Awkward Date

You check the time. Perfect. As intended, you’ve arrived fashionably late. You see your date sitting at the table. She is checking her phone. She doesn’t look annoyed that you’re a bit late but she’s obviously noticed. That’s good. You’ve got her attention but now you can make your entrance.

“Emma?” you say as you approach the table as this is the first time the two of you are meeting in person despite seeing pictures online.

“Oh hey,” she says with a friendly tone and doesn’t seem bothered that you weren’t on time. “Good to see you. Have a seat.”

She has blond hair with red highlights. It’s a bit curly in places and is on the shorter side but it’s not too short. She’s pretty which is good – her pictures looked good but you know people can make their pictures look a lot better than they actually look in real life. 

“So just so you know,” she says. “I like both men and women. I know my profile doesn’t make that clear. But I like them equally and don’t even have a preference on one on the other – just want someone cool to hang out with. So you’re totally cool.”

You’re glad to hear that. The two of you check the menus and small talk a bit. The waitress comes by, smiles, and takes your orders. 

“Ugh, this is going to be a long time before we get served,” Emma says. “I can tell. Worked in the service industry a long time ago. We’re gonna have to do something to pass the time. Want to arm-wrestle?”

You weren’t expecting that. Seems like a weird thing to ask someone on a first date, especially at a restaurant. But she seems cool and it makes it seem more natural. She’s already getting her arm ready so you can tell she really wants to. She puts her right arm on the table in position and now you’ll feel like a coward if you refuse. 

“Come on,” she says as she wiggles her fingers. “Loser buys dinner for both, how about that?”

You put your arm on the table and feel her soft hand as you lock hands. If nothing else, you’re not expecting a woman to be that strong. The match begins. She takes control of your arm immediately, just laughing casually as she does so like it’s no big deal, although you’re putting quite a bit of effort into it. 

Suddenly you feel like you really want to win. You can’t start out this early with your date showing she’s stronger than you. If she does, she’s going to set the tone that she’s the dominant one in this relationship, wherever it may go. But your increased effort just causes some pain in your bicep and you can’t move her arm back up.

Now you’re frustrated but trying not to show it while she’s smiling and having fun. You both stay in that same position for a bit longer before she starts to push your arm down more. She’s enjoying herself while you are embarrassed. You notice another couple is now watching and looking curious who is going to win.

Emma pushes your arm down more. You feel her feminine hand squeezing yours as she does. Your arm starts to shake a bit. She has your arm down more than halfway. You look at how hard it is going to be just to get her arm back up to neutral from where it is, never mind actually take the advantage. It’s starting to sink in that your date is going to beat you, as much as you don’t want that to happen.

You peek over at the other couple who is still watching, smiling as they await to see if your date is going to finish you off. Emma brings your arm down most of the way and you curl your wrist just delaying the inevitable. Maybe she’ll just say ‘forget it’ before actually finishing you off and then she won’t actually win. But you have no such luck and she pushes your hand to the table, defeating you, and showing that she is stronger than you.

“Good match,” she says with a friendly tone as she shakes your hand although you can tell that she feels superior now that she has beaten you. “You put up a good fight.”

The date continues and there’s no more talk about the arm-wrestling match after that. Emma is funny and easy to talk to and the two of you seem to be hitting it off great. She does seem a bit arrogant about letting you take care of the bill, knowing that it’s on you because she beat you. In the parking lot you don’t kiss but you share a hug.

“I had a blast tonight,” she says. “Definitely call me again, OK?”

You do. And you text her. And you message her on the dating site that you met on. But she’s not responding to you. It’s disappointing as you liked her but had gotten your hopes up for nothing like you always do. 

You sit down at the table for your first date with the next girl you’ve met online, Megan. Megan is a more traditional looking woman, dark straight hair, tan skin, pretty blue eyes, and she looks shy. She’ll probably be much more your type anyway than Emma was. You’ve only said a few words to Megan when you see Emma walking towards with another date.

“Oh hey,” Emma says to you with an arrogant tone and she grabs her date’s arm tightly. “Sorry I never responded to all of those times you called and texted me. How have you been?”

“I’ve been good,” you say. You feel embarrassed that Emma has made you look bad in front of your date and it doesn’t help when you look at Megan to see she looks embarrassed for you.

“Well since I’m here, do you want an arm-wrestling rematch?” Emma says. “Get a chance to redeem yourself?”

You look at Megan to see her reaction.

“Take her down,” Megan says to you.

Emma pulls up a chair and the two of you lock your right hands in the arm-wrestling position. You need to really focus this time as you can’t lose in front of Megan. If you can just get an early advantage you think you should be able to beat her. She beat you last time but it didn’t feel like she was that much stronger than you.

The match begins and Emma takes the advantage right away. It doesn’t matter how much your focus or how determined you are, because she is stronger than you. She is taking your arm down with more ease than she did the last time. You’re really struggling. Emma’s laughing. Her date is laughing. You feel the pain in your forearm and bicep from being overpowered as Emma pushed your hand to the table for another victory. She stands up and this time doesn’t offer to shake your hand. 

“Definitely call me again, OK?” Emma says to you with a laugh as she takes her date’s arm and walks away. You look at Megan who looks comfortable. This is going to be an awkward date.