The Perfect Gentleman

Part 1-The Coffee Project

My best friend Jules is at the door waiting to greet me as I walk towards her looking defeated "Another failed date?"

I nod my head; she makes a sad face bringing me in for a hug. I gently lay my head on her shoulder.

"I am going to be alone forever" I yell plopping down on the couch

"No, you are not. You're just saying yes to all the wrong guys" Jules says burying her cute face into her phone.

It was easy for Jules to say because she had found one of the decent ones.

I continue to glare at her till she notices and when she does, she smiles. "I'm serious," she says

I roll my eyes "oh you're absolutely correct" I grab my phone and open it up to Marvin A.k.a titman 77 "so I need to answer messages from guys like Marvin who says hey do you want to bone!?" I roll my eyes

"That's disgusting who even says bone anymore" Jules makes a face

I roll my eyes and toss my phone where it falls between the couch cushions

Just then it goes off.

I ignore it but then it goes off again

"Could be the one" Jules says

I laugh and shake my head, ignoring it.

It goes off a few more times and then curiosity overcomes me.

"ughhhh okay let's see!" I say digging into the couch. When I open up the app it's a message from a guy named Charles, he says he's in real estate and just hasn't had the time to date but he wanted to change that. He looked like a nice guy and his pictures looked very professional. He might be a good one.

We messaged each other the rest of the night and I felt like it was going very well but then again, a lot of my dates that end in disasters do.

We agreed to meet up tomorrow around noon at this place called the coffee project.

"An afternoon date?" Jules asked curiously

I nodded "Right? Different and that could be a good sign"

Noon couldn't have come sooner, I got to the coffee project 20 minutes early, I know it comes off a little too anxious but better me watching him walk in than the other way around.

I grabbed the table in the back corner along with a nice hot vanilla latte.

It was 11:58 and still no sign of him

Noon, still waiting.

Around 12:15 I told myself I would text him, I looked back through the text messages to confirm that this was the right place, right day, and the right time.

Everything checked out.

I got up to order another cup of coffee. I was two coffees down and it was 12:45. No text message, nothing. I had to talk myself out of completely breaking down in this crowded room but sometimes when the urge comes you can't do anything about it.

I felt my face scrunching up trying to stop the tears from flowing out, but it was too late. I quickly turned my head downwards and just started to sob.

"Come on Charley get it together," I said to myself

I wiped my tears and prayed that I didn't look like a hot mess.

"Excuse me" I heard a voice say

I quickly wiped my face and searched for the voice that called out to me