Hakon’s body ached. His joints would ache whenever it was going to rain, despite his age. His joints had always been like that, and he didn’t realize that everyone didn’t ache in the rain. As a result, he was mystified whenever anyone said they liked rainy days.
Priscilla was no exception. Hakon had met her on a dating app. It was one where users upload a few pictures and describe themselves briefly. Hakon took care to keep his photos somewhat up to date (he even had one standing next to someone of average height so that his own diminutive stature wouldn’t surprise anyone in person) and he tried to have an informative but funny description of himself. Hakon also took care to read each woman’s profile and he incorrectly assumed they did the same. Priscilla’s profile indicated that she had some furniture she wanted help with. She had “gathered the screws together,” leading it to be “basically half-done.”
The furniture had been built long ago, but she enjoyed their online interaction well enough to agree to meet him at a coffee shop.
Aching mildly, he said, “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Yeah! I actually really like rainy days.”
He tried to brush off his bewilderment and turned his attention to the menu, where his bewilderment took a new form. He ended up just ordering what she ordered, a chai latte.
He never really settled into things. She was much more attractive in person, and Hakon was wary of anyone he was truly attracted to being attracted to him. None of his romantic pursuits in the past had worked out, and he was unwilling to believe that any could work out.
But Priscilla was interested. There weren’t many liberal people in the area, and the fact that Hakon was impressed with her dream of becoming a lawyer spoke volumes to her. She was used to meeting men who were hardly on board with her having any sort of career, much less one that would allow her to make more money than them. The thoughts of the men Priscilla had been meeting made about as much sense to Hakon as someone liking rainy days.
These days, I’m just tellin’ stories.