Free Love at First Date by Susan Hatler

other man from Detailed Dating? ” I could hear the humm of her garage door going up and knew she’d arrived home.
    “No.” I bit my lip, hoping I’d have her support. “From, uh, doggy class. I took Rachel’s miniature beagle when I was puppy sitting, long story, and that’s where I met Henry. He adopted a stray dog and signed her up for obedience school. Isn’t that sweet?”
    Short pause, then I heard a car door slam. “But you don’t like dogs.”
    Why did everyone keep saying that? “I do, too.”
    “I’ve known you since birth and you’ve never expressed a smidgeon of interest in animals.” Then she laughed. “Remember when you were in high school and Frank brought home his sister’s King Charles Spaniel, Bitsy? You ran around the house with that lint remover permanently attached to your hand until the day she picked her up.”
    I rolled my eyes at the mention of Mom’s husband number two. “That was fifteen years ago.”
    Not that a lint remover wouldn’t come in handy with a dog around . . .
    “All right, honey. He has a dog and you love dogs.” She snickered. “What else do you know about him?”
    “He’s sweet. Funny.” I fingered the dog bone keychain in my hand. “Thoughtful.”
    “Hmmm.”
    My stomach clenched at her disapproving tone. “What?”
    She sighed. “Sweet and funny seem nice in the beginning, but they won’t keep the relationship going long-term. What are his goals? What are his interests? I thought we decided Detailed Dating was the way to go. Those men are looking for serious relationships and they lay it all on the line. That’s how I met Robert. Online dating.”
    My jaw clenched. “You don’t even know Henry. How can you just rule him out?”
    “It sounds like you don’t know him very well either.” She cleared her throat. “I’m not trying to upset you, Ellen. I want you to be smart so you don’t get hurt. Lasting relationships are about compatibility.”
    Tears burned my eyes. “How would you know?”
    “After two failed marriages, I think—”
    “Don’t forget about my dad.” Okay, my voice might’ve sounded a tad sharp.
    “Well, I never married him so—”
    “He doesn’t count. I’ve heard it before. You know what? That’s your life, not mine, and you don’t have all the answers. Who even knows what will happen with your marriage to Robert? You haven’t even had your first anniversary yet.”
    “Ellen!”
    “You think you know what’s best for me, but you don’t.” My throat felt raw as I gripped the phone against my ear. “I’m not interested in online dating anymore. The three pet classes with Henry felt like three of the best dates I’ve ever been on. It was different with him. Not a crush, or infatuation, it felt . . . right. It doesn’t make sense, but I can’t explain it any other way.”
    Silence.
    “I’ve blown it with him anyway and you’re probably glad. But, I can’t date who you think is right for me. I’m thirty-years-old, Mom. I need to live my life my way.” I swiped at my wet cheeks. “I have to go.”
    “I will see you tonight.” Her voice was tight and firm.
    Grunting in frustration, I turned my phone off and tossed it on the cushion next to me. Oh, man. I’d never talked to my mom like that before. Well, not since my teen years, anyway. Great. Dinner and the art show should be such a blast. Not.
    As I rubbed my temples, the white box on my coffee table caught my eye and called to me. So, even though I felt miserable, I tried on my red stilettos. They fit perfectly and I took them for a test loop around my living room. Amazing. Sleek red heels actually made walking more fun. I’d loved these shoes the moment I’d tried them on, but I’d gone for the safety pair instead. Smart and sensible. That’s me.
    Or, that had been me. I promised myself that from now on, I was going to start choosing the shoes I really wanted. Ditto on men

 
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    After the horrible phone conversation