It was obvious he had taken great pains in his appearance that night. He was wearing a classic blazer over a v-neck sweater. His hair was neatly styled and even his nails looked nice and clean.

“Hi, I’m Ned,” he said and extended his hand.

I took it. “Tracey. Nice to meet you.”

“You are really beautiful,” he said as he sat down.

I smiled. “Thank you. That’s a nice thing to hear.”

“Really.” He looked at me with nervous sincerity. “It’s hard to believe someone like you would need to do something like this.”

I almost answered with a snarky, “It’s because I’m bat-shit crazy.” But I got the sense that Ned was the kind of person who would be hurt by sarcasm. Continue reading Speed Dating. Part Two. →