Meeting His Match

Chapter 9-1

Chapter 9

When Natalie came home hours later, she was fuming. Every single woman had stories of dates gone wrong. It was part of the game. However, this guy tonight…she couldn’t believe him. Natalie walked into her apartment and threw her purse at the couch. It hit the back and bounced to the floor.

“Are you okay?” Jillian asked. “Steam has been rolling off you since we left the bar. So the guy was a d**k. It happens.”

“No, Jilly. It was more than that. It was his assumptions about women and everything. Agh.” She threw her arms in the air, then stomped over to her laptop.

Jillian raced across the room and slapped a hand on the computer. “Oh, no you don’t. You can’t do a video when you’re like this.”

“Like what?”

“Half Gem, half Natalie.”

“I’m fine. This is exactly what Gem would talk about.” She inhaled deeply and smiled at Jillian. “See? I’m fine.” As the words tumbled from her lips, she became Gem and her smile turned flirtatious.

Jillian backed away shaking her head. “I give up. Good night. And remember—no real names. I don’t want to defend you in a lawsuit.”

“I know the rules.”

As soon as Jillian closed her bedroom door, Natalie booted up the computer and opened her video program. She took a minute to gather her thoughts so she wouldn’t come across like a screaming lunatic. Then she hit record.

“Hi, everyone. I have a bit of rant for today’s Dating Gem. It’s pretty simple, really. Come close so you don’t miss it.” She leaned forward, knowing she offered the camera better cleavage. “Here it is…No one owes you anything.” She paused, smiled, and sat back.

She waved her hand. “I know, you’re all sitting there thinking, ‘Hey, Gem, tell me something I don’t know. Or at least explain what that has to do with dating.’”

Natalie took another deep breath. “I’ve been feeling out of sorts, so I went out looking for a good time. I danced with my roommate and we met a couple of guys at a bar. This one guy—let’s call him d**k—he bought a few rounds of drinks. Then he suggested we go somewhere a little quieter to get to know each other.”

She leaned toward the camera again. “We all know that’s code for making out. And I’m okay with that. He was cute. We had some chemistry. And you all know how I feel about a kiss.” She clenched her jaw and then forced her face to relax. “But then this guy…” She shook her head. “We didn’t even get to a kiss. He starts pressing against the back of my head telling me to go down on him. When I tell him no, he says I owe him at least a hand job.”

She laughed a thin, little laugh. “And yeah, a hand job isn’t much. I might even enjoy it.” She winked at the camera. “But to tell me I owe you? I think not.

“I give myself freely to whomever I want. Yeah, I’ve gone down on guys before without any reciprocation because we were having fun. I’ve given a hand job in a dark corner of a crowded bar because it was exciting. But those were things I wanted to do. Not because someone expected me to.”

Natalie inhaled slowly. She nodded at the screen as if someone had spoken. “I know, guys. You’re complaining that women expect you to pay for a date, buy them dinner or drinks. And some do. I’m not saying it’s right. But I didn’t expect d**k to pay for my drinks tonight. I have my own money. Hell, I didn’t ask for a drink at all. He did that because he chose to. But to expect s****l favors in return for some drinks?”

She crossed her arms on the table in front of the computer. “This isn’t some feminist screed, so trolls, step on back. This is basic human decency. Guys, you want to get somewhere with women, don’t treat them like hookers.”

Running her tongue over her lips, she studied her face in the screen. “I’m all for fun and games and having a good time. But always remember—it’s about the fun, not what someone owes you.

“And poor little d**k. He missed out on a whole lotta fun tonight.”

Natalie clicked to stop recording and sat back. She felt better. She usually did after making a video. There was something cathartic about spilling your guts to thousands of strangers.

She hit play and watched herself to see if the video needed any editing, but she just got irritated all over again listening to herself talk about d**k. Adding the lead-in with titles and her music, she titled it “I Owe You Nothing,” and then saved it.

Jillian was right. This wasn’t her normal type of video. She offered advice based on her research and experimentation. What worked and didn’t work for picking up a guy. How to go after what you want. She talked s*x and flirting and fun.

But something about the whole episode with d**k was wrong. She knew she should consider herself lucky to get to thirty years old without experiencing something like this or worse. And if that had happened when she was younger, she would’ve felt ashamed, not indignant. She’d learned a lot about herself and men, and dating in general over the last couple of years. Thankfully, d**k was not the norm. He was the kind of guy that ruined the dating pool for everyone.

So she’d sit on the video for a while. When she was clear-headed, she’d decide whether it should be uploaded. In the meantime, she got ready for bed. Her irritation with d**k reminded her of her irritation with Mac. She hadn’t heard from him in days, and she was glad. She’d needed a break from him.

They shared a ton of chemistry; she felt it every time they verbally sparred. But his reaction to Ashley struck a nerve with her. He’d explained himself easily enough, and his words on camera didn’t jibe with her perception of him, but they still irked her. She didn’t know what to think of Malcolm Sterling.

Mac was different for her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. He’d treated her with respect in every interaction they’d had, and it had never felt phony. That was part of why his comments about Ashley hit her. She sighed and took off her make up.

The day was over. She had dates set up for Jennifer, Ashley, and Melissa, but she didn’t know if Mac planned to tag along. She barely planned to be part of the night. Her clients needed to fly on their own if they wanted to be successful. The more she guided them, the less likely they were to find the right guys.

Regardless of Mac and his experience, she firmly believed each woman needed to discover who was right for her. And maybe they could teach her something in the process. Every time she stepped in front of the camera, she still felt like a fraud. She knew nothing about finding forever love. But maybe with the right tools, her clients would be successful.