HeartRated

Arella

I COULDN’T help but think of how happy I was when my ex-husband proposed to me three years ago. A month later we get married. Now, I was staring down at the Manila envelope that had been inside my drawer for eight months. My final divorce papers.

Taking a deep breath, I tore open the package. There it was—nothing but black and white. My marriage was over. And I already saw him with a woman in his arms a month after the divorce had been finalized.

That jerk.

And I was so damn upset about that. I loved him. I even forced him into a marriage counseling because failure was difficult for me. And seeing my world turned upside down, it felt like he stabbed me right into my heart. And after all the effort, it still didn’t work, in fact, it just had gotten worse. So, I decided to leave our home when our fight had gotten physical.

Somehow, I got something that made him went ballistic. A six-figure settlement. It didn’t feel right though, and I haven’t touched it since I’d been single. All I wanted I was to get back my life.

I shoved it back to the drawer and pulled out my laptop. My life had been back to normal—not the kind of normal that I used to though, but I had quality weekends with my family, had time to annoy my big brother, got my friends back, and had a new awesome and bubbly roommate.

Windows started. The Wi-Fi instantly connected. I’d been checking out online dating sites and apps recently, but hadn’t signed up yet. And if my brother found out about this, he was going to lock me up away from civilization and thought I was insane, but he wasn’t going to find out, was he?

HeartRated got my interest. I clicked the register button, filled up some basic info, and uploaded my picture, then my finger froze in the air. Am I really desperate to go out on a date? It was now or never.

I took a deep breath and clicked DONE.

* * * 

This is impossible.

Hotsome: The awkward moment when you try to message a girl and all you can think of is hello.

SinDeRella: Hi.

Hotsome: Want to chat sometime?

SinDeRella: Sure, how’s your day?

Hotsome: Great. And hope you are as well. So, any plan tonight?

SinDeRella: Actually I have. How about next weekend?

Ten seconds later...

Hotsome: Cool.

Hotsome: I checked your info. I think we have something in common.

So, he checked my profile.

Do these people believe in everything you post?

SinDeRella: What made you think I’m stating the truth?

Oh, crap! It didn’t sound friendly. Blamed me for not having a lot of dating experience. My ex was my first and only boyfriend.

Hotsome: We signed up for online dating, love, so we both wanted to go out on a date, right?

God, I was overthinking.

Hotsome: By the way, is that your picture on the DP or you stole it from your twin?

I rolled my eyes. That was so lame. He seemed not used to flirt or a way to impress a girl.

SinDeRella: I might be looking for a date, but what if I don’t like you?

Hotsome: Come on, love. We both know we wanna have some fun.

Hotsome: If this is your picture, then you look gorgeous, love.

I cropped the picture during my roommate, Katrya’s birthday last month. I was wearing a red mini-dress and showed off some cleavage. And now, I was in trouble.

I clicked Hotsome’s profile.

28 years old, 6’2”, single. Of course.

He loved to adopt a dog.

A foodie and football fan.

His interest: A woman with natural beauty.

My jaw dropped, just staring at his picture because his name suited him well. Hot and handsome. Damn beautiful! Indeed, his age was probably just like my brother. Did I forget to mention he has copper brown hair reaching his shoulders? It was unruly and wavy that made him sexier. His face was beautifully crafted. His skin wasn’t tanned as I liked in a man, but he had warm honey brown eyes that scorched me. His nose was almost perfect. His strong jawline was covered with a day or more worth of stubble. His lips were full and pink, slightly spread into a smile. And that... corded neck. A few chest hair poking out from his opened button shirt.

I wondered if how did it feel against my fingertips?

Crap, I got it bad.

Did he have six-packs, lean hips, and muscular thighs?

Okay, enough, Are.

Wait, why did he look so familiar? Was this his real picture? He could have just cropped and put someone’s picture from Google, Instagram, or other social media apps, right? Because there was no way he looked like this? He could have a lot of ladies filling in line to have him. He’s not real.

I shook away those thoughts. I’m in deep trouble.

It’s just a picture. He could’ve just photoshopped it.

Hotsome: Are you still there, SinDeRella?

What had gotten into me to use this username?

SinDeRella: Something came up. I’ll chat with you when I’m free.

Hotsome: How about tonight? I really wanna know more about you.

SinDeRella: How would I know you’re not some psychopath?

Hotsome: Then we should probably meet.

SinDeRella: Didn’t I just ask why should I trust you? *insert sarcasm.

Hotsome: Lol. Am I too pushy? Let’s talk sometimes then?

SinDeRella: Sure.

“Wow! Since when are you interested in online dating?” Katrya’s voice from my back startled me.

I turned to face her. “Did I forget to lock the door?” I asked sarcastically. It was not that we should lock each other’s doors. We knew our limits, and when I moved into this apartment, her first rule was no bringing of dates home.

“Your door is ajar, my dear. And I called you when I got inside, but you seemed so lost staring at that picture.” She walked inside, locking the door behind her. “So, tell me. Are you going out with that guy?” She pointed out to the laptop that I already shut closed.

“You know I never did this before. I don’t know, maybe or maybe not.”

“I can set you up out on a blind date. I’ll ask our new X-ray technician. He’s single and kinda hot,” she suggested, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. “The last time you set me up on a date, he canceled an hour before the date. So, no thank you.” My self-esteem suddenly dropped freezing cold when it happened, and Kat apologized for like a thousand times even though it was not her fault. Still, she felt being played out. Besides, that guy was the one who asked her that he was looking for a date.

“I’m sorry, Are.”

“I know. Don’t worry, there’s this one guy that I chatted earlier, but how will I know if he is not some jerk?”

“Then go out on a date with him. In a public area, and don’t go to his place.”

“I don’t do that for a first date, Kat.”

She snorted, “Really? The last time I checked your last date was your ex.”

“Fine, but what I mean is, I will not go with him after our date. If he asks me again, then, I’ll see if the first went well.”

“And you know this dating thing, most people are not looking for a serious relationship, right?”

“I know, and I’m not looking for a relationship either.”

“You are a big girl, Are, but make sure if you’ll go out on a date he’s hotter than your jerk ex. So, who is this guy?”

“Um, his username is hotsome,” I answered reluctantly, grinning.

Kat stared at me for a moment before she burst into a laugh and threw her head back. Her straight, shiny, and raven black hair swayed gracefully. I was so jealous of her hair and fair freckled-free skin. Her mom was a Filipina and her dad was a Korean, but they were American citizens now. Kat was a nurse in our local hospital for three years.

“So, is he a hotsome?” Her dark brow raised, still smiling.

I chuckled and shrugged, then her mouth gaped open and raised her hand to stop me from saying. “I’ve never seen that look before. He’s that hot, huh?”

My brows knitted together. “What look?”

She pointed finger at my face. “That sweet guilty look. Your face is literally blushing right now, Arella. Did you already have wet dreams over this hotsome guy?”

“Oh, shut up, Kat. I’m hungry. What do we have for dinner?” I stood up and ran my hands over my crumpled panda pajamas.

“You are the one who has no duty, Are. I should be the one who’s asking you that.” She rolled her eyes, looking amused. “What a lazy roommate I have.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll make up to you, I promise.” I followed her out of my room. I was taller than her in a few inches, but she had a petite figure compared to me who gained some pounds after my divorce.

My ex-husband used to restrict my consumption of calories, and still, he called me fat despite my fifty-five kilos. I could say he was fit and never eat fatty foods. We both went to a gym and watched out our weight together. But, I stopped everything when I moved out of our house.

“You can make it up to me when you have a second date with hotsome.” She winked when we both stopped in our small living room that only consisted of a long brown couch where I usually spent most of my time watching action movies on our flat TV. It had a small glass coffee table and the new dark brown rag we bought from the 50% off last month.

“I’m just glad that you’re trying to give back some colors to your boring life. He moved on, Are. Now, it’s your turn. He’s not the only hot guy in the world. Your ex-husband is an asshole.” She smiled, this time it wasn’t sympathetic like every time she found me crying on this couch. But Kat didn’t know some important details about my ex.

“So, should I consider dating one of those hot guys?” I smiled back.

“If they’re hotter than Ed Skrein, then yes. It’s time to make that drier than oregano vagina wet.”

“Oh, my God! Your mouth, Kittykat. This guy looked familiar to me, but I don’t think it’s him that I used to know though because his eyes have different colors, and I don’t think he’s ever interested in this kind of thing. I mean he doesn’t have to, you know.”