The Romantic Misadventures of a Modern Woman (4 page)

Gina suggested that the four women meet at her home, the way they had been, previously at Hannah's. She told everyone that she needed 'help setting up her profile with an on-line dating site, but promised they wouldn't spend a lot of time with it. She ordered pizzas and put out bottles of water and soda for her friends. Her laptop was booted up and running. She was logged onto the dating site and ready to show off what she had done with her profile so far.

Elle confided to Hannah that she was certain Gina had completely lost her mind in her vigilant quest to meet new men. She complained that her cousin had begun to twist her arm to get her to put up a profile on the same dating site she joined. When Nita arrived, Gina was already asking her friends which of her profile photos they liked best.

"Hi Nita!" Gina said happily.The women had gathered to do something that was all about her. She was enjoying the attention. She was not concerned about anyone having fun, unless they enjoyed being happy for her as she discovered new ways to find more prospective boyfriends.

"I got a match from speed-dating!" Gina announced.

"Me too." Nita said.

"Are you going to the mixer? I am! We could go together!" Gina's extreme excitement was evident in the speed with which the words were escaping from her mouth. It was becoming an annoyance to nearly everyone.

When Gina started to spin her wheels talking about her dating profile, Hannah tried to add balance to a conversation that had become one-sided. She attempted to bring up a new subject. "Ladies, do you remember that book the singles group read last summer? I recently started reading it again."

"You mean that book on Christian relationships?" Elle replied. "I didn't like it."

"Gina added, "The advice seemed outdated. I like to try new ideas, and sometimes, make up my own rules as I go along. It keeps life exciting!"

Hannah defended her position, "Well, don't you think the reason some ideas last so long is because they work? A new idea may be fun for a minute, but if it doesn't work, what's the point? I mean, isn't that the reason why some ideas don't last?"

Gina found herself nodding in agreement. Elle countered, "That book outlined some serious deprivation. Does anyone ever really subject themselves to that?"

"Yes!" Hannah retorted. "I know a lot of people who followed the principles in this book and most of them are in very happy relationships now. Have any of you given it a chance?"

The cousins were silent.

Nita spoke up, "I just started reading that book, too. I've been taking notes to make sure I understand what I am learning so I can make the best decisions about how to use it in my everyday life."

"That's great!" Hannah sounded a bit more encouraged. "I hope you all will give the information in the book another try."

Gina pulled the topic back in her direction, "OK! So, which one of you wants to set up an on-line profile like mine?"

Nita walked up to the Community Center's entrance just as Elle was dropping Gina off. Elle hopped out and gave Nita a hug. Nita thought it was as if she was saying "Please watch out for her. She's your responsibility tonight." As Elle drove away, Gina's excitement was palpable. The purpose of this evening was that Nita was there to meet Wes, Nathaniel and Caleb and Gina was there to meet 
Steve
.

The room was even more beautifully decorated than it was the night of the speed-dating event. Because of the unusually warm November weather, an outdoor space was added where couples could stroll in the garden and get acquainted in a quieter setting, away from the amplifiers. Once again, KISS-LOVE 91 hosted the party and admitted only the invited guests who had made speed-dating matches. Everyone seemed to feel special, as if they had been admitted to the V.I.P. suite.

Gina asked Nita, "How do I look?"

"Even better than your profile picture" Nita volunteered.

"Oh, thanks! You look great, too!"

Name badges were arranged alphabetically on the registration table. Gina found hers quickly and rushed in to find Steve. After Nita picked up her name badge, she looked through the other badges on the table to see if any of her matches had arrived. She quickly found Caleb's badge and discovered Wes' badge a few moments later. She also noticed the unclaimed badge for Gina's match, but by then, she had ventured out of view. So, Nita prepared herself to meet Nathaniel.

Nita walked around the room and looked over the buffet and the decor. She watched the fountain on the terrace as it cycled through its digitized choreography. She wondered where they kept the technology that controlled the water patterns and the lights. Being at the mixer felt a bit like a cross between a high school dance and a reality TV dating show. But, this was an adult event. The people at the radio-station worked hard to make the speed-dating match-ups and the mixer a success.

Gina felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Gina, "Have you seen Steve?"

"No, sorry. His name badge is still on the sign-in table, so I'm pretty sure he hasn't arrived."

"Thanks." Gina said as she rushed away to check the sign-in table.

Nita turned and found herself face-to-face with Nathaniel. He was wearing a blazer, polo shirt and Khaki's and was carrying a small flower. He offered it to Nita.

"Hi, Nathaniel... I remember you." Nita said.

"Thanks for picking me." He said, pushing his eyeglass frames up onto the bridge of his nose.

"And thank you for picking me!" Nita replied, smiling.

"He is a genuinely decent guy" Nita thought to herself as she looked at him. "And what a sweet gesture: he brought me a flower!"

"You're the only one I picked." Nathaniel admitted. "Can we walk outside for a few minutes?"

Not sure when or if the other two men would arrive, Nita agreed and walked through the terrace door as he held it open for her.

As they got to know one another, Nita and Nathaniel discovered they had attended the same elementary school and had some of the same teachers, although they were a few years apart in age. They both liked dogs and hated cats. They discovered they liked the same Major League Baseball team.

Still, Nathaniel seemed shy and much less confident than whoever wrote her the note she found on her chair.

Half an hour passed and their conversation came to a natural pause. Nita spoke up, "It was so nice to get to know you a little better. We have each others' e-mail addresses, so we can keep in touch."

Nathaniel nodded his head. "Since you're the only one I came to see, I'll be leaving now.
 It was so nice to meet you, too. I look forward to getting an e-mail from you really soon."
"You can count on it." Nita touched his arm, reassuringly.

As Nathaniel was leaving, Nita noticed Gina hovering near the entrance. She had positioned herself strategically so she could keep an eagle-eye on Steve's name badge and begin to captivate him with her beauty and charm from the moment he arrived. Unfortunately, the charm was dissipating as annoyance and impatience took over. Gina's happy excitement gave way to frustration and disappointment.

Nita wrapped her flower loosely in a paper napkin; as she laid it in her purse, she heard a voice. It was Wes, "Hi, you're Nita, aren't you?"

"Yes, hello! Wes!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"

"It's OK, really."

 "So, what brings you here?" Wes said with a smirk.

"Oh, I guess, the same thing that brought you here..."

"A CAR!" the two of them shouted in unison, then erupted with laughter.

"I'll be here through Sunday. Get your tickets now! but, seriously folks..." He sounded as though he was a stand-up comedian performing his best material, but, he wasn't very good, even though he, apparently, rehearsed a lot before coming out.

Nita wasn't much for comedy, but she tried to keep up. When her efforts failed, she attempted have a serious conversation with him. Wes admitted to being so nervous at these events, he knew he resorted to making jokes a bit too much. Concluding that the conversation was never going to progress beyond the superficial, Nita bravely told him that she didn't feel like she had met the "real Wes". She confessed that she was not interested in e-mailing him in the future. He seemed to understand. They said their good-byes. She walked away, leaving him standing next to the bar.

By this time, Gina was talking to one of the organizers from KISS-LOVE 91 and she did not look happy. Nita walked closer. All she could hear her say was, "He
R.S.V.P.'d, didn't he?" Just then, a hand reached out and touched her arm. Turning around, she was confronted by one of the servers, "Ma'am, I think you dropped something." He handed her an envelope.

"I didn't drop anything." she thought. Looking more closely, Nita read the words written, on the front, in handwriting she had seen before: "From your Secret Admirer".

Nita slipped out onto the terrace and found a secluded spot in a far corner beyond the fountain. She looked around to make sure no one would interrupt her. Her hands shook and her face became flushed as she opened this new envelope.

"Hello again, Beautiful!

Thanks for your e-mail. I am sorry I am not there to see you tonight, in person. Please accept this note, instead. You already know I like you. I hope you like me, too.

As much as I want to be looking into your eyes and maybe holding your hand right now, I believe we will meet one day soon. Until then, you may call me your "Secret Admirer".
I will be dreaming of you. Maybe, you will dream of me, too. Write back to me soon."

Nita was overwhelmed! She sat on the terrace staring at the note, touched by its direct but tender sentiment. Caleb had not yet appeared at the mixer. Could this be from him? After all, it is possible for one person to have more than one e-mail address. While the note didn't provide a lot of information, it was clear that whoever wrote it was not going to see her that night.

As her racing thoughts, and heartbeat, began to calm down, she decided she would stay a little longer just in case Caleb was able to come. She stopped at the buffet table and filled a small plate. She walked around the room, found a seat and munched on the sliced raw vegetables. For the first time since she arrived, she began to notice the other couples who were interacting around her.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed neon blue emergency lights flashing near the front door. A crowd gathered as the police escorted a handful of people out of the front entrance. Nita thought she would find Gina to make sure she was safe. She had been standing near the reception desk a few minutes earlier. When she moved closer, she could see that Gina was talking to one of the officers. Finding a position behind her friend, but near enough that she'd know she was there, Nita overheard a part of the conversation.

"Which one had the knife, ma'am?" the officer asked.

"The brunette with the blue skirt" Gina replied.

"What else did you see?"

"A lot of punching, slapping and hair-pulling. That's all."

"OK, let me be sure I've got all this down. The man, Steve approached the entrance and three women ran up to him; they started fighting each other over him and somebody pulled out a knife."

"That's right, and I tackled her from behind before she could hurt anyone" Gina added. "The D.J. from KISS-LOVE 91 came over and took the knife out of her hand."

"You prevented someone from being injured and probably saved someone's life." the officer concluded. "Thank you ma'am, for your efforts. We will need to get your contact information as our investigation continues in this matter."

Nita looked outside. Three women had been put in the back of separate squad cars. Their clothing was torn and their hair was a mess. An officer took Steve into the coat room out of view, since the commotion had been about him.

The event organizers decided to close the event early after the violent outburst. Those who were not witnesses were allowed to leave.

"Are you alright?" Nita asked Gina.

"I'm fine. I text messaged Elle; she's on her way to get me."

Nita waited with Gina until her ride arrived.

When the women gathered at Hannah's for another potluck, the mood was more thoughtful and subdued. The Baggins cousins seemed to have become comfortable enough around Nita and Hannah that they didn't always sit next to each other exclusively. Sometimes, they allowed enough space for someone else to sit between them.

Everyone heard about what happened at the mixer. Gina had also been interviewed by the TV and radio news outlets and her picture appeared in the newspaper with a story on the social page. She was aware that she might be subpoenaed to appear in court, but was not excited about any of this.

"If I had not been standing where I was..." Gina began to explain, "I might have been the fourth woman to be arrested. I was so stupid-crazy about Steve! What is wrong with me? I was so foolish to think I'd have a chance to spend any alone-time with him at the mixer. Do you know that he picked nearly half the women at the speed-dating event? Then, he showed up late, just when everyone was starting to have tizzy fits waiting for him! It was like he thought he would have an instant harem or something with women fawning over him. He was nothing more than a player."

"But, you were in the right place at the right time, Gina. You were the one who diffused a dangerous, volatile situation no one could see coming. You had the courage to take down someone who was holding a weapon." Hannah tried to console Gina. "I think God put you in the right place at the right time, just behind that girl with the knife."

"Yeah, I guess so." Gina conceded. "But, what does that say about me that I would act like that over a man?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Gina." Nita chimed in. "I think most women find themselves acting that way, at least once in their lives... or twice, or three times, or all the time." she said making a funny face.

"Well, I need to rethink my approach. I could have been injured or killed if I'd been standing just a few feet to one side or the other, where she might have seen me. It isn't worth it to be so out-of-control. I think I'm ready to balance my new ideas with some old-fashioned, time-tested concepts."

"What are you going to do?" Elle asked, surprised that her cousin didn't discuss it with her before they arrived at Hannah's.

"There is a single's conference at church. I wasn't planning to go before the incident at the mixer. Now, I'm registered and I'm going. I will listen to whatever they talk about at that thing... even if they want to fit me with a chastity belt! Well, maybe I won't go that far."

"I'm glad you're going, but I don't think the conference will be that extreme." As she spoke, Hannah noticed Nita was looking at her phone. "What's happening, Nita? Are you phubbing us?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was distracted, checking for an e-mail." Nita put her phone away. She was still not quite ready to share with her friends about her secret admirer and she didn't want to be rude by diverting her attention away from the conversation.

Elle asked, "How did the mixer go for you, Nita?"

"Pretty well... I met Wes and Nathaniel." Nita pulled a pillow from the sofa and placed it on her lap. "Wes was a disappointment. He wouldn't let himself be serious. Everything was a joke with him. Sure, he made me laugh, but that's all he did. He admitted that it was his nervous habit. I talked to him about it and told him, as nicely as I could, that I would not be keeping in touch with him."

"Wow, that was straight-forward of you." Elle said, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I didn't want to waste his time, or mine. If he couldn't relax and get comfortable with me after half an hour at a mixer, who knows how much time he would need?"

Gina spoke. "I noticed you talking to two men that night."

"Yes. Nathaniel was there and he even gave me a flower."
"Awww!" the women said in unison.
"And he wasn't creepy at all... maybe, just nervous."
"Sounds like you're going to see him again." Elle wondered out loud.
"Yeah, I think so. He is a nice guy, and I think he deserves a chance."
 

"OK, ladies, are you ready?" Hannah had prepared her friends for an important announcement she wanted to make when they were all together.
 

"We're all Christian women, right? We know what the Bible says about dating, right? And we know that we've ignored a rule or two from the Bible concerning dating and sex." The women nodded in agreement.

"And it seems so unfair that our faith leads us to put restrictions on ourselves, while everyone else does whatever they want. Although dating can be a challenge, for Christians, it seems even more challenging! But, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy finding romance! Can I get an 'Amen'?" Hannah winked as she delivered the humorous phrase.

"Now, after some very interesting experiences with dating lately, I think we can help each other." The ladies were hanging on every word Hannah spoke.

"Here it is: I think we should plan a group date."

Gina and Nita were pleasantly surprised as they considered the idea.

"After so much dating drama and danger, this sounds very safe. How's it gonna work?" Gina asked.

"Well, it is more like a group of people going out to have some fun together, but it is still clearly defined as a 'date'. I thought we would make lists and pair off accordingly. Nita could invite Nathaniel, but she doesn't have to. I might know someone who would be a
good fix-up for Gina or Elle and any of you might know someone you'd like to introduce to me. We'll piece it together."

Hannah stood up to refill the snack tray, but continued to speak. "We will be responsible for knowing what God expects of us when considering a potential date or boyfriend. And I'm certainly not going to judge any of you for choices you make, even if I disagree with them. I hope that you will do the same for me. In any case, we should be allowed to speak freely with one another when we disagree, as much as we would when we agree."

Everyone, except Elle, seemed to be enthusiastic about Hannah's idea.

Hannah sat back down. "Let's pick a day and time, then choose an activity and location together. Next, we'll invite people until each of us has a companion. But, all of us should feel free to get to know everyone who attends. No one person should feel like they have to stay tethered to one other person the whole time. We will arrive together and return home together. And, yes, it is safer than one-on-one dating. Shall we?"

The women made lists of the men they knew and wrote the names of the male friends they thought might enjoy an evening with them the most. After calculating a comfortable budget per person, they proposed destinations and activities they could afford. After agreeing on the details, all that was left was to buy the tickets, make the reservations and invite their dates.