âOh gosh, this is not what I had in mindâŠâ
A frown crossed the girlâs face when she read the email on her phone. She thought this would be a more organized affair, one where she could have the chance to meet someone new without having to awkwardly seek out friendship herself. The way the event was advertised made it seem like so, but there was one missing detail.
She had no clue who she was supposed to be meeting. There were other people in the gathering space, presumably there for the event, but most of them seemed to have different numbers from hers. So far, she hadnât heard anyone ask for a number nine. The loud girl with the Wigglytuff made her number obvious. And there was a tall blonde guy whispering the number four to himself over and over with his eyes closed. Marjorie thought it to be just a little creepy and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that his number was different from hers. Wouldnât it be more effective to just seek them out?
If anyone needed to take her own advice, it was herself. There were pairs forming already and she still had no clue of who her date for tonight would be. Only a couple of participants hadnât announced their number just yet. It had to be one of them, right?
âAlright⊠here goes nothingâŠâ Marjorie whispered the feeblest of pep talks to herself. Emerald green eyes glued to the ground, she slowly approached one of the single participants and began to work up the courage to ask about their number. Unfortunately, she could barely get a word out of her mouth before they were approached by someone else who apparently matched their number. Nevermind that thenâŠ
There was one other person in the crowd that appeared to be just as lost and lacking in confidence as herself. An older man. Her eyes lit up a bit when she noticed him, feeling somewhat at ease that she wasnât the only one here who was too nervous to approach anyone. Despite her usual feeling of anxiety, she felt like she could get on his wavelength enough to start a conversation.
âThis is kind of silly, isnât it?â She giggled as she watched the other people in the crowd look around for their partners. âI canât believe I signed up for this in the first place.â
Bill glanced back at his number, hopelessness crossing his face. His nerves were getting the best of him, and he was about ready to pack it in ad toodle on home when a woman approached him. He stared blankly for a moment, allowing her sentence to sink into his frazzled brain. âAh, yeah it is.â He rubbed the back of his head, casting a glance towards the ground.
âI canât believe I was signed up, honestly.â He halfheartedly laughed. âNot exactly what I pictured when I was told âblind dateâ.â Then again, he didnât really know what to expect.Â
ââS nice to see other people findinâ their pairs I guess.â Hands found their way into the pockets of his khakis. He went awkwardly silent for a moment, tapping the ground with the tip of his shoe. âMind if I ask what number youâre lookin for?â His voice quivered for a moment, back straightening once more.