It's a rare occurrence.
If I'm honest, I'm sometimes jealous when my friends set each other up on dates because I wonder if I'm really so quirky that there is NO one that my friends know that might enjoy being out on a date with yours truly.
Yes, it's a self-centered thing to think.
But one time, in my last year of college, my friend decided that she would set me up. I hadn't been on a date in two years. I had lived abroad and so was very nervous. He had driven from out of state on Friday night and the plan was for us to go to a musical performance in Salt Lake City, about an hour drive from where we were.
I left the college football game I was attending early (which you should know was a large sacrifice as I am a die hard college football fan—thank you to my brothers for that) to go home and get ready.
He (we shall call him Will) arrived home with my roommate but as time passed, I realized that with traffic and travel time, we would not be making it to the musical performance. On top of which, we didn't really have tickets. Will was a reporter for his college newspaper and had planned to get me in on his press pass.
Instead, we took my roommate and Will's friends to the mall. I felt like I was sixteen again as we wandered around the mall and met up with other friends of my roommate and my date. Dinner was going to be at the food court.
Will did pay for dinner. But we sat at one of the long tables, and I was at the very end. My date was more interested in talking to his friends than to me. And as a naturally shy person to begin with, I was miserable because I didn't know what to ask or say.
One of the friends had brought his friend along. We'll call this new boy, Mark. Mark started actually talking to me. Asking me questions. We engaged in conversation. Will noticed this and tried to pull his attention away to our conversation, but the truth was—he wanted to be with his friends.
When everyone had finished dinner, we started to walk back to the car. Will, Mark, and myself were the last in the group. Will and Mark began discussing country dancing and Mark tried to explain a new move to Will. He then turned to me and asked if he could demonstrate with me. I gladly accepted (even though my dancing skills are nil). As soon as we were done, Will grabbed me and tried to show off a move too.
Mark and his friend had to leave, and unfortunately, I couldn't give him my phone number as I was on a date. My roommate decided that she might need a ride home, but had to run a couple of errands in the mall.
Will and I sat for another 45 minutes on one of the couches in the mall and just talked. It was forced conversation. And soon, my roommate returned to say that she didn't need a ride.
We walked to the car and Will asked what my recommendations were for how to spend the rest of the evening. My creativity is low when it comes to last minute planning. I told him that we could go bowling or to a movie. Will honestly answered that he was tired from having arrived in town at 2 AM and would we mind if we cut the date short (it was 10 PM). I certainly didn't.
He took me home, came inside, asked if he could call me when he came back into town. I smiled and nodded, though secretly wishing that he would never call (he didn't). And then laid on the couch and cried.
Dating sucked. And so I was bound and determined to never go on another date. Ever.
That had to be the low point, right?
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