Ginger felt like a fool and worse, a cliche’, sitting on the couch in T-shirt and sweatpants, holding a half-empty carton of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy™ ice cream with The Notebook playing on the TV. When the phone rang she read the caller ID, muted the movie, and took a deep breath before answering.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Nothing, just… got home from a date.”
“Yeah. Internet-boy, uh, Fred. That was tonight.” As if you didn’t remember! she wanted to say but, of course, did not.
“Well, I think I can say I’ve been on the world’s most expensive first date. He flew here from Tuscon, rented a limo, brought me a bouquet of daisies, took me to Le Province for dinner….”
“Of course not, Mom. He’s at a hotel. He flies home in the morning.”
“Yes, I know what you told me. Meeting someone in person that you met on line is — Mom! He’s not an ax murderer or anything like that!”
“I don’t know, it was… awkward….”
“Mom, can we talk about this tomorrow?” Or even better, never again? Why couldn’t she just say that to her mother?
“Okay. I love you too. Bye”
Another spoonful of ice cream melted down her throat while a tear traced a path down her cheek. She turned the volume back up in time to hear Duke say, “I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul and for me that has always been enough.” Then her tears flowed freely.
Ginger had lied about the flowers. She was sure Fred knew that daisies are her favorite, but he arrived empty-handed. And she would never tell her mother she had paid for everything — the plane ticket, the car, the fancy restaurant, the hotel. But it wasn’t the money that made this date so expensive. Ginger was giving up hope that she would meet someone to love with all her heart and soul.
[Note: Learn more about Fred and Ginger here. ~Tim 6 Dec 2009]
Last week Estrella suggested I warn you if you might need tissues, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put a warning at the top of the story. Feel free to take one now if you need it….
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Ugh. I have had plenty of horrible first dates — enough to recognize that experience and relate to it! I never paid to bring someone into town though.
Very well done
Thanks! It seems like bad date stories are pretty universal although this one is a bit extreme. ~Tim
Thank you for the tissue though these are tears of anger at that CAD!
Before the anger there was laughter. The first paragraph was very amusing. Yes, there’s nothing worse than feeling like a cliche, heh.
She needs to get over this guy, regain her footing, and not give up! Perhaps her choice of Ben & Jerry’s ice creams should be Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road. Then she’d feel that “the batch is back!”
Enjoyed your story.
Thanks! You’re right that Fred comes off pretty badly. I think you gave great advice for Ginger. ~Tim
Lovely, and you’re sweet to mention my suggestion (where I was half kidding…) although this one wasn’t as sad as last week’s
)
I loved the conversation she had with her mother!
(gives me a great idea to type in conversations with my mom… she’s calling me right now… if only she didn’t know about my blog
Maybe it’s time to start a new blog that your mom doesn’t know about? ~Tim
Aw, poor Ginger. You’re giving her a really hard time lately!
The conversation with the mum was excellent, you can hear the mother’s words without them being there
Ginger will have a much better time in future flashes, I promise. [But maybe not as soon as next week....] I’m glad the phone conversation makes sense. I always worry about writing it one-sided like this. ~Tim
I liked the one-sided dialogue. Poor Ginger. Watching The Notebook is like adding insult to injury. Nicely done.
Thanks! Ginger will wallow in her misery for a while and then I’m sure she’ll bounce right back. ~Tim
They’re not all cads and axe murderers. But you do have to wonder about people meeting online. Does it ever work out?
Nice tone. I hope Ginger shakes it off and goes back out there….and maybe starts telling her mom a little less about her private life….
I have heard that meeting online sometimes works out. Maybe that was just in a commercial for an online service though…. Ginger will be fine in short order, but I can’t promise she’ll get on any better with her mother! ~Tim
The one-sided dialogue was exceptional! She needs to get a life though, and not spend so much money on losers.
Thanks! Getting a life is high on Ginger’s to-do list. ~Tim
I had no idea that Ben and Jerry’s had Chocolate Therapy ice cream! I’m going to have to check that out. (Umm, no reason to, of course…) Really enjoyed the (one-sided) dialogue. Very well done. I wanna know more about Fred…
Thanks! And just the fact that it’s chocolate is enough reason to check out the ice cream, right? ~Tim
Oh, that hurt. Really hurt. Very good up-ending of the reader’s notions right at the very end.
Reading it I was wondering, “so what happened?” He flies in, flowers, fine dining, hotel – why isn’t she there?
And the reveal – breathless.
Good, tight.
Thanks! She would have been even more depressed if she had slept with him too. [But she's not that kind of girl.] ~Tim