Page 6 of No Mane, No Gain
“Please, sit down,” Gerri said, gesturing to the chair across from her. “I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of ordering us some wine. A nice pinot grigio to start things off.”
Olive settled into her seat, grateful for the chance to calm her nerves. “That sounds perfect, thank you.”
A waiter appeared moments later with two glasses of crisp white wine. Gerri raised hers in a toast. “To new beginnings and unexpected adventures.”
Olive clinked her glass against Gerri’s. “I’ll drink to that.”
They placed their lunch orders - a Cobb salad for Olive, grilled salmon for Gerri - and made small talk about the restaurant and the beautiful weather. As soon as the waiter walked away, Gerri leaned forward, her blue eyes twinkling.
“Now then, let’s get down to business, shall we? I like to start with a little game of rapid-fire questions. Just say the first thing that pops into your head. Ready?”
Olive blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift. “Uh, sure. I guess so.”
“Excellent. Here we go. Boxers or briefs?”
“What?” Olive sputtered, nearly choking on her wine.
Gerri grinned. “On a man, dear. What’s your preference?”
“Oh! Um, boxers, I suppose.”
“Good to know. Facial hair - yay or nay?”
“Yay, if it’s well-groomed.”
“Interesting. Tall, dark, and handsome or blonde surfer type?”
Olive found herself relaxing into the rhythm of the questions. “Tall, dark, and handsome, definitely.”
“Cats or dogs?”
“Dogs, but I like cats too.”
“Missionary or doggy style?”
This time Olive did choke on her wine, her face flushing bright red. “I... what? That’s a bit personal, don’t you think?”
Gerri waved a hand dismissively. “Honey, I’m about to set you up with the love of your life. There’s no such thing as too personal. But we can come back to that one. Let’s see... early bird or night owl?”
“Night owl,” Olive answered, still a bit flustered.
“City or country?”
“City, for sure.”
“Favorite book genre?”
A smile spread across Olive’s face. “Romance, of course. But I enjoy a good thriller now and then too.”
“Ah yes, I forgot you’re quite the romance connoisseur with that vlog of yours. Speaking of which, most embarrassing moment caught on camera?”
Olive groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Oh god, probably the time I was doing a live stream and didn’t realize I had spinach stuck in my teeth for like twenty minutes.”
Gerri cackled with delight. “Oh, that’s a good one. Okay, last question for now. What’s your biggest deal-breaker in a relationship?”
The lighthearted mood evaporated as Olive’s smile faded. She took a sip of wine, buying herself a moment to gather her thoughts.
“Infidelity,” she said finally. “I can’t be with someone I can’t trust completely.”