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Success...It's All in the Letter P By now we are familiar with Nigel Lythgoe, the British television director and producer, who created such smash hits as Ameri... |
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When Fifty Times is Finally a Charm
Original Publication Date:
July 2010
This was going to be Lauren's last shot. She had tried, really tried, but she had all she could take. She was sick of the whole sorted process and saw no reason to exert any more energy. It was not to be, she thought—just not in the cards or the stars. After putting herself out there a total of forty-nine times, with only disappointed memories to take away, she figured she'd round it off at an even fifty and call it a day. That way she could tell her daughter the gift of the membership wasn't a total waste.
The meeting place was always the same. It never deviated. Starbucks was the perfect spot, she figured, to meet a stranger who was only known to you from your communication online. Here you could chat in a safe and open environment and size each other up and down between sips of hot Caffe Misto. For most of the forty-nine encounters, she knew even before the coffee got warm. Her potential Mr. Right was anything but right. He was more like Mr. Oh, So, Wrong, again! At her age she didn't want to play games or pretend. Above all, she wouldn't settle. She had survived too much of life's hard knocks to settle for any man who was anything less than she deserved.
Having been through a marriage that ended when her husband suddenly walked away for a much younger version, she had learned how to fend for herself and her kids. Over the years there was an occasional date, here and there, but never anyone serious. Her time was occupied raising a family and struggling to make her single life work. Now that they were grown and off on their own, she decided she was ready to give love and romance another go. The only trouble with that plan was where was she supposed to meet her Mr. Right, right now?
There were no romantic possibilities in her office—none. She wasn't a regular churchgoer and when she did manage to sit in on a service she stood out with all the other single women who FAR outnumbered any single men in attendance. Bars were never her thing, and she wasn't one to join any groups or clubs with the word single in the title. Her friends were mostly married but nobody had any hot single prospects to funnel her way—no luck there either. All the while, she was determined never to come across as desperate or needy. Many single women play that role quite well—not her. She wanted love and a relationship and a man but she didn't have to have one unless it was one worth having. So eventually, like most singles in today's tech-driven society who find themselves in the same 'where do I go to find a good man' boat, she opted to go online to see. This, of course, was after some gentle prodding and a membership given to her by her daughter. Up to this point, she hadn't found much. The guys were never even close to what they had portrayed. Not a one came anywhere near to being a match—quite the opposite, in fact. But there was one guy left...number fifty. They had gone back and forth for a few weeks, emailed and chatted and talked a lot on the phone—typical of the e-dating routine. Both felt ready to take the plunge. Only this time when she suggested destination Starbucks, Steve had other ideas. He asked if she would meet him for dinner instead.
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