A String of Pearls

It was Friday afternoon when my daughter told me her choir was singing The National Anthem at the football game. The football game that night.

Just after her announcement, my Match.com Case Manager happened to call.

Photo credit: http://www.welovedates.com

“Whoa!” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you to answer. Shouldn’t you be out on a date or something? It’s Friday night!”

“Well, technically, it’s Friday afternoon.”

“Depends on your time frame, I guess.”

“You mean time zone?”

“Yah, whatever.”

“Hey, speaking of time, good timing on your call. I was wondering if you could find me a date for tonight. I need to go to the football game. And I’m going to El Tapatio beforehand to drink a margarita.”

“Kind of last-minute, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but can’t you just do some sort of search in your system? Just enter loves football and drinks alcohol and you should come up with a long list of potential dates for me. I don’t really care who it is, just send him over to El Tapatio. I’ll be there about 6:00. Oh, I have to leave at 6:50 though and walk to the game in time to hear the national anthem.”

“This is a little unorthodox, not exactly in my job description, not how Match.com  works.”

“Yah, but you’re my Case Manager. Listen, it’s no big deal if you can’t find anyone. I’m perfectly capable of drinking margaritas on my own. I have to go now. I’ll be at El Tapatio.”

Since there wasn’t much time, I took the liberty of ordering two margs on the rocks with salt and a combination platter appetizer. I ate chips and salsa and sipped my water, but, as time passed and no one was showing up, I figured I better get busy on my margarita. I also had a taste of the combination platter. Just a taste. A few nachos, half of the quesadilla, and a couple of the chimichanga bites.

Just when I was losing all hope of getting a football loving, alcohol drinking date for the night, or any date, for that matter, in walked my Case Manager.

“I came to tell you I couldn’t find anyone,” he said as he pulled out a chair and had a seat. “I had a few possibilities, but then they looked at your profile and decided they were busy for the evening.”

“Oh, well, since you’re here, do you want to drink that margarita and help me eat this? You don’t mind if I double-dip, do you?”

“Well…,”

“I don’t have to. Double-dip, that is. It’s just easier. It makes sense to me. Also, do you think it’s okay to just go ahead and order like this when I’m expecting a blind date? Is that a little too much? Because I’m thinking he’d understand, being that I have to leave in, um, fifteen minutes.”

“The ordering part is fine. Maybe just don’t eat half of it and get the whole table slopped up before he even shows up.”

“Good advice. I’ll try to remember that if I ever get a date. Hey, I have to go soon. Do you want to stay here and finish this up?”

“What? No. I’m coming with you. I’m the stand-in.”

“My date? No! You’re my Case Manager. I don’t want to lose you as a Case Manager.”

The kindest and most devoted Case Manager ever, I thought.

I love my Case Manager.