Before I knew what was even happening, I heard Lydia's unmistakable voice getting louder as she was saying something I couldn't quite hear to the douche of a man beside her. He was raising his volume too as he stared back at her, standing up off his stool so that he towered over her small frame. "Cole," I said, hopping down off my stool and already heading in their direction. It wasn't long before their little scuffle had people from all over the bar looking at them, and I was sure it was only a matter of time before Dakota noticed us. But, none of that mattered when I saw the man reach out, shoving Lydia so hard she would have fallen down if she hadn't crashed into me. I was almost knocked down with her, but was surprised when Rory appeared behind me, stabilizing us both. I felt Lydia shaking in my arms and I could tell she was sobbing. I was quick to drag her away from the scene, making our way to the bathroom. Part of me wanted to stay and fucking unleash my wrath on that ma
Lydia was completely passed out before we even got her into the uber. Thankfully, Cole agreed to come back to my place to help me with her, while Rory and Ellie got their own ride back to Rory's place. Once at mine, Cole carried Lydia for me, placing her into my bed. I took her shoes off and slipped a sweatshirt on over her head, leaving her in her dress since I wasn't able to maneuver her that easily. I put a glass of water on the nightstand and placed a trash can by her face, ensuring she was laying on her stomach before I met up with Cole in the living room. "Did she wake up?" Cole asked as he settled onto the couch. I shook my head, biting at my lower lip. "No... I'm worried, Cole. What if she was drugged or something? I've never seen her like this before."He sighed, patting the couch beside him. I hurried over, not even bothering to change out of my own dress before settling in beside him. "I thought the same thing, so I was doing some research while you were getting her set
After the crazy weekend I had, I was actually ready to get back to work today. It was Monday, and the last week of phase 1 of my experiment. So far, I'd met a variety of men from the office, some of which really stood out to me, and others... not so much. But, overall I figured the article was coming along as good as to be expected. Yesterday, Ellie came over to help me work out the kinks for phase 2. Clearly, there were men I was going to eliminate - starting with freaking Alan. But once I got the men narrowed down from 20 to 10, I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. Part of me felt like one more elevator ride just wasn't going to be enough time to make an informed decision to narrow it down to only 5 men. With this in mind, Ellie and I decided that it would be best if each man rode the elevator down with me as well on their date day, instead of just going up. It made sense in theory; week 1 = 1 ride; week 2 = 2 rides, up and down. After that, 5 more will be eliminated. With 5 men l
You know what the problem is with being a journalist in the year 2022? Everything has been done before. If you think you've come up with an exciting new idea, chances are somebody has already done it.The unfortunate truth is, no matter how obsessed you are with your job, no matter how committed, you have to really think outside the box. All this obsessing and hours spent journaling will inevitably lead to one thing- a serious hit to your dating life. In fact, if you're anything like me... it's pretty much non-existent.So... when a night of drunken brainstorming landed me in a position to date WHILE working, I didn't have much of a choice but to follow through. Although instant regret of emailing my boss an absurd idea hit me like a bad hangover, the idea took. I was going to write about something so absurd that it might just work; an idea that propelled me straight out of my comfort zone.My name is Kyla Adams, and this is my story of how I met my boyfriend through a series of mini-
"Oh my god he said that!?" Lydia exclaimed, brushing her long blonde hair away from her face.I nodded my head, resting it in my hands. "It was so humiliating guys. And if I don't come up with something incredible by Monday I'm screwed!"Cole reached a large hand out, rubbing it across my back in a comforting motion. "You're a great writer Ky... we'll think of something. He's not gonna fire you."I smiled at my friend. Cole was sweet, and truthfully he was the total package. He was tall and fit, although not as muscular as Dakota. He had a dimpled grin and baby blue eyes with dirty blonde hair and tanned skin. Cole had always been there for me. I'll be the first to admit I've thought about taking things further with him, but I could never bring myself to breach the subject. Now I appreciate our friendship so much I would really hate to jeopardize that. Besides, Cole hadn't ever made a move so I was fairly certain he wasn't into me anyway."You know what? Let's get some shots," Hayden
There wasn't a better idea out there. This was actually happening.After a full Saturday night and Sunday of researching and brainstorming, we were not able to come up with anything remotely as unique as eleDATE. Besides, Dakota was a stubborn man, and once he made up his mind about something it was damn near impossible to change it.When my alarm went off on Monday morning, I felt physically ill. My stomach was in knots. I knew that there were some logistics that needed to be worked out before I could actually begin the dates, but I was still dreading meeting with Dakota to discuss the idea.I sifted through my closet, deciding to wear my black pencil skirt, black strappy heels, and a short sleeve, olive blouse. I figured I'd dress nice today to try and keep a fake sense of confidence while pitching my stupid idea.Once dressed, I threw some curls in my long hair, pulling it into a messy bun at my neck. I pulled some pieces out of the bun, curling them loosely to frame my face. When
I had officially become a hermit. Last week was a mess of me planning my article, stressing about dating, and feeling as though I was the one on the "outs." Since Lydia and Ellie were in charge of finding men to participate, they weren't at their desks much. Even Rory, Hayden, and Cole didn't really spend a lot of time with me as they were helping to read through the questionnaires. It kind of felt like the 5 of them all had this inside joke now, and occasionally they would shoot looks my way or try to smother laughter at some of the answers. So, by the time the weekend rolled around, nobody wanted to drink with me for fear they'd let the secrets slip. Thus, ironically, I had become even more antisocial than I was before, even though this whole experiment was aimed at increasing my social capacity. I was laying on by side, buried under my duvet while I stared at the clock on my nightstand. I watched the minutes, knowing that in just 2 minutes my alarm was going to go off, and I wo
"Woah-" a male voice rang out. I felt two arms gripping me at the waist. Instinctively, I grabbed hold of the man's arms to stable myself. "You okay?" He asked. I nodded, "Yes... sorry about that. This blindfold really... I mean.. thank you," I stuttered out. God I was nervous. He chuckled a low, melodious laugh. "I get it. You're good." He released his grip from my waist and I let my hands slip from his muscled arms. Then, I felt the elevator begin to move and I knew this date was started. "So... what's your name?" I asked, stupidly, not knowing how to stand or if I was even facing him."Um... I'm not actually supposed to say. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the blindfold," he answered. Duh. I could feel my face heating beneath the blindfold. "Oh... right. I'm sorry. I'm just a little in my head right now."There was a moment of silence. It wasn't that he was being awkward, but I could literally feel the awkwardness radiating off of me. "How about we just rapid fire some f
After the crazy weekend I had, I was actually ready to get back to work today. It was Monday, and the last week of phase 1 of my experiment. So far, I'd met a variety of men from the office, some of which really stood out to me, and others... not so much. But, overall I figured the article was coming along as good as to be expected. Yesterday, Ellie came over to help me work out the kinks for phase 2. Clearly, there were men I was going to eliminate - starting with freaking Alan. But once I got the men narrowed down from 20 to 10, I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. Part of me felt like one more elevator ride just wasn't going to be enough time to make an informed decision to narrow it down to only 5 men. With this in mind, Ellie and I decided that it would be best if each man rode the elevator down with me as well on their date day, instead of just going up. It made sense in theory; week 1 = 1 ride; week 2 = 2 rides, up and down. After that, 5 more will be eliminated. With 5 men l
Lydia was completely passed out before we even got her into the uber. Thankfully, Cole agreed to come back to my place to help me with her, while Rory and Ellie got their own ride back to Rory's place. Once at mine, Cole carried Lydia for me, placing her into my bed. I took her shoes off and slipped a sweatshirt on over her head, leaving her in her dress since I wasn't able to maneuver her that easily. I put a glass of water on the nightstand and placed a trash can by her face, ensuring she was laying on her stomach before I met up with Cole in the living room. "Did she wake up?" Cole asked as he settled onto the couch. I shook my head, biting at my lower lip. "No... I'm worried, Cole. What if she was drugged or something? I've never seen her like this before."He sighed, patting the couch beside him. I hurried over, not even bothering to change out of my own dress before settling in beside him. "I thought the same thing, so I was doing some research while you were getting her set
Before I knew what was even happening, I heard Lydia's unmistakable voice getting louder as she was saying something I couldn't quite hear to the douche of a man beside her. He was raising his volume too as he stared back at her, standing up off his stool so that he towered over her small frame. "Cole," I said, hopping down off my stool and already heading in their direction. It wasn't long before their little scuffle had people from all over the bar looking at them, and I was sure it was only a matter of time before Dakota noticed us. But, none of that mattered when I saw the man reach out, shoving Lydia so hard she would have fallen down if she hadn't crashed into me. I was almost knocked down with her, but was surprised when Rory appeared behind me, stabilizing us both. I felt Lydia shaking in my arms and I could tell she was sobbing. I was quick to drag her away from the scene, making our way to the bathroom. Part of me wanted to stay and fucking unleash my wrath on that ma
After a Friday night well spent, aka fluffy pajamas, ice cream, and binge watching Vampire Diaries, it was finally Saturday night! Even though I love being a home body, there was something about getting all dressed up and experiencing something new that always enticed me. Since this was a cocktail lounge, I pulled out my favorite black cocktail dress. It was plain, sleeveless, and fitted with a slit that ran tastefully up one side. I straightened my usually-wavy hair until it ran down my back in a silky smooth sheet of strawberry blonde. I felt like being a bit more dramatic tonight, so I took my time dusting my eyelids with a smoky blue and shimmery silver shadow, finishing off with a thick swoop of liquid eye liner on the top. To my surprise, my long lashes decided to cooperate with my mascara applicator tonight, and when all was said and done, I had to admit I looked freaking good. Right as I finished up, I heard a knock at my door and I knew my friends were arriving. My apartm
"Ugh..." I groaned and stretched out after turning off my alarm. Getting up the morning after being sick is always the most difficult thing ever. After I got home from work yesterday at literally 10:30 AM, I took 3 ibuprofen, put on my fuzziest pajamas, and slept until I woke up profusely sweating at 5:00 PM. That's right, my fever had broken. I took a shower which made me feel a little bit better, and then moved to my couch where I laid down for another couple hours until there was a knock at my door. I would have panicked had Cole not told me that he DoorDashed me some chicken noodle soup from my favorite Bistro. It was a sweet gesture. He was going to bring it himself but I didn't want to get him sick; and besides, I wasn't feeling up for company. After eating my soup, I fell asleep on my couch while watching Moana, and didn't wake up again until 9, at which point I took a shot of NyQuil, moved back into my bed, and slept uninterrupted until my alarm went off just now. I couldn
It was hard to even focus on what Dakota wanted me to do, but by the expectant look on his face, I knew he probably wanted me to head home. I nodded, pushing myself up off the chair with an incredible amount of effort. My head pounded with the movement, and I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "What's wrong?" Dakota asked, placing a palm on my shoulder as if to steady me. "Just my headache. It was worse when I stood up," I fixed my eyes on his, trying to sound convincing. "I'm fine though. I just need to get my stuff from my desk and I'll leave."Dakota nodded, but when I began heading to the elevator he started walking with me. "You don't need to come with me," I continued, "I'm not going to fall over."His full lips tugged up at the corners as if he was hiding a smile. "I know. I'm going to walk you to your car anyway to ensure you actually go home." I sighed, but I didn't argue. He was a stubborn man. And also, he was my boss, so I really had no authority or reasoning
This week was one of the longer work weeks I'd had in a long time. After Monday's date, it had really gone downhill. Tuesday's date was sick, so most of the ride he spent coughing, sneezing, and blowing his nose while I backed myself into the far corner. It wasn't his fault... he couldn't help being sick, but it didn't exactly help him win me over. Then on Wednesday, my date had literally tried to kiss me at the end. I could feel the wind as he leaned in, and at the last minute I turned my head, receiving a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek instead. I wasn't pleased with his advances, but I also didn't feel unsafe at all. I understood it. This guy seemed cocky from our conversation, and although I didn't feel any connection towards him, I understood that he probably didn't hear "no" from women very often. The problem was, I couldn't see him. He had to let his personality do the work for him, and unfortunately, all I picked up on was arrogance. I'm not opposed to kissing men during this
This day was dragging, and since I had left my coffee in my car, and was too lazy to go get it, I felt my eyes drooping by the time I finished replying to all of my emails. I turned to look at my friends who were all hard at work, or at least they outwardly looked that way. "Does anyone want to go get a coffee with me?" I was met with a few head shakes but Cole agreed to go with me. Normally, my friends went crazy for coffee, but I'll be the first to admit that the coffee here kind of sucks... which was why we usually brought our own. I made a mental note to bring up my qualms about the shitty coffee during my next meeting with Dakota. Again, not that he'd listen, but it was worth a shot.Cole and I made our way down to floor 25, making small talk about our articles.... excluding EleDate. He never asked about my dates and I never bothered to tell him about them. For some reason, this article still got in the way of our carefree, lighthearted friendship. Once we stepped into the bre
The rest of my weekend went by quickly and without drama. I had spent most of Sunday recapping my 10 bachelors that I had already gone out with, making some decisions about what I was thinking of doing come elimination time. My rough draft of my list went as follows: Bachelor 1- move to round 2Bachelor 2- eliminate! (And maybe report if he keeps showing up places)Bachelor 3- potential Bachelor 4- potential Bachelor 5- potential Bachelor 6- move to round 2Bachelor 7- boring Bachelor 8- move to round 2Bachelor 9- No show = eliminated Bachelor 10- boring Bachelors 1, 6, and 8 were the 3 men that stood out to me the most these last 2 weeks, but the others were just average. I was hoping for more "wow" factor moving into the next 2 weeks, although I wasn't even sure what that meant. This morning I was awake before my alarm, so I had extra time to get ready. I put some fresh curls into my hair, applied a full face of makeup, and slipped into a classy, tight-fitting, blue dress.