"If you hang up you'll never see your family again."
"The police are already on the case. I don't have to participate in these stupid games to get what I want. I'm not getting involved in whatever you have to offer."
A dark chuckle made my...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I've had enough of your whining, child." My dad complained as I chased him into the kitchen.
"I think my 'whining' is appropriate given the horrid situation you've forced on me, and to top it all off, you've done this all last minute." I shot back. He thought he was the victim in this situation?
"He's a perfectly respectful young man."
"You expect me to believe you after this stunt that you've pulled? How do I know that he's not some creepy misogynistic prick three times my age?"
"Do you think that lowly of me? Do you seriously think I would send you on a date with someone that would treat you do poorly?"
"Considering you've given me no time to prepare and I have not even seen a picture of the pleb, yes. . . I do." I snapped.
"Can you at least give him a chance? I've already asked him to meet you at Mister Pickett's Diner. He's probably waiting for you now. If you'd go get ready instead of whining, like a brat, you'll be able to reject him yourself."
"I see name-calling is not beneath you." I sneered before stomping upstairs to my room.
My father had done sleazy things before, but this was a new low.
"Alright, I think if we hurry now, we can still catch the next train out of town," I said to Dottie as I walked into my room.
"You're a grown woman Jacklynn. You're twenty-two. They wouldn't consider you a runaway at this point. You wouldn't have to run away at this point. You could just leave." Dottie replied, her long blonde hair splayed out underneath her as she lay on my bed.
"I kinda do. Did you miss the part where dad is trying to set me up with some stranger?"
"True, but he can't make you do anything. He's your father, not your dictator. Not to mention, you're an adult with your own money."
"Running away makes it much more exciting and dramatic."
"But you'll be standing your date up."
"Who cares? I don't even want to go. If I do go, it'll just be torture for the both of us."
"I've heard this Henry is a very charismatic fellow."
"If you're trying to sell me on this date, it's not working."
"If you don't go, you'll never know how it could have ended."
"If I go, it could end terribly."
"But you'll never know for sure unless you go."
I weighed the pros and cons. If I did go, I might embarrass myself or the poor guy, depending on him.
If I did not go, I would stay up with the possible outcomes of this less than ideal date.
