
We both drank in silence. How early was too early to leave a date that wasn't going well? I needed to at least finish my drink, so I focused on that. Even though we were supposed to be conversing, Henry seemed more content to stare into space. He even struggled to manage a smile.
"Want another?" Henry asked, picking up his empty glass.
I decided I'd give him one more drink and then make my excuses. "Alright. I don't mind getting these ones."
"No, it's okay. I've got a tab open. We can settle up later," he said, getting up.
While he was at the bar, I texted Mel.
Brianna: Not going well. Zero spark. Is it possible to have negative spark? Because this is negative spark
She was clearly waiting for me to text because she came back instantly.
Mel: Oh no! He's been hurt in the past, apparently, I thought that might be perfect for you x You're in the same boat, help each other out!
I was about to make a joke about how I was thinking of rapidly jumping overboard but Henry got back first.
"Here you go," he said, passing me the wine.
"Thanks."
And the awkward silence was back. I knew I wasn't being the best conversationalist in the world but there was so little to work with. I didn't want to talk about work; neither of us had much going on in life that was interesting; and it wasn't like he was offering sparkling topics for me to run with. There was no chemistry.
Figuring what the hell, I would never see this bloke again, I went for honesty.
"I'm not sure this is working," I said, gesturing between us.
He laughed in a relieved way but there was some bitterness there. "Me neither. Glad I'm not the only one."
"It's so weirdly tense when you're supposed to be 'on a date', isn't it?"
"Exactly. You overthink everything."
I smiled, but in an unguarded moment he let his face drop and I saw some real sadness there. Deeper than just a date that didn't work out; a man who was finding that life kept dealing him bad hands. I didn't let myself feel any guilt or pity, though. It wasn't my fault if he was having a tough time of it.
"Go on, then," he said, picking up his glass, more enthusiastic than I'd seen all night. "Tell me about the breakup. I'd love to hear a good story."
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. "There's not all that much to it."
"There must be something. Was he cheating?"