Charlie Discovers Online Dating
After countless nights out and wondering around Tesco’s late at night hoping Mr Right and I would casually bump into each other in the Wine section; where I fantasised our eyes would meet, and he would comment on how Rosé was his favourite choice of wine too and how maybe we should share a bottle sometime. I quickly realised this wasn’t going to happen and that the only people I found in the section were smelly alcoholics; whilst I developed a terrible habit of buying a bottle of wine a night. I’d done the disappointing blind dates with a friend of a friend and sat through the awkwardness of me not having the slightest bit of attraction to their loser mates. I often thought that some of my friends were doing this as an excuse; to show off there wonderful partners and to remind me of what was actually left in our dwinderling friendship. I often spent my time in these situations thinking in my head some terrible thoughts, like I wondered what they would do if I just got my coat, walked up and snogged their boyfriends and left. That would serve them right for the time they’d wasted on reminding me that actually, I do not know one decent looking and smelling guy.
I was doomed to a life of my mother reminding me of my failings and reminding me how all my friends cousins and the world, basically had settled down and had babies…. and what was wrong with me?! Oh and don’t get me started on the single disease; yes ladies and gentleman, in Charlie’s world being single had turned into some kind of disease. Not literally of course; well it’s not yet listed in the medical dictionary; but my world and the people in it seem to think that because I am half attractive and now in my mid twenties (yes I have turned 25) there must be something wrong with me.
I couldn’t get what Isabella had said to me out of my head, was my Mr Right online? I’d always thought that online dating was for geeks who had no ability to converse with people or people who couldn’t leave the house, not someone like Isabella. She was too cool for that. I mean she could have anyone, male or female. So I thought I’d give it a go. I needed to brush up on my dating techniques anyway. So I trawled the internet looking for a site where the people looked normal and it was easy to use. I hated having to fill in all these compatibility BullS**t tests and countless questions. So I filled in my profile put a few pics on and had a good look through the potential dates. God, there’s more choice here than any bar I’ve been in recently. This is great! I’m shopping online for a man and as I love shopping online, I can’t fail.
I wake up the next morning surprised to find my inbox full of potential dates; and they’re not losers they’re doctors, solicitors and business owners. God even my mother would be happy with this lot! I spend the next couple of hours replying and feeling good that at last my luck was changing. When people say you meet people in life for a reason, I really believe that I met Isabella that night for a reason. To tell me what I’d been missing....
