8 min read
Be My Valentine
February 14, 2017
Valentine's Day. A holiday, according to Reuben, used to promote fake, over dramatic ideals of love, relationships, and a day to make the chocolate and floral businesses flourish for a time. At least until today...
Reuben was out with Calista running some errands on a lunch break before returning to the shop. All he could see for a mile was people bustling to get their gifts for their loved ones. Pinks, reds, and whites lined every street. Items shaped as hearts, boxes of candy, balloons, and fluffy stuffed animals were in everyone's hands.
The tarotist knew to keep his attention on his work, not rifle with affairs of love or affection. He had a business to run. Sure, he'd find people cute here or there, and even have a fun time with someone on rare occasion; but there was nothing worse for a career than establishing a "lifelong" or even long term bond with someone else.
"You really need to download Tinder. I'm telling you, you could get a lot of dates if you just tried. You're an okay looking guy," Calista jested as she kept her eyes glued to her cell. "Swipe left, swipe left, swipe right. It's truly very simple," she concluded, sipping her coffee and following the motions she spoke as a new fellow's photograph popped up in place of the prior.
"Cali, you know I have no time or patience for an actual relationship," Reuben stated coldly, pushing forward. "Not anymore at least."
"Who said anything about a relationship?" she chuckled. Shaking her head, eyes still on her phone, she continued, "All I'm saying is that you should go out and have some fun. You've really delved into your work ever since you supposedly 'fucked up' the soul capture for Lab 305."
"I'd really rather not talk about that," he replied, rolling his eyes as they continued their walk down the street.
"Fine, we don't have to. But you really do need to do something else to get your mind off of your stresses. Shit, go get yourself a fuck buddy if nothing else." Another long sip, this time, with sound.
Reuben sighed. "If it'll get you to shut up, I'll go download the app."
Calista grinned, finally locking her phone screen and placing it in her pocket. "Good. But you have to know I'll never shut up."
Reuben was out with Calista running some errands on a lunch break before returning to the shop. All he could see for a mile was people bustling to get their gifts for their loved ones. Pinks, reds, and whites lined every street. Items shaped as hearts, boxes of candy, balloons, and fluffy stuffed animals were in everyone's hands.
The tarotist knew to keep his attention on his work, not rifle with affairs of love or affection. He had a business to run. Sure, he'd find people cute here or there, and even have a fun time with someone on rare occasion; but there was nothing worse for a career than establishing a "lifelong" or even long term bond with someone else.
"You really need to download Tinder. I'm telling you, you could get a lot of dates if you just tried. You're an okay looking guy," Calista jested as she kept her eyes glued to her cell. "Swipe left, swipe left, swipe right. It's truly very simple," she concluded, sipping her coffee and following the motions she spoke as a new fellow's photograph popped up in place of the prior.
"Cali, you know I have no time or patience for an actual relationship," Reuben stated coldly, pushing forward. "Not anymore at least."
"Who said anything about a relationship?" she chuckled. Shaking her head, eyes still on her phone, she continued, "All I'm saying is that you should go out and have some fun. You've really delved into your work ever since you supposedly 'fucked up' the soul capture for Lab 305."
"I'd really rather not talk about that," he replied, rolling his eyes as they continued their walk down the street.
"Fine, we don't have to. But you really do need to do something else to get your mind off of your stresses. Shit, go get yourself a fuck buddy if nothing else." Another long sip, this time, with sound.
Reuben sighed. "If it'll get you to shut up, I'll go download the app."
Calista grinned, finally locking her phone screen and placing it in her pocket. "Good. But you have to know I'll never shut up."
The evening came quickly and before Calista left back to Modesto, she forced Reuben to download the popular dating app and quickly showed him how to use it.
It didn't take long for Reuben to get the hang of it, swiping left and right on people became second nature. It wasn't like him to judge someone so superficially to think someone was a "good match" for him, but this was like a game. Those whom he swiped left on would never know. He spent a good portion of the evening going through the local men that popped up, one after another, on his screen.
As the night progressed, Reuben took a break, only to come back to a few matches and a couple messages. He dove into the messages quickly, probably too quickly and began to get a bit too personal early on and never received responses.
Finally, a message popped up from a guy named Evan, 28.
Reuben couldn't help but snoop a bit. Something about this man felt familiar. He had remembered swiping right, but only because he was in a swiping fit and hadn't really taken a deeper look into their photos or about me's. Now that he got a message, he decided to look a bit deeper.
The about me was very weak, in Reuben's opinion. A small blurb about him liking the outdoors, the fact that he's a bartender in Stockton, likes to dye his hair a multitude of colors constantly, and the fact that he owns a German Shepherd who he named Axel.
His photos, however, proved a bit of insight into the man's life. A couple selfies, quite cute; one with bright green, acid-esque hair, shirtless (abs for days), and the other with a cute little outfit and titanium-gray hair. Another was a photo of him and Axel lying on a bed together. And finally, his fourth and fifth picture were of him and this woman. One of them was a cutesy couple-esque photo of them hugging and acting "adorable" to the camera, something he could see a multitude of his gay friends doing with their girlfriends. The other was a shoddy photo of, what seemed to be them at Halloween last year.
Reuben's heart picked up pace as he glanced at that final photo. Both of their faces were done in Dia de los Muertos paint. The man's heart skipped a beat as he wished the photo was slightly less overexposed and a bit less dark overall to make it easier to make out. Obviously the photo was taken at night, and by the background lighting, it looked as though it was at the San Francisco Fairytale Fair. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach. Nerves overtook him and all he was doing was looking at his phone screen. This couldn't be the same man that sat with him on the bench that night, could it? Reuben couldn't remember what the man told him his name was, but this was promising.
Finally, after about twenty minutes of figuring out what to write back, Reuben decided it was time to respond. He knew he didn't want to overshare like he had been doing all night, but keeping it kind and to the point.
It didn't take long before Evan responded.
Reuben's heart dropped, this time in sadness and disappointment. 'My girlfriend'. What kind of shit was this? Tinder was a place for dating, right? Not for someone to go to make friends. With a heavy, saddened heart, Reuben couldn't help but continue the conversation, even if it wasn't going anywhere.
The responses slowed down, and it took Evan a good hour to respond. It was getting late, but Reuben was determined to stay up and continue to text this guy.
Reuben laid in his bed, light cascading down onto his face from the phone screen alone. A saddened facial expression was all he could muster. With a sigh, he clicked the lock button and laid it beside him, staring up at the ceiling in the pitch black room. A good few minutes of thinking later, he couldn't help but respond. Strangely enough, however, the topic of the Fairytale Fair hadn't come up yet. Maybe that was something he should ask about in person. Coffee was innocent, right? With little friends in his own personal life, he decided to just go with it.
Even with a saddened heart, Evan's number was placed into his phone and a date officially set for February eighteenth in the morning. This would be a nice little distraction from Lab 305 and work, even though they were to be just friends.
Reuben placed his phone to charge on his bedside table and rolled over, ready to sleep.
It didn't take long for Reuben to get the hang of it, swiping left and right on people became second nature. It wasn't like him to judge someone so superficially to think someone was a "good match" for him, but this was like a game. Those whom he swiped left on would never know. He spent a good portion of the evening going through the local men that popped up, one after another, on his screen.
As the night progressed, Reuben took a break, only to come back to a few matches and a couple messages. He dove into the messages quickly, probably too quickly and began to get a bit too personal early on and never received responses.
Finally, a message popped up from a guy named Evan, 28.
- From: Evan, 28
- Hey there. I'm diggin' your photos. How're you doing? What brings you to Tinder?
Reuben couldn't help but snoop a bit. Something about this man felt familiar. He had remembered swiping right, but only because he was in a swiping fit and hadn't really taken a deeper look into their photos or about me's. Now that he got a message, he decided to look a bit deeper.
The about me was very weak, in Reuben's opinion. A small blurb about him liking the outdoors, the fact that he's a bartender in Stockton, likes to dye his hair a multitude of colors constantly, and the fact that he owns a German Shepherd who he named Axel.
His photos, however, proved a bit of insight into the man's life. A couple selfies, quite cute; one with bright green, acid-esque hair, shirtless (abs for days), and the other with a cute little outfit and titanium-gray hair. Another was a photo of him and Axel lying on a bed together. And finally, his fourth and fifth picture were of him and this woman. One of them was a cutesy couple-esque photo of them hugging and acting "adorable" to the camera, something he could see a multitude of his gay friends doing with their girlfriends. The other was a shoddy photo of, what seemed to be them at Halloween last year.
Reuben's heart picked up pace as he glanced at that final photo. Both of their faces were done in Dia de los Muertos paint. The man's heart skipped a beat as he wished the photo was slightly less overexposed and a bit less dark overall to make it easier to make out. Obviously the photo was taken at night, and by the background lighting, it looked as though it was at the San Francisco Fairytale Fair. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach. Nerves overtook him and all he was doing was looking at his phone screen. This couldn't be the same man that sat with him on the bench that night, could it? Reuben couldn't remember what the man told him his name was, but this was promising.
Finally, after about twenty minutes of figuring out what to write back, Reuben decided it was time to respond. He knew he didn't want to overshare like he had been doing all night, but keeping it kind and to the point.
- To: Evan, 28
- Thank you, man. I have to say, you're quite the handsome fellow. I'm doing quite well, thank you; and yourself? I'm just here because of one of my friends. She told me I needed to get out of my element and find something new to do with my life aside from work. What about yourself?
It didn't take long before Evan responded.
- From: Evan, 28
- You're welcome. I'm also doing alright. Just here to pass the time, really. My girlfriend said that I need more guy friends and I shouldn't be home all the time when I'm not at work. So, I figured Tinder was the right option. Looks like we're in similar boats. Haha.
Reuben's heart dropped, this time in sadness and disappointment. 'My girlfriend'. What kind of shit was this? Tinder was a place for dating, right? Not for someone to go to make friends. With a heavy, saddened heart, Reuben couldn't help but continue the conversation, even if it wasn't going anywhere.
- To: Evan, 28
- Ah, I understand that. So, you're just here for friends, huh? I have to say that's a little disappointing. You're really cute.
The responses slowed down, and it took Evan a good hour to respond. It was getting late, but Reuben was determined to stay up and continue to text this guy.
- From: Evan, 28
- Hahah, sorry man, I'm not gay. Just here for friends. But you seem like a chill dude and I'd like to go to coffee this weekend if you want? Hell, I'll even buy! My girl is tired of me sitting at home with no life, lol.
Reuben laid in his bed, light cascading down onto his face from the phone screen alone. A saddened facial expression was all he could muster. With a sigh, he clicked the lock button and laid it beside him, staring up at the ceiling in the pitch black room. A good few minutes of thinking later, he couldn't help but respond. Strangely enough, however, the topic of the Fairytale Fair hadn't come up yet. Maybe that was something he should ask about in person. Coffee was innocent, right? With little friends in his own personal life, he decided to just go with it.
- To: Evan, 28
- Ah, damn, really? Well then, that changes everything. Umm, I don't normally go out to coffee with straight guys, but if you're offering a free drink, I'll take a green tea and whatever I can get. When's a good day for you?
- From: Evan, 28
- How about this weekend? Or next weekend? And if you want to get off this stupid app and text, my number is 887.1212.
- To: Evan, 28
- This weekend works. See you Saturday! And I'll text you.
Even with a saddened heart, Evan's number was placed into his phone and a date officially set for February eighteenth in the morning. This would be a nice little distraction from Lab 305 and work, even though they were to be just friends.
Reuben placed his phone to charge on his bedside table and rolled over, ready to sleep.