When Aaron showed up looking like a walking daydream and ended the night with a single red rose, I thought I’d met my Prince Charming. But once he told me why he gave me the rose, I blocked his number and walked away for good. “We matched!” That was the first thought that popped into my head when Aaron’s face appeared on my phone screen with that little “It’s a Match!” banner.
He was, quite honestly, stunning. He had broad shoulders, a clean-cut beard, and eyes that made me think of warm honey dripping over fresh bread. He had a sharp, classic style like he knew how to tie a Windsor knot without a YouTube tutorial.
His bio wasn’t half bad either: “Looking for something real. Lover of books, coffee, and bad puns.”
And his messages? Chef’s kiss.
He asked thoughtful questions — not just the basic “So what do you do for fun?” fluff most guys open with. No, Aaron remembered things. It was like talking to someone who actually listened, and that alone felt like a novelty.
One night, in the middle of a conversation about childhood nostalgia, I casually mentioned that my favorite story growing up was Beauty and the Beast. Instead of the usual “Oh, that’s cute” response, Aaron texted back, “No way, that was my favorite too! Though I gotta admit, I’ve only seen the Disney version.”
I smiled so hard my cheeks ached.
“That counts,” I replied. “It’s still the same story.”
“Exactly,” he shot back. “A misunderstood guy with anger issues, a girl who sees the good in him, and they fall in love.
Classic.”
I stared at the screen, feeling a warmth in my chest that I wasn’t ready to admit out loud. “You really get it,” I typed, and for the first time in ages, I meant it. After a week of near-constant texting — morning, lunch breaks, random “saw this and thought of you” memes — he finally asked me to dinner.
“I know a spot you’ll love,” he said, sending an address for an upscale Italian place downtown. I Googled it and was instantly hit with images of white tablecloths, glowing candlelight, and decor that perfectly united old-school Italian charm with modern flair. My eyebrows shot up.
…The story doesn’t end here, it continues on the next page 👇
