Afternoon Delight - By Mia Zachary Page 0,32

and a close relationship with my family. Now I’m looking for a woman who’s open to a traditional long-term commitment.

Please answer this e-mail soon.

DumpsterKing1

Rei made a face at the monitor as she deleted the message. It sounded like the King was pretty desperate. She’d dated a guy like him once. “Close relationship with family” likely meant he lived with his mother. “Looking for a traditional long-term commitment” probably meant he was anxious to marry someone else who would cook for him and do his laundry.

She opened the next e-mail, this one from Shy-GuyinSF.

Hello,

My name is Carter. This is my first time using a dating service. From your profile, you seem like a nice person.

Would you like to have lunch sometime? If so, just let me know when. I look forward to meeting you.

Carter didn’t seem that shy to her. In fact, she admired the simple honesty of his message and the courage it took to make contact with a stranger. However, she wasn’t about to lead him on by having lunch with him, not when she didn’t really want to get involved. She mentally wished him well as she deleted that message, too.

The next message was more like a form letter, using the exact wording from the list of introductory icebreakers that Lunch Meetings had provided.

Hello, RLD49

In order to get to know each other, I’d like to ask you the following questions:

1) Describe some personal habits that are important to you.

2) During a typical week, what physical activities do you enjoy?

3) What do you like to do on your day off?

And to show my willingness to be open, I’ll share my answers:

1) It’s important to me that a woman be clean shaven and that she doesn’t swear.

2) I’m not really into exercise, but I do have a treadmill in the basement

3) I like to go bird watching or visit a museum.

I can’t wait to read your answers and I hope we can have lunch soon.

SD1975

It would be a long wait. SD1975 seemed creepier than DumpsterKing1. Why ask about physical activity if he didn’t do any? Besides, she wasn’t sure whether clean shaven referred to her chin or points south. Maybe P.J. shouldn’t invest after all. With a sigh, Rei opened the last e-mail.

TO: RLD49

FROM: DCL3

HI THERE

I hope you had a good day. Mine was pretty great—I got some news at work.

Listen, I know the computer says we’re compatible, but maybe we should judge that for ourselves? If it’s okay with you, I’d like us to get to know each other a little via e-mail first.

What do you think?

Rei smiled at the computer screen, relieved that DCL3 seemed normal. His message conveyed an easy-going charm, as if they were already old friends just touching base at the start of the week. She shouldn’t answer him though, for the same reasons she didn’t reply to Carter. Why waste everyone’s time if she wasn’t looking for a relationship?

She read the message again. Then again, if she were going to help P.J. with her decision, maybe she ought to find out more. She could always break things off as soon as they went too far. She composed a quick reply, in what she hoped was the same friendly tone, and clicked “send.”

7

“SO, UH, HOW’S everything going, son? You doing okay?”

“Yeah, Dad. I’m fine. How about you?”

Chris wrinkled his brow in confusion. David had called him out of the blue, apparently to chat. His father never chatted. When they spoke it was always a brief, stilted conversation about a specific topic like asking for help with a home improvement project or what to get Gabriel for his birthday.

“I’m good, I’m good. Uh, how’s business?”

“Lunch Meetings is doing great, thanks. So, what’s up?”

David cleared his throat. “I haven’t seen you in awhile. I thought maybe we could get together. Maybe meet at that sports bar you like.”

His brows arched toward his forehead. His father was not a big sports fan, nor was he one to hang out in bars. But now his curiosity was aroused. “Sure, Dad. How about Thursday night for happy hour?”

“Sounds good. So, uh, okay then. I’ll see you there.”

Chris hung up the phone and decided that both of his parents were acting weird. He wondered if his father had somehow found out that Jeanna was dating again. The idea of permanently losing her to another man may have prompted a need to get closer to his kids. He’d check with his sisters later to see if David had called them, too.

Opening the