gonna hang on to the original and here you take this copy, you have some time."
"But I'm going to say no....I think."
"Have fun tonight, thanks for stopping by. I have everything I need for your taxes, talk soon."
"Thanks, Jerry. See ya later," she said as she left the office and headed to her car. There were some little kids gathered around it when she got to the parking lot.
"What do you think it is?" asked one.
"A giant...um I dunno, a squash?" said another.
"No, it's a pumpkin," said the first.
"A pumpkin is a squash," said a tall wiry kid with curly hair.
"Hi, can I help you?" asked Cyndi.
"Is this your ride?"
"Yep, it is."
"What happened to it?"
"I had it painted like that, it wasn't an accident," she said smiling," I always wanted to be Cinderella when I was growing up, but as it turns out, that sort of thing doesn't just happen. Life is a do-it-yourself job apparently. You have to make it happen. So I painted my car."
"Did you find your prince yet?"
"No, no I haven't. Is one of you up for the job? Got a spare crown lying around you might want to give me?"
"Nah, we like your car though."
"Thanks."
Life really is a do-it-yourself job, she thought to herself as she slid the VW into gear and backed out of the spot. No two ways about that. Well, she had her career, her friends, now she just needed to nail down that lifetime partner thing and she'd be all set she thought as she set off to meet Gooch.
*******
"I thought you were cooking?' Cyndi said sliding into the booth at the address Gooch had texted her a few minutes earlier.
"I changed my mind, order an appetizer. On me. Just as good as if I cooked. Better even!"
"Great, thanks," Cyndi rolled her eyes, "so what's your big plan?"
"So, here's the thing," Gooch said. "You need a date..."
"I don't need a date..." Cyndi hissed so no one in the bar would hear. "I would like to meet someone, yes, but, you make me sound so pathetic.
"Oooookay, bad choice of words, you want a date. You'd like to meet some nice men."
"One nice man would do."
"Right, well, remember when you said you were going to be a slut?"
"Shhhhhh..." Cyndi shushed her friend as she looked around. She could feel the blushing start in her chest and spread up her face. Did sluts blush, she wondered idly.
"It's okay," Gooch said, looking around at the retro space. The brick walls did nothing for the acoustics, "trust me, no one can hear us, settle down. Now here's the thing, you're right. I mean, fixating on relationships just scares them off. And it limits your pool of candidates. You need to look at this differently. Like a slut would, you need to see that every contact isn't meant to be forever, evaluate them differently. How much fun would they be for a night, or two, but not necessarily every night for eternity."
"Where will that get me exactly?"
"Well, for one, it will get you laid. Which will probably improve your mood..."
"What's wrong with my mood?" she hissed as she grabbed her friend by the shirt.
"That, that's what's wrong with it," said Gooch as she lifted Cyndi's hand from her blouse.
Cyndi cleared her throat, "Right, okay, point taken. So what's next?"
"Tinder, it's a dating app..."
"You mean hook-up app? The one that guy suggested the other night?"
"Right, that. It's a dating app, for-you know-dates, the hook-ups are up to you. Look," she took out her phone and slid open the app, "here's mine, it's all right here, and then you see guys who are local who match with you and you swipe left or right, like this, and that's how you pick."
"That's how you pick? But how do you pick, like really, how? I mean, what are you looking for?"
"Well, like here's one, he's got a girl on each arm, he doesn't need me, swipe left."
"But you didn't even read his bio."
"I don't care about his bio, I want a date not an orgy. At least not tonight," she said wiggling her eyebrows. "I'm serious, download the app, we're going to put you
"But I'm going to say no....I think."
"Have fun tonight, thanks for stopping by. I have everything I need for your taxes, talk soon."
"Thanks, Jerry. See ya later," she said as she left the office and headed to her car. There were some little kids gathered around it when she got to the parking lot.
"What do you think it is?" asked one.
"A giant...um I dunno, a squash?" said another.
"No, it's a pumpkin," said the first.
"A pumpkin is a squash," said a tall wiry kid with curly hair.
"Hi, can I help you?" asked Cyndi.
"Is this your ride?"
"Yep, it is."
"What happened to it?"
"I had it painted like that, it wasn't an accident," she said smiling," I always wanted to be Cinderella when I was growing up, but as it turns out, that sort of thing doesn't just happen. Life is a do-it-yourself job apparently. You have to make it happen. So I painted my car."
"Did you find your prince yet?"
"No, no I haven't. Is one of you up for the job? Got a spare crown lying around you might want to give me?"
"Nah, we like your car though."
"Thanks."
Life really is a do-it-yourself job, she thought to herself as she slid the VW into gear and backed out of the spot. No two ways about that. Well, she had her career, her friends, now she just needed to nail down that lifetime partner thing and she'd be all set she thought as she set off to meet Gooch.
*******
"I thought you were cooking?' Cyndi said sliding into the booth at the address Gooch had texted her a few minutes earlier.
"I changed my mind, order an appetizer. On me. Just as good as if I cooked. Better even!"
"Great, thanks," Cyndi rolled her eyes, "so what's your big plan?"
"So, here's the thing," Gooch said. "You need a date..."
"I don't need a date..." Cyndi hissed so no one in the bar would hear. "I would like to meet someone, yes, but, you make me sound so pathetic.
"Oooookay, bad choice of words, you want a date. You'd like to meet some nice men."
"One nice man would do."
"Right, well, remember when you said you were going to be a slut?"
"Shhhhhh..." Cyndi shushed her friend as she looked around. She could feel the blushing start in her chest and spread up her face. Did sluts blush, she wondered idly.
"It's okay," Gooch said, looking around at the retro space. The brick walls did nothing for the acoustics, "trust me, no one can hear us, settle down. Now here's the thing, you're right. I mean, fixating on relationships just scares them off. And it limits your pool of candidates. You need to look at this differently. Like a slut would, you need to see that every contact isn't meant to be forever, evaluate them differently. How much fun would they be for a night, or two, but not necessarily every night for eternity."
"Where will that get me exactly?"
"Well, for one, it will get you laid. Which will probably improve your mood..."
"What's wrong with my mood?" she hissed as she grabbed her friend by the shirt.
"That, that's what's wrong with it," said Gooch as she lifted Cyndi's hand from her blouse.
Cyndi cleared her throat, "Right, okay, point taken. So what's next?"
"Tinder, it's a dating app..."
"You mean hook-up app? The one that guy suggested the other night?"
"Right, that. It's a dating app, for-you know-dates, the hook-ups are up to you. Look," she took out her phone and slid open the app, "here's mine, it's all right here, and then you see guys who are local who match with you and you swipe left or right, like this, and that's how you pick."
"That's how you pick? But how do you pick, like really, how? I mean, what are you looking for?"
"Well, like here's one, he's got a girl on each arm, he doesn't need me, swipe left."
"But you didn't even read his bio."
"I don't care about his bio, I want a date not an orgy. At least not tonight," she said wiggling her eyebrows. "I'm serious, download the app, we're going to put you
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