I pulled up to the joint, a little dive bar on the edge of town. It wasn’t much, but it was cheap, and that’s all that mattered to me. I spotted her sitting at the bar, a blonde in a tight dress that looked like it was about to burst.

“Hey,” I said, sliding into the stool next to her. “You must be Jesy.”

She nodded, her eyes flicking over me. “And you’re…D, right?”

We ordered drinks and made small talk for a while. She was a sales rep, and she talked about her day, her job, her apartment. I nodded along, occasionally offering a comment.

When it came time to eat, we headed over to a nearby diner. The place was packed, the air thick with the smell of fried food and cheap beer. Jesy ordered a bowl of pad thai, a mountain of yellow mass and meat that she attacked with gusto. I got a plate of same same but veggi, a bland and forgettable meal that I picked at halfheartedly.

The food came, and it was okay, I guess. But the music was driving me nuts. It was like someone had stuck a drill into my ear. I tried to ignore it, but it was impossible. Every time I took a bite, I had to shout to be heard.

By the time we were done, I felt like my head was going to explode. I paid the bill and hurried out into the cool night air, grateful to be away from that racket.

Jesy suggested we go for a grab. I shrugged. Why not?

We drove around for a while, talking about nothing in particular. Eventually, Jesy pulled into a quiet neighborhood.

“Want to go for a walk?” she asked.

I followed her down a dark street. She stopped in front of a small house. “This is where I live,” she said.

I nodded. “Cool.”

She turned to me. “Do you want to come in?”

I hesitated. I didn’t know what to expect. But I was curious.

“Sure,” I said.

We went inside. The place was small but cozy. Jesy offered me a drink. I declined.

We talked for a while, and then she started to get a little touchy-feely. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I mean, we were just on a date.

This is how it works. I paid for dinner, and she thinks i expected something in return. It was a simple transaction, a quid pro quo.

She leaned in closer. “Do you want to kiss me?”

I hesitated again. I didn’t know what to do. But I didn’t want to hurt her feeling.

“Sure,” I said, and I leaned in and kissed her.

It was great.

After a while, she pulled away. “I should probably get some sleep,” she said.

I nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

She walked me to the door. And thanked me for the evening. I said no problem.

As I walked back to my grab, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I mean, we had a nice time, right? But it just felt…empty.

I got into and drove away. As I was pulling out of the neighborhood, I saw Jesu standing on her porch, watching me go.

I waved. She waved back.

I drove away, and I never saw her again.