Blind Date or Blind Fate?

           “Have you ever questioned why life is so complicated?” Jessica asked her best friend, Patricia, (or Patty to her friends). “I mean, why can’t we just get up each day, do what we need to do to survive, and then come home to the perfect family with no concern over what issues may cause the other person to be in a bad mood that day? Do you know what I mean, Patty?”

           Patty nodded in agreement with a simple, “Uh-huh,” being uttered from her mouth.

           “How do you and Bob do it, Patty? You two seem perfect together. I can’t say that I had ever seen you guys fight more than once in the years that you have been together! How long has it been now?”

           “We dated for just over a year, and we have been married for coming up on ten years,” Patty replied. “Please, don’t believe for a second that it has been all rainbows and roses! We have had our rough spots too, but you learn to adapt to your spouse over time, even if you don’t fully agree with what they say or do. It is easier to agree and move on than it is to spend hours or even days arguing over something that you would probably forget about before the fight ends.”

           “Well, you guys sure put on a good act then. I would love to have a man to come home to each day. Someone I could share my dreams and aspirations with. Someone that could hold me when I need a comforting hand or shoulder to cry on. The problem is, most of the guys that I’ve dated over the years have turned out to be real losers. For example, do you remember Chuck, the car salesman? He was more interested in selling me one of the jalopies off of the car lot than our date. Then there was James! Oh, James seemed perfect at first. He was a perfect gentleman all evening and took me out to a nice dinner at a mid-level restaurant, not overly extravagant, but nice. Unfortunately, his wife was there having dinner with a client of hers at the same time. Needless to say, there was no second date. Of course, who can forget Paul? I thought I won the jackpot with him! He was a successful investment broker, good looking, and well educated. We spent the evening discussing all sorts of subjects and found many similar interests. I stopped hearing from him after a couple of days, and then three days after, I saw his picture on the news. He was arrested for embezzling hundreds-of-thousands of dollars from unsuspecting women. I would have been victim #12 if he wasn’t caught. I think that I’m through with men for good. I truly believe that all of the good ones are taken.”

           Patty continued to nod as she looked down towards her cellphone, occasionally letting out an, “uh-huh” in agreement.

           “Are you even listening to me?” Jessica bellowed in protest. “Did you hear a single word I said, Patty?”

           “Uh-huh,” was all she got in response. Jessica jumped up out of her seat and stormed off.

           “Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk,” Patty replied, oblivious of the previous conversation.

           Johnny, along with his best friend, Peter, (nicknamed Pickles for his addiction to baby dill pickles), cruised the local strip in Johnny’s ’67 Chevrolet Camaro. It was a slick-looking machine, all black except for a pair of white racing stripes that started at the front of the hood and continued to the back of the rear spoiler. Heads turned as Johnny revved up the car’s 502 horsepower V-8 engine. He called it his “Chick Magnet”, but in truth, Johnny was growing tired of the single life. He wanted a more stable relationship. One that didn’t require so much drama.

           Pickles hung his head out the window like an excited dog as the car raced down the street at breakneck speed. Johnny knew that Pickles was a bit of a deterrent when it came to picking up women, but they had been friends since third grade, and he wasn’t ready to give up on the brother-like bond that they shared. The car slowed down as they approached a trio of attractive women strutting their way along the sidewalk, and when they pulled up alongside, the girls looked over. At first, they were impressed by the beast of a car, then they noticed Johnny and smiled. Just then, Pickles turned the moment sour by yelling out, “Hey babes, are you looking for a couple of hot studs to spend the night with?” The women paused, then burst out laughing before changing direction and walking away.

           Johnny wasn’t upset with his friend. He wasn’t really in the mood for their company that night. “Thanks, buddy,” Johnny said to his friend. “What do you say we grab a slice of pizza? I have something I want to talk to you about.” The two stopped at “Guido’s Pizzaria” on Jackson Boulevard and sat at a booth in a quiet part of the restaurant.

           Johnny swallowed down his first bite and began to speak. “I’m done with picking up all of these women Pickles,” to which Pickles gasped, spewing pieces of pepperoni and tomato sauce onto the table in front of Johnny.

           “I’m serious, man! This whole different woman every night crap isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be my friend. I want to find someone who isn’t after me because of my looks or the car I drive; I want to find someone who shares my interests and that I can bring to meet my family, you know?”

           Pickles stared at his friend in disbelief. The remnants of his pizza slice quivering in limbo between his lips. Finally, Pickles set down the pizza, wiped his face, cleared his throat, and began to reply.

           “Johnny, we have known each other for a very long time. I have seen you go through more women than I have gone through underwear, and I was envious of you in most of those situations. I kept thinking of what it would be like to be you for just one day, and here you’ve gone and washed away my fantasy. How am I supposed to live vicariously through you, if you are just like the other guys I know? They are all married off with kids now. You were my last hope. How can you do this to me, Johnny?”

           Johnny let Peter finish his rant and he tried his best not to chuckle at the absurd reasoning of his friend.

           “So, are you going to help me, or what? Best friend in the whole, wide world? You know that I’m not wise enough to make decisions on my own. You are my voice of reason. So, what do you say? Can you help me figure this out?”

           “Ya, ya. Don’t try buttering me up you schmuck. You know I’ve always got your back. I do have a couple of suggestions if you want to hear them?”

           “Yes,” Johnny stated. “Very much so. What did you have in mind?”

           “Okay, first tell me what characteristics you are looking for in your future bride,” Peter asked.

           “Well, let’s see… She would need to be my age or close to it, my height or shorter, but not too short, independent, somewhat educated, and share some common interests. I’m looking for a long-term relationship with someone faithful and loving. How does that sound, Pete?”

           “Have you considered finding a woman at church?” he retorted. “Seriously though, the bar scene and club scene are out. You won’t find anything long-term there. You can try walking around grocery stores. Women like men who show an interest in shopping and cooking, right? You could take up dog walking. You could also try online dating. Some sites are designated for long-term relationships. Maybe we can post something on there and see what happens.” Johnny didn’t think that he could trust people that he met online, so he opted out of that suggestion.

           “Wait a minute!” Pickles declared. “I happen to know a girl who was just telling me about her girlfriend that is also looking Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now. Why don’t we set up a night that we can all get together for drinks or something?”

           Johnny pictured that this friend Pickles spoke of was probably a geek like him, so he assumed that her friend was most likely a geek too. Johnny was apprehensive, but for his friend’s sake, he agreed to go along.

           Meanwhile, Jessica’s friend, Patty had just finished reading through her text messages that she had received from a boy she knew, and she exuberantly grabbed onto Jessica’s arm and sat her down into the chair beside her.

           “Your problems are solved, Jessie. I just heard from a friend that his best friend is looking for a serious relationship, and they want to know if we want to meet them for drinks, so what do you think? Are you willing to go? Pickles, I mean my friend, Peter says that this guy is super nice and good looking too.”

           Jessica felt rather pressured, but for Patty’s sake, she agreed. They made plans to meet at a quiet pub on the outskirts of town at 8:30 PM.

           The pub was ironically named, “Blind Fate”. It was quaint and a little off the beaten path, so not as popular as the bars closer to downtown. Johnny and Pickles arrived first and grabbed a booth away from the jukebox so they would be able to hear their conversations. Pickles watched the door intently for Patty and her friend to arrive. Less than ten minutes later, Pickles spotted Patty and began to wave wildly. As he stood up, his legs bumped the table spilling the glasses of water slightly. Johnny, expecting to see a geek, was surprised to see the woman who followed Patty in. She stood confidently at five-feet-eight-inches tall. Her wavy, blond hair danced across her shoulders as she whisked it away from her face. Her lips were full and beautiful coated with a pink shade of lipstick. Her eyes were an emerald green that seemed to swallow Johnny as she caught sight of him.

           Jessica slowly entered the bar, hoping to get the night over with. She assumed that this guy was going to be another loser to add to her list of horror stories for later in life. She was pleasantly surprised, however, when she looked toward the table where a goofy-looking nerd in glasses stood waving frantically, and she saw a dashing, dark-haired man in his early thirties with a muscular physique, blue eyes, and an eye-catching smile slowly beginning to stand. As the women approached the table, Pickles began the introductions.

           “Hey, Patty. It’s been like forever since I saw you last. How’s Bob? I want you to meet my best bud in the whole world, Johnny Watson.” Johnny reached out and shook Patty’s hand.

           Then it was Patty’s turn. “It’s nice to meet you, Johnny. I want to introduce you both to my best friend, Jessica.” Pickles waved at Jessica and said, “Hey!” Johnny reached out and gracefully took Jessica’s hand in both of his hands, saying, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jessica.” They continued to hold hands for a few moments longer than what Patty and Pickles thought was comfortable. Pickles interrupted by saying, “Are you gals ready to order? I’m starved! Did you want some snack food?” Patty watched as Johnny and Jessica gazed into each other’s eyes, and then she elbowed Pickles in the ribs before saying, “Why don’t we go see if they have any deep-fried pickles here Petey?”, then she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away before he could answer.

           Johnny and Jessica sat down and soon started into a deep conversation about various subjects. They each felt that they would like to get to know more about the other, but were also apprehensive about dating again and being disappointed later on. Twenty minutes had passed, and neither Pickles nor Patty had returned to the table. The waiter soon arrived with drinks and a message from their friends telling them to enjoy the evening. Patty and Pickles had left in Patty’s car, so Johnny would need to drive Jessica home. The couple stared at each other and smiled coyly. “I guess were are on our own,” Johnny stated. “In a way, I’m glad though. I am enjoying our conversation free from Pickles’ constant interruptions.”

           The evening of drinks and an enlightening conversation continued for another two hours before Johnny offered to take Jessica home. As they approached Johnny’s car, Jessica stopped. “Is that a 1965 Camaro?”, she enquired.

           Shocked, Johnny replied, “You know your cars! I’m impressed. Honestly, I was thinking about selling it. I don’t need a muscle car. It certainly isn’t very practical.”

           “Oh, please don’t sell it. This is a beautiful machine. My Daddy had one just like this when I was a kid, except that his car was red.”

           Johnny shocked himself this time when he asked Jessica, “Would you like to drive?” This would be the first time that anyone other than Johnny had driven the car since he bought it. Jessica grabbed the keys excitedly from Johnny’s hand and hopped behind the wheel without saying another word. “I guess I will take that as a yes then?”, he said sarcastically. Jessica fired up the engine as Johnny climbed into the passenger seat for the first time and fastened his seatbelt. “Are you sure you can handle such a powerful car?” Johnny asked as he considered the possible damage to his car and the risk to their lives.

           Jessica turned to Johnny and smiled a devilish grin, then said, “Hold on baby. I’m about to see what this puppy can do.” She dropped the transmission into first gear, revved up the engine, and eased off of the clutch, sending the rear tires spinning a smoky path behind them. Johnny looked around for something to grab onto. He had driven this way before, so he knew the car could handle it, but this was the first time that he wasn’t in control and it scared him to the point that he thought that he may need to change his underwear later. Jessica laughed at the terrified look on Johnny’s face and decided to slow down before he lost his mind. The rest of the way back into town was slow and steady. When she pulled up in front of her house, Johnny stopped her from getting out of the car. He quickly ran around to the driver’s side and opened the door for her then took her hand to help her out of the car. Jessica was so thrilled at this show of gallantry, that she offered for Johnny to come inside for a drink.

           “Thank you, but I am going to pass. I had such an amazing time with you tonight, and I am hoping to see you again. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression by me coming in. I would truly like to take things slow and see how it goes. Is that okay with you?”

           “I would like that very much, Johnny.”, she replied as she kissed him gently on the cheek. Johnny pulled her in for a hug, then said goodnight and left for the evening.

           Days turned into weeks, which became months, and still, their relationship continued to grow stronger. Each moment they spent together seemed to add to the lasting memories of their future. Two people who once were downtrodden from past relationships, and had given up on ever finding true love, now stood arm-in-arm with one another discussing plans for their upcoming marriage. Love is there, not for those who are searching for it, but for those who are lucky enough to have fate to guide them down the right path.