The Sound Of Love

“I understand,” said Chantal. “I understand. Please don’t apologize, you really don’t need to. I am completely aware. To be very honest I’m attracted to you too, I just don’t really know how to express it as well as you do. Just give me a day, I’ll think it over and get back to you.”

Michael agreed and bade her goodbye.

Chantal looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She had not been expecting this at all. She had not been expecting Michael to ask her out like this. She had not thought that he was attracted to her at all. She had assumed that he just looked at her as a very good friend that he could talk to as much as he wanted. She didn’t know what to make of this. She had to talk to somebody, so she decided to talk to Fran.

She walked up to her best friends bedroom and knocked. She heard Fran telling her to come in so she entered. Her friend was lying on her bed reading a book. “What’s up?” asked Fran.

“You know that guy I’ve been talking to,” said Chantal. “Michael?”

“Yeah,” said Fran. “The guy that you are clearly into but don’t think he’s into you. What’s up? Did something happen?”

“Yeah kind of,” said Chantal. “He kind of asked me out.”

“What?” said Fran, practically throwing her book away. “That’s so great! I’m so happy for you? You said yes right? Please tell me you said yes!”

“I didn’t,” said Chantal. “That’s what I came to talk to you about. Should I say yes? I mean, he’s great and I really like him but would that really be the right thing to do right now? He hasn’t even seen me in person. What if I go there and he thinks I’m ugly? What if I go there and I’m not as fun in person? He could get bored or annoyed. Being together in person is a lot different from being together on the phone, I know this for a fact. I don’t want him to think that I’m trying too hard either. I don’t want him to think that I am pretending to be someone I’m not. It’s just… there are so many thoughts that are going through my head. I don’t know which thought to pay attention to.”

“Chantal,” said Fran, “you’re being very silly right now. You’ve already shown him your pictures, haven’t you? He already knows what you look like. I know what you’re going to say, you’re going to say that it’s not the same, that in pictures you try to make yourself look as good as possible. You will obviously only send him pictures in which you look good. But don’t you think he did the same? Do you really think that he’s as good looking as his pictures show? I’m sure he’s very good looking, but he probably sent flattering pictures just like you did. He’s probably just as nervous as you are right now. Don’t you see? That’s how this works. Both parties are feeling the same way. He’s probably nervous that he won’t be as entertaining in person either.”

“But I don’t care if he’s not entertaining or doesn’t look as good as he does in pictures,” said Chantal. “I don’t care if he’s not perfect. I genuinely like him, I want him to notice me for me just the same way.”

“Exactly!” said Fran. “That’s how this works. He’s going to feel the same way about you. He’s probably going to look at you and realize that you are the same person that he has spoken to over the phone, and this is going to get you a great deal of bonus points to begin with. He already likes you, this is just the next step. The only way in which you could possibly mess this up is by pretending to be someone that you’re not, and trust me Chantal I am well aware of the fact that you are physically unable to even pretend to be someone that you’re not. You don’t know how to be anyone but yourself. You’re going to be completely fine. Trust me when I say this. You are going to be completely fine. I know that you are worried but this is going to go fine. Say yes to him. Tell him that you’d love to go to dinner with him. Tell him that you’ve been meaning to ask him too, you just didn’t have the guts to do it. Be honest, be open, be you Chantal!”

Chantal thought it over and realized that her best friend had a point. She didn’t raise the point that she might face trouble at work for dating a client, but she didn’t think that this was all that important right now. Her mind was selectively choosing the thoughts that would allow her to get what she wanted from the current situation, and what she wanted more than anything else in the world was to go out on a date with Michael, to actually be with him. She wanted to experience him in person. She knew that no matter what happened, it was going to be a wonderful experience. It was going to be an even more enjoyable experience than talking to him on the phone because she could tell that he was an amazing person that did not try to deceive her by pretending to be someone that he was not.

She called him after a few hours and told him that she would love to go out to dinner with him. She wanted him to know that she wanted to ask him out as well, but she decided against doing this. She would tell him later perhaps, or maybe she wouldn’t tell him at all. Right now all she wanted to do was enjoy his presence in her life. She wanted to go out to dinner with him and enjoy the fact that such a handsome man was so interested in her.