Living in downtown Chicago as a single twenty something female, I had lots of opportunity to meet men.

The hair stylist curled my hair and gave me just the amount of volume I needed and i strolled out of the salon confidently. After all, I was going to do everything in my  power to knock his socks off. 

I went over the checklist one last time, mentally.  “Hair done, check.  Makeup done, check.” I pulled my red lipstick out of my purse and put it on slowly. I looked at myself in the mirror one final time. 

 “Here we go” i thought to myself.  I strutted down Halsted, toward Athena, a hip cafe in the heart of Greektown.  I noticed a handsome, tall man on the street as I strolled excitedly. ”Could that be him?” I wondered gleefully. 

I walked in to Athena and scanned the room. I shyly stood there, nervous to meet Nick for the first time.  I was ready to meet my adonis who would become my knight in shining armour. 

In the rear of the cafe, I noticed an extremely fit man with beautiful blue eyes. He smiled and his white teeth glittered, luring me in.

As I walked toward him, excitedly, a small framed, frail, older man appeared before me.  “MONICA?”  I turned slowly, my heart beating faster and faster. 

I noticed his dark, thinning hair, his crooked teeth that shone through his awkward smile, his high pitch voice. He looked around fifty five years old.  This clearly was not the picture of the stellar looking man that he chose to identify himself on the dating website.  I had an urge to call up the website and complain, blaming them for his fraudulent behavior.  How could they allow people to deceive others like this?

  My heart sank.  

“NICK? I stumbled out his name, trying not to look disgusted.  “It’s me, Nick!” He loudly exclaimed, coming in for a hug.  His eyes were wide as he looked at me up and down, clearly pleased with what he saw. 

 I sat down begrudgingly. “What have I gotten myself into now?” I thought to myself, disappointingly. 

 So much for marrying my Greek god, I smirked to myself. As we sat down, I noticed that Nick barely sat above the table since he seemed to be a little taller than me, around the height of 5’4. His small frame barely fit his oversized yellow shirt he was wearing.  I was short, but this guy, was really short. 

I ordered the biggest glass of red wine I could.  I smiled politely and tried to see where the evening would take us.

“Have an open mind” I pleaded with myself, as I gulped my wine and enjoyed the lovely greek cuisine.

After two more glasses of wine, I told Nick that I had to get going, politely, of course.

“Why can’t you just settle, Monica?” I asked myself out of pure frustration, as I walked out of Athena.

My life would have been so much easier if I just allowed myself to settle for Nick, or a guy similar to Nick. But I wanted a love story.  I wanted to meet a man who could give me a heart pounding, jaw dropping, love affair. I wanted to meet my soulmate, my perfect match, the love of my life. 

For some reason, I knew I just had to keep waiting and embrace the uncertainty before me. I had no other choice.

I walked away from that date because I knew in my gut there was a great love for me out there, and that wasn’t it.