by Xyla Turner
“Yeah, why?” I asked.
“You’re shitting me!” His eyes grew as his voice went up an octave. “Okay, do you have a minute? I need to tell you about what I’m doing. Shit, you didn’t even get your drink yet. Hey, I’m right over here.” He waved me towards the counter. “Go handle that and if you have a minute, meet me over there.”
Roger’s hand was pointing to the vacant space with a laptop and white papers surrounding the area.
“Yeah, okay. Give me a few minutes.” I nodded and made my way to the counter. The woman that had passed me earlier had moved down the line, waiting for her order but her eyes were on me. Taking a second look at her and I mentally shook my head. She wasn’t what I was looking for. I really hadn’t defined what I was looking for but I knew that it’d be a waste to engage and not be able to fully take off.
That was another thing I had little time for. Pointless encounters and one-night stands. In my younger hay day, sure. Nowadays, that was not me. I smiled at her and shook my head. One shoulder lifted as she nodded then her eyes focused on her incoming drink.
“Can I take your order?” The young man asked the screen and not me.
“Can I get a medium chai tea and a lightly toasted Cinnamon bun?” My hand reached in my back pocket to retrieve my recently light-weight wallet.
He gave me my total, in which I gave him cash and deposited the change in the tip jar. The woman was gone by the time I reached the receiving bar, which was fine by me. Persistent women, as of late, were also a major turn off. I was an athlete and a professional one at that, so I understood what it meant to not take no for an answer. However, sometimes, no I’m not interested or I won’t marry you should be enough.
Once I had my tea in one hand, the bun in the other, I met up with Roger in his designated area.
“So, before we get into this, I must ask. Are you even interested in meeting someone?” He asked me.
“Roger,” I sighed and held up my hand. “We’ve known each other awhile. So if your propositioning me or something, then no. I’m not interested.”
The man, to my dismay, propped his glasses up further on his nose and with his eyes wide and mouth in an ‘O’ shape, asked, “You’re not even remotely interested in me?”
My head jerked back as I exclaimed, “Hell no!”
His face cracked and then all of his short teeth and pink gums were visible with a laugh.
“Man, I’m just fucking with you. That’s funny as hell. I don’t swing that way so I’m going to pretend to be hurt that you don’t even find me attractive.” His head tilted down to view his computer. “This, is what I wanted to show you.”
He swiveled the laptop around and my upper body moved forward to see the smaller print on the screen with a familiar logo.
“Le One,” I read aloud.
“Yup,” he said with a bright smile.
The logo was a familiar but simple play on the two letter, L and E and the number 1. The number was between both of the letters.
“It means, The One,” Roger explained. “It’s mine.”
My head nodded in acknowledgment but I still wasn’t certain of the significance.
“I’ve seen the logo around,” I admitted.
“Yeah, I hope so. We’re doing pretty well, as a matter of fact.” He told me.
“Sooo, what is it?”
Roger laughed out loud again, with his teeth on display. He always had an infection laugh.
“It’s a dating service.” Both of his hands held out on the side of him, as if it was obvious to me that I should have known that.
“I see.” That was the only thing I could think to say.
Roger must have picked up on my lack of enthusiasm for such a service because he said, “No, it’s not your typical sort of dating service or online dating. It’s actually a combination of both. You know how your friend is always saying they can hook you up because they know you better than you know you?”
The man was nearly bouncing in the chair with excitement. His face and hand were animatedly moving around as he tried to explain. Maybe I was sacked a few too many times because I was not understanding.
“No, none of my friends do this,” I informed him.
“Well, normal people. Their friends do this and most of the time, it’s true. So my service is for friends of the client to fill out the questionnaire after they have completed the application. This is simply to signal that they are on board with everything but it is their friends who select the actual candidates. Cole, it was an ingenious idea and it has actually garnered many long-term relationships and marriages in just a few short years. We’re making a lot of traction and I’ve had to create a base, buy new servers and open satellite offices in major cities. Only because the applicants get interviewed and so does their friends. It’s a process but it’s really working.” Roger reiterated.
My head nodded as I thought about how genius that actually was. Unfortunately, nobody knew me enough to know what I’d want in a mate but it was smart.
“Brilliant,” I said. “I’m happy for you man.”
“Yeah, thanks. Appreciate that.” He nodded his head. “Now, would you be willing to try it? I’ll make room for you as early as tomorrow.”
My head was already shaking when he started that last sentence.
“Oh no, I don’t really do that?” My head was still shaking with the upturn of my lips. “Not my thing.”
“Cole!” Roger exhaled as if he were talking to a child. “Man, just try it. What’s the worst that can happen. Shit, the first one is on me. You fill out the application and I’ll fill out your questionnaire. Once they pick the top three, you go out with them and if that doesn’t work. That’s it. You pay nothing. You won’t have to do anything but fill out an app and go on three dates. I swear.”
It sounded simple enough but if I learned anything after signing contracts on where I’d be for the three to seven years of my life. Endorsements deals that required I wear their brand and their brand only for up to the requirement months or years or drink certain products in public. I knew for a fact that there was a catch.
“It ain’t that simple, now tell me what you have in mind.” My eyes squinted so he knew that I meant business.
“Well, first of all. To show that you, Cole Magon, had successfully used the program would send everything through the roof. You still look good and shit, every woman will think an athlete is using the system.” He shrugged.
“What if I don’t want that?” I asked because I did not want any of that.
Being in the limelight for using a dating service was just as bad as being the spokesperson for the insurance company. It bled of desperation and I wasn’t desperate. It felt like it, the fact that I was considering it but I wasn’t.
“That would be fine, however, I’d urge you to reconsider. If you found love using Le One, at least after two or three years, if you’re still with Le One, saying something then would be still great.” His eyebrows were attempting to reach his nonexistent hairline. “Right?”
“Right,” I agreed. “Two to three years would be the longest relationship I’d ever been in. I’ll sign to that.”
“Holy shit.” Roger suddenly jumped up out of his chair. “Sorry, I get excited sometimes. My wife hates that.”
“I can see,” I laughed at the man.
“Great, let me tell you some more and we’ll start tomorrow.” Roger sat back down in his chair like a human.
“Okay, here goes nothing,” I said before my hand raised my tea up to my lips and took a sip.
The worst-case scenario was that I would have three horrible dates and the best case. Well, I decided not to think about that. There was no point in setting myself up for failure again.
Chapter 2: Meet Cute
Just like a businessman, Roger had spoken of all the high points about Le One. It sounded like a no brainer but I still had my reservations.
His office was on the east side of our town, closer to L.A. which meant he was
aiming for a higher class of clientele. These included the business men and women, Hollywood’s elite, writers, actors, and the world of show business. Even if his aim wasn’t to target them, anyone who met here knew who lived around the area. A common place for paparazzi, which were probably close by, which meant Roger needed to be inconspicuous and a stickler for people’s privacy.
The office was located on the fourth floor behind another set of offices which I assumed were used as a cover just in case anyone did get inside. When I entered, I gave the welcoming receptionist my name and she told me to have a seat. As my eyes roamed the waiting area, there were pictures of couples on the beach, leaving footprints in the sand, eating one cupcake together, getting married on the shore and one was a couple staring at each other in that way. The one where you know what they’re going to do next. It involved little to no clothes.
There was an infomercial about Le One and its success playing on the television screen above. It was professional and it reminded me of what a great idea it was to do something like that. I spent another hour or so filling in Roger on the parts of my life that he hadn’t known about since I retired. Oddly enough, he said and predicted about as much as I told him. Roger said that he was a sports agent before he decided to study law full-time. Therefore throughout his career, he’d learned many things and one of those was how to read the type of people he was dealing with. Their motivations, what inspired them and where their fire, as he called it, lied.
Accurately enough, he shared that he knew I’d still be an active member in my charity organization, that I’d probably been divorced a couple of times, that I would relax and lay low after all the fame and fortune came and that I’d wisely invested my money into good stock and was frugal with spending. He’d been accurate on all counts. That led to my next question of how that knowledge would help pair me with a mate. Then he shared that those tidbits had everything to do with a mate.
Leaning forward, I nabbed the first magazine on the pile of many and started to flip the pages. Up until that point, I was the only one in the waiting room but then the door opened and in walked a woman with a phone to her ear. She stopped at the receptionist booth, put the phone against her chest and probably gave her name. Instead of coming further into the waiting area, she lingered on the outside with the phone to her ear.
“Darling, that’s fine as long as your fine with it,” she said with a melodic voice that was smooth as velvet.
Taking her in, she had a nice toasted almond coloring to her, dark hair with big shoulder-length waves and a three-piece suit. She had on stockings and mid-size black heels. The woman was curvy and the suit looked to be tailor-made for her. Her lips were burgundy which bounced off of her color shading like they were always that color. Those deep eyes were dark brown but they were sharp, as if she were assessing any and everything even though she was distracted by the phone call.
“And I said, that is fine,” she continued. “I support your decision to be with a buffoon who will leave you high and dry. Is that what you’d like for me to say?”
I nearly choked with laughter when it registered what she’d just said.
“I’m your mother and I care about you. I said it was fine and when the inevitable happens, you would like me to say what exactly?”
Oh, I liked her.
“Oh, don’t say anything just support you.” She nodded her head. “I see, darling. Well, here lies the problem. I only support smart decisions and you know this. The reason you’re conflicted is because you know this one is a foolish one and you would like me to cosign on foolishness and that is something I simply cannot do. I love you. I’ll always love you but sometimes that love comes with making the hard decision to love you from a distance and of course, tell you the truth. I’m a mother and the fact…” She stopped speaking. “Hello?”
The woman extended the phone away from her ear, so she could view it and shook her head. Then she dropped the device in her clutch under her arm and glided over to sit across from me. Her eyes reached mine and it felt like we were old friends because I easily said, “Bad boy, good girl, and no happy ending.”
Her mouth slid into an easy smile when she said, “More like bad boy and girl and hell no to the happy ending.”
I smiled too.
Easy.
“You have any kids?” She asked me, when she leaned forward to get a magazine.
“No, I don’t.” I admitted. “After that conversation, I’m a little grateful.”
This time, her smile morphed into a small laugh.
“Was it that bad?” Her eyes lit with amusement. “Months of therapy with this girl and I’m supposed to listen to her, let her explain and support her. How do you support following a boy around who’s following a band around the country?”
My eyes grew and I leaned forward and asked, “She’s following a band?”
She mimicked my actions and said, “I would actually feel better if she was following a band or a band member for that matter. My lovely daughter is following around a band groupie who can’t play an instrument to save his life.”
After she said that tidbit, the woman turned the top part of her body to the side, swung her right leg over her left, rocked back in her seat and gave me the side eye as if to say, ‘you know that ain’t right.’
That little number had me laughing out loud while she simply shook her head.
“Not the drummer or even the guys who set up the show. Nope, a roadie.” She kept shaking her head with her lips pursed.
Damn.
“Well,” I offered. “At least, she’s traveling.”
“Oh, aren’t you the optimist.” She smiled and then uncrossed her legs to only lean then to one side just like a professional woman would. “Such a shame you don’t have any kids because I have nothing to tease you about. Oh, I mean, to be optimistic about.”
The woman was funny and had a quick wit. I was about to tell her that she could tease me anytime but Roger’s voice boomed from behind me. My head turned to see my friend standing in the doorway with half of his body leaning out from the threshold.
“Cole, man. I’m so glad you made it. Come on back.” He was smiling from ear to ear. He looked to the side of me and saw the woman. “Ah, Ms. Wade. It’s so good to see you finally. I’ll be with you right after Cole.”
“Hey Roger,” she called to him as if they knew each other. “That’s fine.”
“Yeah,” I said to him and then I turned to her and said, “Nice meeting you Ms. Wade.”
I stood up to leave but I didn’t want to leave without getting her information. So, I asked, “Do you have a card?”
She gave me another side-eye and noted, “You don’t even know what I do.”
“True but I know you made me laugh more in five minutes than I have in a while.” I shrugged. “I’m sure your daughter will have more shenanigans soon.”
She laughed again and this time I found myself staring at the beautiful woman with her mouth wide with glee and the lightheartedness about her manner.
What was she doing here?
“We’re here for the same reasons,” she finally said. “So, how about if by date three, they are all losers, then I’ll call you?”
“Cole,” Roger called but I waved him off.
“Nah.” My head was already shaking. “Too much on chance. If you give me your number you’ll never have to worry if I’ll call.”
That was extremely forward and almost desperate but I didn’t care. That woman, Ms. Wade, I wanted to know more about her.
“You are a cutie but my offer stands,” she said with a smile, just like she called her daughter’s boyfriend a buffoon. “I’m committed to the process.”
All of it with a soft smile.
My heart was racing at the possibility of losing her or even the connection that we had. It was with such comfort and familiarity that we easily chatted and laughed. She had a daughter but I was okay with that. Hell, she wanted to tease me about something and I wanted to give her
that opportunity. A working woman like herself didn’t strike me as the type to have a lot of time on her hands but she was here and committed to the cause.
“As she should be,” Roger chimed in as he stood next to me.
My legs quickly took me over to the receptionist, so I could grab the notepad, wrote my name, number and the words, Call Me, at the bottom. Tearing the sheet, I brought it back to the lobby. Ms. Wade sat waiting with a sly smile as if to say, come get it. I placed the sheet in her hand, bent down and whispered close to her ear, “Use the number. Talk, drink, dinner, laugh or even to tease me. I have a laundry list of items to choose from.”
Her hearty laugh rang close to my ears and I almost wanted to bend down to stop it with my own lips. Instead, I rose to my full length and repeated, “Use it.”
“Three dates,” she waved the paper in front of me between her two fingers. “Three.”
“Come on man,” Roger patted me on the back. “You promised three dates, too. Remember, the process.”
I almost told Roger what he could do with that process but instead I walked through the door to his office.
“Man, what was that?” He asked. “You’re not here to get hooked up. Well you are but by using the system. Le One.”
“I want a date with her.” I said with no room to argue. “Nobody but her.”
“That’s not how it works,” Roger shook his head. “Come on man, work with me. Ms. Wade might be a fit or she might not, we have to look at the comparable but remember it’s random with the top choices from your application and your friend’s recommendations. Which is me.”
“Roger, I want a date with her and I’ll do whatever promo you want me to do but it’s with her.” I repeated. “It has to be with her.”
As I should have known, Roger’s eyes grew wide but then his facial features returned to normal.
“What if you try the three dates…” he held up his hand. “Here me out. Even if I was going to match you or even lie and say you were matched, she would not trust it. She’s committed to the process.” His arm was pointed towards Ms. Wade. “She will want her three dates that aren’t you and then I swear to God, I’ll set you both up on a date myself if I have to.”
