“Well, there’s this really cool music festival in this little hippy-dippy town about an hour upstate, and I was hoping you would come with me. It’s a really fun atmosphere, great for people watching. Are you into music?” he asked.
“Into music?” she repeated incredulously. “Sure.”
“Awesome.”
William didn’t come in a Porsche or ask her to drive to their date. He led her over to an eight-year old Jeep that he explained he had bought when he graduated from high school—his dream car he said—after saving his part-time job money since he was sixteen. After college, he worked in the corporate world for a while until he decided that it wasn’t for him. Now he worked as a personal trainer and owned a small gym in Trenton. He was an outdoor kind of guy, and was into hunting, hiking, and camping.
“So if we ever get stranded on a deserted island, I can count on you to keep us alive until we get rescued, right?” said Jasmine cheekily.
“You betcha.” He winked. “Actually, I have a YouTube channel where I demonstrate basic bushcraft and—“
“Bush-what?”
“Bushcraft. Wilderness survival skills. I made some videos showing people how to make axes and knives from stone. Sometimes people find themselves in a dire situation without any tools. I teach people how to build shelter or start a fire without matches.”
Jasmine widened her eyes, totally impressed. “Without matches?”
“Not everyone comes into the woods prepared, especially in emergency situations.”
“True. Can you hunt
with bow and arrow?”
“Yesserie.”
“What do you usually hunt?”
“Mostly rabbits. Pheasants, wild turkeys. White tails.”
“White tails?”
“Deer. Do you like game?”
“I’ve tried venison steak a couple times. Not a big fan.”
“Maybe you never had one that was properly processed. If you’re interested, we should go camping sometime. Are you adventurous?”
She wrinkled her nose. “The most adventurous thing I’ve done was ordering Hawaiian pizza. But hey, never say never. Maybe with the right partner in crime, I might try stuff like that.”
He smiled. “Perfect. I’ll have you converted into a survivalist in no time.”
They spent the entire ride talking and laughing, sharing childhood stories and swapping silly jokes. He was so easy to talk to and far more relaxed than either of the other two dates. He had a laugh that warmed her heart and when he smiled extra wide, there were two perfect dimples in his cheeks. At the festival, they walked around, taking in the quirky local culture and swaying to the fantastic performances onstage. As they passed through the crowds, William introduced her to various friends and acquaintances; endlessly thoughtful and kind to everyone they spoke to. As the day wore on, they began talking about their dreams and aspirations, comparing personal anecdotes and philosophies. He bought them both ice cream cones from a vendor and they sat in the soft grass, listening to the music and enjoying each other’s company.
William was perfect: tall, gorgeous, low-key, and great to hang out with. Jasmine hadn’t laughed this much in ages, and she began wondering what the catch was. And when he gave her a respectful, chaste kiss at the end of the night before dropping her off at her apartment, she realized what it was.
There was no spark.
Not a romantic one, anyway. She realized why it was so easy to hang out with him— it was almost like spending time with Enzo, her best friend. William didn’t intimidate her because the only chemistry she felt with him was purely platonic. Despite his astonishing good looks and fantastic personality, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that they were meant to have a solid friendship rather than a whirlwind romance.
But as she crawled into bed that night she wondered if maybe this was what she was doing wrong all along—she was looking for something that simply didn’t exist. Perhaps there was no Prince Charming to scoop her up on a white horse and ride off into a fairy tale sunset. Maybe a good, strong friendship was meant to be the basis for a good, strong romance.
Besides, she reasoned as she drifted off to sleep, this was only the first date. Maybe there was still a chance that the spark would kindle later on… right?
Six
Duada watched over the top of his glasses from his vantage point of a bus stop down the street as Jasmine and William exchanged a kiss. He had been trying to keep his attention on the magazine he was reading, particularly because the glamour he was using to keep his presence discrete relied on him being able to concentrate, but he kept finding his gaze drifting up to the two of them.
For the first time in what felt like centuries, Duada wasn’t sure what he felt as he watched the brief kiss the two of them exchanged.