D is for Digital Dating

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Today, I am posting a response to a Writer's Digest Promptly prompt. I changed a few things, but kept the essence of the prompt in my response.

You venture into the world of online dating. Browsing through profiles, you drop your coffee mug and it shatters on the ground—it can’t be.       

My feet are dragging and it took me quite a while to get this ready to be read.  My ideas came to me with no problem, typing them down proved much harder. Since I clutch to third-person POV all the time, I decided to try first-person this time. A journal entry made the process much easier for me. I'm still a bit hesitant and a little afraid to post, but this IS a challenge.  One thing I am excited about: the Mac MS Office font transferred!  So, the response looks like a real journal entry.  Enjoy!  


5 June 2010

      A month ago, I posted a profile on Heart2Heart, an Internet dating site, producing 0 dates.  The one message I never expected to get, ever, just appeared in my inbox.  I’m hyperventilating.  Sundays=Relaxation, not nervous breakdowns. When I saw his picture, I dropped my favorite polka dotted mug on the floor, spilling hot coffee all over my feet. A bad omen?  
Charlie Bauer wants to take ME out next weekend. He’s visiting Philly on business. Damn, he still looks good after all these years. 
The last time I saw him was during the summer after college graduation. His hair’s grayed a bit, giving him that sexy distinguished look. God, his smile and blue eyes still make my knees weak.
All through high school I couldn’t get him off my mind. Every time I saw him, he would tell me stories making me laugh. Apparently, his marriage fell apart. The divorce finalized last year. I’m only 24.  I don’t even know if I could date an older man, let alone my best friend’s father. 
Christ! What would Beth say? Maybe I shouldn’t go on the date. On the other hand, the date could end up a disaster. Should I call her? We could always keep things casual. That way she never finds out. I don’t know what to do!     

Comments

KM Nalle said…
OH, I love the twist about Charlie being her best friend's dad. Great piece of flash fiction.
April 5, 2011 at 8:22 PM
Anonymous said…
Skillfully done. Perfect twist. It surprised me!
Ann Carbine Best’s Long Journey Home
April 5, 2011 at 9:53 PM
Samantha Vérant said…
Yikes! The best friend's Dad? Holy guacamole!
April 6, 2011 at 2:09 AM
Will Burke said…
I was a surprised with the gradual reveal, well done! So much potential conflict built into this, it would be easy to draw into a larger work.
April 6, 2011 at 7:02 AM
Author Joshua Hoyt said…
Well done and very good twist at the end.
April 6, 2011 at 9:19 AM
Erin Kane Spock said…
You got a complete background in with very few words. I love the unexpected ending.
April 9, 2011 at 4:44 PM
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