The Perfect Man

Plot

Claire Higgins, a 24-year-old woman, tired of dating nothing but creeps, decides to give up on dating.  But her bestie, Alyvia Jennings, entices her to try an online dating site.  Giving it a try, she makes an online dating profile and meets what seems to be the “perfect man”, in Cameron Addison.  Is Cameron the man Claire thinks he is, or he “too good to be true?”

Chapter 1 – Giving Up Hope

“I had a nice time tonight.” Claire told her boyfriend, James, on their one-year anniversary.

“Claire, we need to talk.” James confessed.

“What is it?  Is something wrong?” Claire gulped, wondering what was wrong.  They had been distant for 2-months and haven’t had a real date since.

“I’ve met someone else.” James came out and confessed the truth.

“You have?” Claire said, knowing something was wrong but didn’t know what.

“Yes.  We’ve been seeing each other secretly for a couple months now.”

“That’s why you broke all our dates lately.  And I thought it was just work?” Claire said brokenhearted, but trying to hide her disappointment.

“I’m sorry.  I never wanted to hurt you.” James told her sadly.

“Yeah.  We never do, do we?” Claire said, biting her lip to keep from getting angry and causing a scene in the Jerry’s Café, where they were having dinner.  No one could see her breakdown.  No, she had to wait until she got home and did it privately.

To make matters worse, James new girlfriend, Amanda, had the gall to show up while they were on a date.

“Did you tell her?” Amanda asked bluntly, as she waited impatiently in James car for him to tell Claire the news of their relationship.

“You had her here the whole time?!” Claire said angrily, as she could feel the heat rising in her chest.  She couldn’t take it anymore.  She had to get out of the café, before she really lost it.  “I gotta go!”

Claire got up and rushed out of the café crying angry tears.  She could barely see behind the tears streaming down her face as she drove home.

Arriving home, Claire fell onto the davenport and sobbed uncontrollably for a half hour.  Then she did the only thing she could…she punched in her bestie’s cell number.

“Alyvia, can you come over?” Claire asked when she heard her bestie’s voice.

“Claire, I’m rea…..” Alyvia started to say, but the urgency in Claire’s voice made her stop.  She could never turn down Claire when she was upset, and she clearly was upset.  “Sure.  I’ll be over in 5.”

Claire waited for Alyvia to arrive and shouted for her to come in when Alyvia knocked on her front door.  She was too upset to even answer the door.

Seeing her bestie upset, she walked over to give her a hug for support, “What wrong?”

“I’m through with guys!” Claire blurted out angrily.

“What happened?”

“James broke it off tonight.” Claire began.  “He confessed he had been seeing someone else for the last couple months.”

“Well, he’s just a jerk.” Alyvia tried to be supportive to her.

“We’ve been distant for a few months, but I had no idea he was seeing someone else?’

“Well, you’ll find someone else?”

“No I won’t.  I’m finished dating!” Claire said, giving up hope.

“Don’t say that, dear.”

“What’s the point?  I’ll meet a nice guy!”

“Why don’t you try online dating?” Alyvia suggested.

“Why would I like talking behind a computer?”

“You could get to know someone before meeting them?” Alyvia said trying to encourage her bestie.

“No, I don’t think so.” Claire told her.  “Thanks for being such a friend.”

“Well, why don’t you get some sleep and think about it in the morning.” Alyvia told her friend.

As Claire said good night to Alyvia, she went to bed thinking about Alyvia’s suggestion.