My cart is jammed packed with a new area rug and some random groceries when I hear the pounding of the rain against the roof of Target. Apparently I missed the memo that a storm was coming. I wonder how much I’ll hurt my wallet if I aimlessly do a few more laps of the store while it passes. 

A few nights before I was sitting in what was called a cocktail lounge which I found odd because it looked like a typical bar with a cheesy couch setup in the corner. I was sipping on a hard iced tea of some sort with a date. He came across as a bit strange at first, but as the conversation flowed his personality took hold. He had mentioned in a previous text that if we enjoyed each other’s company that perhaps we could grab dinner after the drinks. So wait, is this like a bad version of the Hunger Games where I fight to the finish to make it to the dinner invitation? And if you don’t ask me to dinner after, is there a parting prize of like a McDonalds Happy Meal or something? 

An hour or so later we were enjoying a meal at an Italian restaurant directly across the street from the so-called cocktail lounge. After dinner we decided to continue the conversation outside next to a fire at the front of the restaurant. After bantering back and forth he asked me if I wanted to come back to his place for a bit. It was 11 o’clock and all I could think about was being in my pajamas and getting home to Neela and Rue. Besides, he was still a complete stranger as far as I was concerned.  I respectfully told him I’d enjoy that another night, we hugged, and he gave me a big smile before we parted ways. 

On my third trip around the store I saw a tall gentleman whose shirt was soaked. I assumed he had just made his way into the store through the storm and I decided to try and strike up a quick conversation. If the online dating scene was always a complete bust, why not try to meet someone the old-fashion way, right?  I glanced over at his cart which included some Halloween candy and razors and said, “Oh, wow the rain must be pretty bad out there, huh?” He glanced up at me for a moment and responded back with, “Yeah.” That was it. Yeah. 

I never did hear back from my date from earlier that week. My attempt at striking up a conversation in public with a man was a complete fail. Dating is hard. Being in a new city alone is hard. When I got home after my Target trip Neela and Rue welcomed me in excitement. At the end of the day seeing Neela and Rue snuggled up on the new area rug reminded me that we have everything we need. It would take a special someone to steal our hearts after all.