I should cancel. But an hour before the date is a bitchy move. I can't. I have to get up.
My legs were weak. My stomach growling. Did I even bother to eat anything today?
This Mystery Man was destructive in every aspect of my life. My first true taste of a drug, and I couldn't seem to put it down.
No, fuck him.
I had wished for an actual date for months, staring at myself in the mirror one last time. It doesn't matter who bought it. Jason will love it. Not thinking, I pulled the panties back up and ran to find matching heels and a granola bar. Then, I dug through my mother's purses to find something cute and sophisticated. That didn't exist, but this one will do, a small clutch.
The Maps App told me I had 20 minutes. Just long enough to give myself a pep talk before I arrived at the restaurant.
Eva, you are smart, funny, and, at least today, cute. Don't be weird. If you don't know what to say, just smile and giggle. Lizzy's advice has saved her more than once.
Every few minutes, I received a notification that distracted me from my already discombobulated speech. For the first time, I hated the display on my car.
Mystery Man, Mystery Man, Mystery Man
You will not look at...
A much more personal notification started buzzing under my dress.
"No, no, no." I didn't change my underwear. Was I so distracted that I didn't notice the wet mess of cloth that now rode up every nook and cranny of me?
Luckily, a stop sign was up ahead. I pulled the panties back down, enough that I would at least make it to the restaurant in one piece. The date hadn't even started, and he was third-wheeling me nonstop.
I parked at what looked like a bar. Could this be right? He said it was the perfect place for me earlier. Also, how old is he? Did I ever ask?
Again, the panties started barking at me. This isn't going to work. Just be smart and always cross your legs. It would have been nice if the dress was longer.
When I slid them down, they got caught on my heel. Not thinking, I put my leg up in the air, and as it always happens, three knocks hit my driver's window. I immediately made eye contact with Jason, but his eyes were not on mine. He was looking at a girl with her legs wide open, panties coming off, and a full view of almost every secret I had.
My life was over. I threw my leg back down and pulled my dress over me, but the damage was done. I could not get out of the car, and I definitely would not look back up at him.
I wasn't breathing. Time was moving so slowly. Was I trying to kill myself? Maybe that was the only way out now.
There was another knock on the window. "Hey, sorry about that. Do you need some space for a minute?" Taking it upon himself to back up a few feet without a response from me.
This couldn't get any worse. Laying my head against the wheel and honking the horn.
"Fuck me!" I abruptly sat straight up and opened the car door. I stepped out, underwear still attached to my foot. Pulled so hard they tore and threw them back into the car. I had snapped. Nothing could be done. We would climb our way up from this rock bottom.
He didn't even know what to do, making an awkward hand gesture similar to a wave in my direction. "So... I shouldn't have surprised you like that. My bad. Great view though."
"Poorly timed wardrobe malfunctions, what can you do? I'm fine now, thanks." Somehow, I forced a smile out.
"It's all good, nothing I haven't seen before." He laughed it off. "You do look... stunning though in that dress." His eyes canvassed every inch of me. It made me feel better, and at least he's interested.
"Let's go in and get a drink. This will be a cute story between us by the end of the night, " he said, putting his arm out for me to grab and leading me inside.
We walked into a much nicer interior with a hidden-away speakeasy vibe. The tables had fun, private foldup walls around them. He had done better than the book's cover first indicated. One problem. I realized when we were waiting in line to be seated that they were checking ID's.
"Jason, you know I'm not 21, right?" I knew he was older than me, but I was not sure beyond that. "How old are you?"
"I'm 23." He chuckled. "And I know. You told me you just graduated."
Did I tell him that? When?
"Remember, I know the guys here. They'll let us in."
Do I remember? Did I black out at some point in the last 24 hours?
He approached the hostess, and they traded pleasantries. I didn't like the looks she gave him, but they were better than the looks she gave me as we walked by.
"How do you know her?" Curious if I just met an ex.
"I knew her in college. We hung out a few times." He took my hand, led me back to the furthest corner table, and sat me down. "What do you want me to get you? You seem like a fruity drink girl."
"Oh... um yeah. I'm not sure. That sounds good."
He winked at me with a smile and walked over to the bar. He knew her in college? As in, he's 23 and no longer in college. As if I wasn't intimidated enough going on this date already. Why was he even talking to me? That girl was gorgeous.
Before I could panic too much, Jason came back with the drinks. "I think you'll like this one." Another one of his perfect smiles plastered across his face.
"Hey, you forgot these." A man brings two shots to our table and walks away, closing the sliding wall behind him.
"You looked like you needed a little liquid courage. Been white as a ghost since the parking lot. Which, again, only made you seem cooler."
My eyes sunk to the tiny glass, something amber filling it. Maybe he was right. I needed to chill out.
"Bottoms up!" He picked up his shot and touched it to mine. His vanished in a blink. Mine, a slow and painful multiple sips, not burning but incinerating my throat on the way down.
He couldn't help but laugh. "Slow down, party animal." He slid my other drink towards me. "At least this one you are supposed to sip on."
My hundred-pound body surviving on a granola bar did not know what was about to hit it. Halfway through my drink, I had hit high levels of tipsy already.
