It's a Huge World, After All

Story Sent in by Gary:

Riley insisted that we go to a certain mall food court on our first date. She said, "I always see people I know there. It's a given." I wasn't sure why she was so interested in bumping into people she knew while on a date, but we ended up at the food court all the same.

When we arrived, she looked around in all directions as if she had planned out a big group outing and was just waiting for everyone to come and gather from all corners of the food court. But no one else ever showed up. She muttered, "I don't understand it. I always bump into people, here."

I said, "We can still have a good night, right? Just you and I?"

She rolled her eyes.

She led me around the area a few times, finally settled on a place to eat, and we sat down together. But she kept looking around and around. I tried to make conversation. She would answer distractedly, as if hoping that a friend would swoop in and rescue her from this clearly horrible date.

After a little while she whipped out her phone and made a call. "Hi. Where are you? Okay." She hung up. Then she made another call. "Hey, you at the mall? No? Fine." She hung up. Then she made another call. "Can you come to the mall? No?" She hung up again.

She said to me, "I really don't get it. My friends are always here. I always, always bump into someone. It's weird, like they're all somewhere else, hanging out without me."

"Am I not entertaining enough for you?" I asked.

She said, "Compared to my friends? No offense but I wonder if I should go look for some of them, by myself. Would you mind? I know all the stores they go into."

"Go for it."

Without a thank-you or a goodbye, she up and left me at the table like she had been shot out of a cannon. I finished my meal and went home.