Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Posted in Romance on Jul 8, 2021

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 161 stories

“Peas” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #81

Being the kind of kid born and raised in a church (quite literally, he popped out mid-sermon Christmas Eve, to Jesus jokes galore), the last thing he can admit to his parents is that he is gay. He's seen what happens, exiled off to conversion camp, to bleed the gay out them. He's not the real Jesus. He's not bleeding nothing for nobody. His parents have tried setting him up with the girls at church. They corner him at the dinner table during their Sunday lunches when he comes over post church.  "Robin, don't you think Marybeth looked pr...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Pizza and Porn ” by Meli Mangos

Submitted to Contest #81

“Take a right at the stop sign.”  Anna followed the directions from her phone’s GPS mounted in an air vent of her 1999 Honda Civic and turned down the road to her right. Her headlights shone over perfectly manicured lawns and houses with elegant entryways.  “Wow, he lives here?” She said to herself as she drove past the mansion-like houses. She stopped next to a driveway in front of house number 513 and turned her car off.  The house had two large bay windows on either side of the front door. Every window in the house was i...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Dirty Coffee ☕” by Madeleine Fromgei

Submitted to Contest #81

Under the raining Chicago horizon sat a waning sun sinking into sleep. The soft pitter-patter of rain sounded through a car's windowpane as it made its way down the wet streets. A gleaming sliver of moon could be seen hiding through the hazy blue-orange clouds layered in the sky. The car rounded past a stoplight and slowed.The car sputtered. Sputtered. Sputtered. Stopped.From inside, groans of frustration could be heard growing louder. A young woman unlocked a door and bolted out, mumbling underneath her breath as she slammed the door shut a...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Over Spilt Wine” by Annabelle Otero

Submitted to Contest #81

I stand outside of the restaurant, tugging at my too-tight collar. My hands are sweaty, making the flowers wrapped in plastic slip around in my hands. I take a deep breath, grab the door handle, and step inside. "Hello, table for one?" The woman at the welcome desk smiles at me. She is in a white shirt, black vest, basic black pants, covered by a maroon waist-only apron. She clearly doesn't cook, but in the apron is a simple notepad, pens, and napkins. "No, I'm meeting someone here. Uh..." I rake my brain for the name she gave me on tinder, ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Heroes and Villains.” by Ellie Onka

Submitted to Contest #81

Artemis had a twisted smile on her face, all the while Lauren cleaning her wounds after killing one of the night-slayers that followed them.The human sighed. “Don’t do that. It’s fucking creepy.”“Do what?”“Stop smiling,” Lauren laughed. “You have blood all over your teeth,” she cleaned the rest of the blood off the mutant’s face, quelling the urge to shove the ragged cloth over Artemis’s mouth; whether it were the blood-thirsty grin or what she felt from it, she couldn’t say.She silently snorted. Tom would never let her hear the end of this ...

10 comments 10
Read story

“The Note.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #81

Zavier tightened his helmet strap and put on his cycling gloves. He did a quick check for his keys and wallet then swung his leg over his pride and joy, his beloved cycle. Javier had only been in the U.K. for six months, he didn’t know may people and his bike helped him remember his home, he had cycled everywhere there and the first thing he did when arriving in the U.K. was search for a suitable bike to purchase.It was 7.30am, early enough to call in for a coffee. Zavier set off for work weaving in and out of the traffic. He had been lucky ...

3 comments 3
Read story

“A calculated risk” by Noja Lina

Submitted to Contest #81

It’s been a while since I went on a date. Can’t say there haven’t been a few opportunities, but not really ones I was willing to pursue. People around me say I play it safe too much, that I won’t enjoy life if I’m always so cautious. They’re not wrong, but they’re not right either. I chose the safer options for major life decisions and I haven’t regretted any such decision so far. With relationships and hookups however, I admit I often wonder what would’ve happened if I had taken a gamble in some of those cases, but it’s not like those t...

5 comments 5
Read story

“Appaloosa” by Holly Fister

Submitted to Contest #81

Silky blonde strands whipped around a gently freckled face, momentarily blocking dark blue eyes before leaping into another wild dance. Long, slender fingers reached for the door handle, alighted, then retreated.“Don’t rock the boat,” she said out loud, hand hovering midway between her body and the restaurant door. “No, you should jump out of the boat. Go swimming!”Someone sighed behind her. “You can do it, sweetie,” said an older woman.“Oh, right. Sorry.” She grabbed the handle and swung the door open with gusto, stepping int...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Willow” by Jakin Files

Submitted to Contest #81

The water was just right. Waves crashed on the shore as ferociously as a small ripple on a lake can. Leaves rustled in the nearby trees. Light suddenly erupted from the sky, as the sun broke free of the now, vanishing clouds. Fletcher carried the last of the supplies to the dinghy, that sat half in the water. He took care in placing all items so that the boat would sit even and balanced on the water. The last thing he wanted was for it to capsize. Standing erect once more, he licked his forefinger and raised it just above his head. He nodded...

9 comments 9
Read story

“A Shot at a Date” by Morgan Douglas

Submitted to Contest #81

Romance was hard to come by for Florence, most of the time her dates didn’t get far past the first one. For three years she had decided to put her heart in a box when it came to dating. She simply thought she wasn’t ready to try again. Instead, she focused on her single life, putting her needs first. Thinking that if she explored her own self that she would figure out what she wanted in her love life when she was willing to go back on the hunt for a lover. Thinking that maybe this next time she would explore her bisexuality and try dating bo...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Magnetism” by David Taylor

Submitted to Contest #81

I've got to say, I was not expecting an outcome like this. In fact, I was completely bracing for a catastrophic failure and for me and my good friend, Felicity, to become the comedy duo for therapeutic purposes like we usually do, but it seems Eastern-Western Eyes and Ears would sit this one out this time. So, I have this coworker that I became excellent friends with at our company. His name is Rowan Soul and he couldn't anymore divorced from his name than if he was born from a scorpion and a vampire, at least initially. I was the plucky, 21...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Courting” by Colin Devonshire

Submitted to Contest #81

“It is great to see you smiling,” said Garth, beaming, his straight white teeth flashing in the glare of spotlights. “Yes, I was not sure I could ever be happy again. You can't believe the relief I feel,” Alice said. Cameras clicked, journalists called out questions as the police allowed the happy pair through the throng of eager news reporters looking for an unexpected scoop. “Please, may I buy you lunch?” asked Garth. “Now you’ve finished your job, don’t you have to go back to the office?”  “As a new partner in BA Scots...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Stood Up” by Alex Carmen

Submitted to Contest #81

I check my phone for the third time. Randy should be here by now, this is the third time he missed a date. The first two times I understood, his mom needed him and then his cousin needed him, but this time he promised me that he would be here.  It was our anniversary for God’s sake, why would he miss one of the most important days of our relationship? The tiny pessimistic voice in the back of my head whispered, Maybe he’s cheating on you. Maybe he doesn’t want you anymore and found another person. I shoved those thoughts away, trying t...

13 comments 13
Read story

“Pink & Blue ” by Nikita Linivenko

Submitted to Contest #81

Felix goes by Felicia now. They pumped his chest with silicone or something, though they bounce natural enough. Maybe they got something more natural now. I make a note to ask him later. He still has his John Holmes though, thank God, like two coke cans stacked together. We’d sometimes hang after school and I’d fantasize about doing to him what those two blokes did to Joey Lauren Adams in Chasing Amy that got Ben Affleck all bent outta shape. It’s been half a decade, but when I saw him at the mall last week, I thought, eh, fuckit.  As f...

9 comments 9
Read story

“I need you, I want you, I love you” by Britt Michielsen

Submitted to Contest #81

“I really thought our date was going to be a bit more fancy”, I say with a smirk on my face, looking at the ground. There’s a red and white blanket covering the grass, two plates and a big pizza on top of it. “Oh, don’t act like you don’t love it because I know for a fact that you do,” he says back to me and I roll my eyes. I’m a pretty simple girl, so I actually like this way better than going out to dinner in a fancy restaurant. But obviously, I’m not going to tell him that. I’m kind of curious though. Was it just a lucky guess, or did he ...

1 comment 1
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship.

Romance – 247 stories

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Romance – 168 stories

Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Romance – 181 stories

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Romance – 159 stories

Contest #81

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Candy Hearts

$50

Prize money

916

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 19, 2021 EST

Won by Molly Quinnell 🏆

Title: Golden Cheekbones and the Rising Sun

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢