Imperfectly Perfect

by A. E. Woodward

  He cleared his throat, and flashed a crooked smile at me. "I've just been waiting to hear about this plan that you've dreamed up."

  I smiled and continued to walk. "Well I have something really fun that I want all of us to do. I'm not sure when, so I'll have to do a little research. But the deal is we all have to go."

  "So what is this thing?" He asked as he placed my suitcase in the trunk of his car.

  I pondered how to answer this, I knew I had to make a good sale or it would be a no go. Shane knew me like the back of his hand, and there was no way I could ever get away with lying to him; or any of the guys for that matter.

  "You'll just have to trust me when I say it's this really fun thing that we'll laugh and talk about for years." I shot him my famous womanly pout; you know, the one I told you about earlier? The one that every woman uses at various stages of her life in order to get something she really wants. The pout that makes every man give in.

  Shane shook his head, "Fine, we'll go do whatever it is that you want us to do, but please stop making that dumb face." He may have been my best friend, and he may know everything about me, but he was also a mere mortal, unable to resist the charm of my lips. Most men don't have a backbone; shoot them a pout and they cave.

  I jumped and gave Shane a quick hug, "Thank you, thank you, oh goodness this will be so much fun!"

  He must have been sensing my taste of victory, "I'm pretty sure that whatever it is you're making us do is going to be lame. So, you better take us out to drinks after we do this 'thing."

  Whenever I spent time away from the city, I always returned with a deepened appreciation for all things about my life here in New York. Pulling up to the condo, I thought about how much I loved it. My home was here, there was no doubt about that; it was pretty much set in stone when I had changed my license over a few years ago. But the real nail in the coffin had been when we decided to buy this place.

  Three years ago, the guys and I discussed that if we were going to be living together we should at least be building up some equity instead of throwing our money away on rent. Luckily with Shane and Rob being lawyers, we didn't have to worry too much about price tags, which was a good thing when you were looking to buy in New York City. We painstakingly searched for three months before we found the perfect four bed, three bath condo in Murray Hill.

  The brownstone front with its green awning, complete with its Park Avenue address was charming enough. But the inside was what really captured my heart. It was 2,300 square feet of pristine perfection-grand in every way possible. Sunlight flooded every room, illuminating the white walls and hardwood floors. When we bought it, the guys gave me the master suite. They agreed to it mostly so that I could have my own bathroom, but also because it had the largest closet.

  Thankful to finally be back in my own space, I ran to my room and hopped on the laptop to start researching speed dating. I was astounded by the amount of different agencies that did this-chalk up another point for New York-as you can bet there was no way I would have been able to find one place that did speed dating back in Maine.

  Each website promised a unique experience. One place organized themed events; if you wanted to meet a teacher or a firefighter they had them. Each agency had varying rules and you could pick six or ten minute dates. The choices and possibilities were endless.

  Imagine my glee when I happened upon an agency that was doing an event that very night. Not only that, but it was going to be right down the street from the condo! I decided it must be fate.

  I didn't really know why I was so excited, because I knew what a waste of time it was going to be. I knew the chances of me meeting Mr. Right there were slim but I was glad to be going out with my boys and just having a good time.

  "Whatcha doing?"

  I quickly closed my laptop to spin around, and smiled at Shane.

  "Just researching all the fun we're going to have tonight." I stood quickly and stalked across the room. Collapsing onto my bed I closed my eyes just as I felt Shane come and sit down next to me.

  "How're you doing?" he asked.

  I opened my eyes and sat up, "Fine now. I think it was just the initial shock of it all. It just sucks that she's so successful in life's finer things, you know what I'm saying?"

  He nodded and took a deep breath.

  "I'm glad you're in a better place about all of this," he spoke softly while running his fingers through his hair, "I was a little worried about you."

  "I know."

  "You know I got thinking about it, and-" he stopped, inhaling sharply.

  I cut him off, "I really don't want to talk about it Shane"

  I was in a better place about the situation, but if he kept talking about it he was going to bum me out again.

  "Oh. Okay," he forced a smile and stood up from my bed, "maybe later."

  I smiled and reached up to slap his shoulder. "You ready for the best night of your life?"

  He let out a sigh as he walked toward my bedroom door, "God knows what you have planned for us, but I'll be ready for whatever it is."

  "Well, you guys have about an hour to get ready." I got up and peeked out into the hallway. Tyler and Rob were sitting on the couch in the living room. "Did you hear me? You've got an hour."

  I heard them moan as they stirred. I giggled watching Shane run to get to the shower first. Tyler and Rob yelled, telling him not to take ages.

  I wandered towards my closet to pick out the perfect outfit; a challenge in of itself. You see, I may have not had a man or a family, but I had a hell of a taste for clothes and shoes. Online shopping was more than just my addiction; it was my way of life. Time was of the essence for me and actually going out shopping just wasn't conducive for my hectic lifestyle. Thus I spent countless hours browsing websites, looking for the perfect outfit.

  So to begin to pick out just one perfect outfit could take awhile, to say the least. I walked in and ran my fingers over the varying textures of racks of clothes. Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein-those were men that I could count on. I started to pull outfits out and examine them closer, really having no idea what to wear, when Tyler peeked into my room.

  "Hey," he started, "what should we wear?"

  I pondered how much information I should give him. I didn't want them to make any assumptions, but I also didn't want to show up with a bunch of guys dressed like chumps.

  "Smart casual," I finally said, directing my attention to the two dresses I had in my hands. On the left I was holding my failsafe electric blue Calvin Klein; timeless as it was glamorous. In my right hand I held a flower print sundress, which would have been more of a risk with its flirty skirt.

  "I like the one on the left," Tyler called, walking down the hall.

  I trusted Tyler's judgment, so the Calvin Klein it was.

  I was thankful I had taken the time to do my hair earlier, because all I had to do was apply some evening make up. It took me no time to put the finishing touches on my face and there I sat; again. The first one ready to go, just like every other night.

  "Would you idiots hurry up?" We're going to be late!"

  I stood at our front door waiting for three grown men. They were worse than any woman I knew. I let out a huge groan, just to emphasize how annoyed I was.

  "You guys better look freaking amazing for the amount of time it's taken you to get ready," I called.

  "I'm almost done," Rob said, popping his head out his door into the hallway. "Would you just shut up already?"

  I gave him my best death stare and flipped him the finger.

  I decided I had waited long enough and flicked on my 'bitch-switch'. They were being absolutely ridiculous. I grabbed my clutch and was just about to leave when they finally came out. I turned to admire their handy work and I had to admit it, my friends were downright hot. I gave a quick catcall to show my appreciation.

  "Bravo boys. Bravo."

  All three look astonishingly handsome, even more so than usual. Tyler was wearing a casual suit that
accentuated his tall bulky physique. Let me be clear here, when I say tall and bulky, I'm talking 6'6" and about 250 pounds; Tyler was a house. Shane was wearing a nice pair of faded jeans and a bright blue dress shirt that really brought out his gorgeous icy blue eyes. Even Rob looked great. His hair wasn't a matted up greasy mess like usual so he must have taken a shower just for the occasion.

  "You guys look great," I smiled.

  Rob brushed his shoulders, "Just something we threw together."

  "Since we didn't have any idea what we were doing, we kind of just had to improvise." Tyler added sarcastically as he and Rob stalked out the door.

  I laughed and grabbed my keys. I turned on my heels to walk out the door when Shane grabbed my arm. I stopped and turned my head toward him.

  "You look great too Em," he said.

  "Thanks." I ruffled his hair like he was a little kid, and walked out the door.

  Once outside I linked arms with Tyler and filled him and Rob in on my trip home since I hadn't had a chance to talk to them. They listened intently, occasionally adding something in an attempt to make me feel better and I loved them for that. Even though I was not entirely happy with my life at the moment, I couldn't deny that I had the best friends.

  I finished my pity party just as we arrived at the restaurant. I saw the sign for Speed Dating, running over I pointed at it with total enthusiasm.

  "This is what we're doing guys," I cried. I quickly realized they weren't sharing my excitement so I continued to attempt to pump them up. "Isn't this great?"

  Each one of them shook their heads while their mouths hung open. I smiled as we stood there silently, for what seemed like hours.

  Tyler was the first to break the silence. "No freaking way," he said, "this shit is for freaks and geeks." He threw his arms up for extra emphasis, "I am NOT going!"

  Shane shook his head, "What the hell were you thinking Em?"

  I frowned. I knew that it was a pretty dorky idea, but I had thought that the guys would do it anyway, if only to appease me. They were always trying to keep me happy, claiming that when I was miserable the whole house was miserable. For them to say 'no' flat out was disappointing to say the least.

  "Well you guys could use some more estrogen in your life," I argued. "When was the last time any of you dated?"

  "Does random sex count?" Rob asked. "Because if so, last night!"

  The guys chuckled. I frowned; they really could be such tools sometimes.

  "Seriously though guys," I pleaded again, "we have all been so wrapped up in our careers it could be really good for us. It's been three months since Cheyenne, Ty. And Shane I can't even remember the last time you had a girlfriend, I'm pretty sure it was Christy. Anyway, it's not like this is going to hurt any of us."

  They just stood there on the sidewalk staring blankly at me. Eventually Rob took pity on me.

  "Awwww come on guys," Rob chirped, "this could be pretty interesting. It could make for a great story," he offered.

  He headed to the door and opened it, motioning for me to go ahead. I smiled. Rob was obviously the only one crazy enough to think my idea was a good one. I headed into the building with Tyler and Shane closely behind. I couldn't be sure but I think that out of the corner of my eye I saw Rob kick them both as they walked by.

  Once inside, we found the sign up table and wrote our names on the list. A peppy blonde hostess approached us handed out nametags and gave a quick run through of the 'rules'. The event would start with a twenty minute 'social' before we officially began. This gave the girls a chance to mingle and get an idea of who they might be interested in. That way when certain guys came around to your table, you could make sure to ask them the more informative, and important, questions. Once the actual speed dating began, women would sit at the tables and the men rotated around every six minutes. The thought of getting to know someone in six minutes seemed outrageous to me but I was up for anything at this point.

  After the blonde finished telling us the details of how to get in contact with any potential dates once the evening was over, we headed over to the bar to have a few drinks.

  "People seriously do this?" Shane asked as he motioned for the bartender.

  Annoyed, I looked around at the crowded room full of people. "Obviously."

  "Yeah, but, like, are they all seriously here to meet that special someone?" I seethed as Shane ordered four beers for us. I was so angry I didn't even hear what kind.

  I found myself getting more irritated by the second. "Why don't you just go ask them," I snarled, grabbing my beer from the counter.

  Rob and Tyler left Shane and I to go and 'scout out the market'. I imagined that they would have no problems here, given that the place was filled with desperate women who could easily fall for their charm and good looks.

  I moved to the other end of the bar and perched on a barstool. I felt defeated before even starting. Shane was being practical, and I hated him for it. I was naïve to think that I could show up here and get swept off my feet. Who was I kidding; great love stories never began with speed dating. I was beginning to think that it had been a terrible idea when I felt a hand graze my lower back. Knowing it must be Shane trying to make nice, I spun around angrily, "Just leave!"

  You can imagine my surprise, and embarrassment, when I turned face to face with a complete-but utterly handsome-stranger.

  "Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for," he said with a smile.

  My heart skipped with a glimmer of his perfect teeth. Seriously, his smile could have moved mountains. I quickly sized him up. He was wearing a very nice but very casual suit, had sandy blonde hair and the most beautiful-but somehow familiar-blue eyes. I definitely approved. He was by far the hottest man in the building, and probably even the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on.

  "S-s-s-sorry," I stuttered. Tyler obviously had picked the best dress to get me noticed, and I made a mental note to thank him later. "I thought you were my friend."

  "That's alright," he chuckled. "I saw you walk in and I just wanted to ask you one question."

  "I'm an open book," I batted my eyelashes. I was shamelessly flirting and had he not been such a beefcake, I would have been ashamed of myself. But he was totally worth putting it all out there.

  "What's a pretty girl like you doing hanging around with three guys?"

  "Oh," I felt my cheeks burning, "they're my roommates. They came to keep me company."

  "You must be quite a lady to handle living with three guys," he chimed with a wink.

  "They're well trained."

  "I see," he said sticking his hand out in front of me, "I'm Bradley."

  I slid my hand into his and gave a firm shake. "Emma." His hands were soft and warm, and I felt my stomach fill with butterflies.

  Before I could say another word the bell was ringing for women to take their seats so that the 'freak show' could begin. I casually nodded toward my new prospect as I walked to my seat. I could hardly wait until he came around to my table. I found myself craving any knowledge about this mystery man. I wanted to know everything about him, and I hoped he looked as good on paper as he did in person.

  Maybe this was going to be more promising than I had initially thought. I slid into my seat just as the hostess finished her spiel.

  "Let the dating begin!" she yelled as the first guy came and sat at my table.

  Now, not to be mean or anything, but the guy was a real Loser; with a capital 'L'. He talked as though he was Gods gift to women and that I would be lucky to have him. Clearly he was making up for something. The term 'little man syndrome' sprung to mind.

  He set the trend because after that the losers just kept on coming. With each ring of the bell, came another Mamma's boy or wannabe Casanova. I was fast beginning to lose faith in speed dating.

  But then I saw him, Mr. Wonderful, as I liked to think of him. His beauty made it seem like he was walking towards me in slow motion. Locking eyes with me, he sat down opposite. I began sizing him up again, but I just couldn'
t take my eyes off that wonderful smile. Then I caught his scent and swooned. He smelled even more delicious than he looked.

  I had always had a thing for men's cologne and frequently snuck into the guys' bathroom and sprayed some of my favorites onto my sweats. The guys got pissed at me for stealing their stuff because they claimed I was wasting their doe estrus (You know the stuff hunters put on themselves to lure deer in for the kill… yeah, they're assholes).

  Talking to him was as easy as breathing. Despite his gorgeousness I felt completely at ease with him. I won't bother to give you the blow by blow of my first and much-too-short encounter with Mr. Wonderful but the important parts went like this…

  "So," I sneaked a glance at his nametag again just to be sure, "Bradley...what do you do for work?" I started right out by bombarding him with all the important questions us girls just have to know.

  "I'm a doctor."

  Ding!

  "Where do you live?"

  "A penthouse on the Upper East Side."

  Ding! Ding!

  "Where do picture yourself in five years?"

  "I hope to be living in the 'burbs with a wife and kids..."

  Ding! Ding! Ding! Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner!

  I didn't need to hear anymore, but I wouldn't have the chance to anyway because the bell sounded. I quickly made a note of his ID number so that I could access his contact information at the end of the night. I was beyond thrilled.

  My writing and thoughts were interrupted as the next ding-dong sat down and cleared his throat. I glanced up from my paper to see Shane sitting there looking utterly pathetic. I was already over our earlier disagreement, but I decided to toy with him anyway.

  "So, let me see… what should I ask? Oh I got it! Why are you such an asshole?"

  He just looked at me with those sad puppy dog eyes, and I could tell that he felt bad for not being supportive. I had always been able to get a good read on Shane and his facial expressions. But, I couldn't let him off the hook that easily.

  "Aren't you supposed to be my best friend?" I questioned.