After an exciting night of speed dating, I excitedly showed my mom a picture of the guy I met. Her reaction shocked me\u2014she freaked out and immediately called 911. I was shaken, but what I discovered the next day left me gasping for air.<\/p>\n
Nervously, I smoothed down my dress for the hundredth time, feeling the pressure of the dimly lit restaurant filled with other anxious speed daters. At 30, I never thought I\u2019d be here, but after endless nagging from my best friend, Lily, I finally gave in.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got this, Selena,\u201d I whispered to myself. The soft clinking of glasses and the faint smell of wine did little to calm my nerves.<\/p>\n
Then the bell rang, signaling the start of the first round.<\/p>\n
I flashed my best smile as a tall, dark-haired man sat across from me. The instant our eyes met, my breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, I\u2019m Robin,\u201d he said, with a grin that lit up the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelena. Nice to meet you,\u201d I replied, feeling an unexpected spark of excitement.<\/p>\n
We talked easily, his stories and wit captivating me. He was a software engineer who loved rock climbing and had big dreams of traveling the world. With each word, I felt more drawn to him.<\/p>\n
When the bell rang again, signaling the end of our time, Robin hesitated before standing. \u201cThis might be unconventional, but would you like to grab coffee after this? I\u2019d love to continue our conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart fluttered, and I couldn\u2019t hide my excitement. \u201cI\u2019d really like that. How about tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robin smiled and kissed the back of my hand. \u201cTomorrow it is. I\u2019ll be waitin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"