Love at First Date by Susan Hatler Read Free Book Online Page A

Geoff.”
    Due to the sadly hopeful look on his face, I accepted the bouquet even though it dawned on me that he’d falsified his photo.
    “You’re welcome.” He flushed, bowed his head, then met my eyes. “The picture I posted on Detailed Dating is actually of me, I swear. I just used a photo editor to make myself look more how a woman would want me to.”
    Okay, his admission tugged at my sympathetic side. It did. But, I wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “You’ve covered the way you think a date would want you to look , but how honest would she want you to be?”
    He looked confused. “I don’t follow you.”
    “There’s zero chance of this going anywhere. Any possibility went out the window when you put up that phony photo.” I watched his shoulders slump. “A good relationship can’t come out of deceit.”
    His brows came together. “But, I’d never get a date with a girl like you otherwise.”
    I thought of Henry, his beautiful gray eyes, and my insides warmed. Admittedly, every girl probably wouldn’t find him as sexy as I did. He didn’t have that model look like Dillon that made him universally hot, but I felt so attracted to him it was hard to think straight. Surely, someone would feel that way about the man across from me.
    “That’s an absolute and total copout, Geoff.” I stabbed my index finger on the table as I made my point. “Besides, why would you want to be with someone who wouldn’t want to be with the real you?”
    The look on his face told me he’d never considered that.
    “You could be a nice guy. In fact, you probably are.” I sighed, tightened my doggy-mangled purse on my shoulder, and stood. “So, I’ll give you some free advice. Put up an authentic photo of yourself, be honest with any potential date, and don’t settle for someone who doesn’t want you for exactly who you are.”
    He nodded to me. “I’ll try. Thanks, Ellen.”
    “You’re welcome.” The last of my irritation melted away and I turned to leave. “Best of luck.”
    “Before you go, can I buy you a coffee?” When I gave him a skeptical look, he raised his palms. “Just as friends?”
    Deciding he was a decent guy with a few insecurities, I sat back down. “Sure.”
    Geoff ordered at the counter, returned to the table, and began fiddling with his stir straw. He appeared lost in thought as he twirled it again and again.
    I sipped my latte and the hot liquid rolled down my throat. “Something wrong?”
    “What you said before? About a person liking me for who I am?” He bent the straw, then straightened. “There’s this girl. My neighbor, actually.” A smile played at his lips. “I’ve been wanting to ask her out for a while, but my brother thinks she’s out of my league . . . ”
    Nice sibling. No wonder Geoff was insecure. “Really?”
    “I think about her a lot.”
    “Do you think she likes you back?” My voice had an encouraging tone. “You know, likes you exactly the way you are?”
    “I’m not sure. She offered to help me with my laundry last week. Yesterday, she stopped by to see if I needed anything from the store. She smiles a lot.”
    “Sounds like she’s got it bad for you.” Wait . . . he liked her and she felt the same, but he didn’t ask her out? It made no sense. “Don’t let your brother’s negativity influence you. Ask her out.”
    He fingered his straw. “But Sean, my brother, fell hard for a girl last year. When he built up the guts to ask her on a date, she laughed in his face. It crushed him.”
    “Wow. That’s a shame,” I said, thinking how brutal that girl had been, with lasting effects on Sean and now his brother. “Geoff, you can’t avoid asking her out because some other girl was rude. Just because it didn’t go well for Sean, doesn’t mean it won’t be great for you. Every relationship is different. You should follow your heart and give this person a chance.”
    His eyes lit up hopefully. “You think?”
    “Absolutely,” I said,