GEMMA HALLIDAY: There was this one guy that I met through an online dating service. I didn't know much about him beforehand, but his pictures looked decent, he could string a few sentences together in a pleasing way, and he had a house on the beach. (Always a plus!) So, Beach Bum asked me out for coffee at this little place around the corner from my house. Perfect. I do the hair and make-up thing and arrive at the coffee place a few minutes early. Always prepared, I pull out the Nora Roberts book I'm currently making my way through and settle in to read a few pages while I wait. He shows up, sits down and apologizes for being late.
Then he takes a look at he book I'm reading and asks how it is. I respond with, "Good plot, but it's a little slow going for me."
Beach Bum: "Aren't all those kind of books sort of like that?"
Me: "Those kind of books?"
Beach Bum: "Yeah. She writes those really... girly books, right?"
Me: " Those girly books?"
Beach Bum: "You know, those trashy romance kind."
Me: "Before you go any further, you should probably know that I'm a romance writer. I write those kind of books for a living."
Beach Bum laughs. Then sees my deadpan face.
Beach Bum: "Wait, you're serious?"
Me: "Like a heat attack."
Beach Bum goes red, smirk vanishes as he attempts to pull his size twelve boot out of his mouth.
Beach Bum: "Oh. Well, uh, that's cool. That's... wow, you write books. That's great. That's…" (picking up the Nora Roberts, examining it closely now) "…wow. That's amazing, you're actually an author. I'd love to read one."
Me: "I don't think so. You're way too ...guy for my books."
To his credit, he did, in fact, go out and buy all of my books the next day. He even read them. So, yes, he did redeem himself and we ended up going out on a second date. (And third, and fourth…)
