While she was looking at the somewhat middle-aged man with a protruding belly and who couldn't stop bragging his achievements, her mind was about to wander off, the man's voice brought her back and she heard him saying, "I own a house in the East End, have a good car, a BMW 3 series. I am currently a department manager, managing a few people, and my yearly salary is a modest 300,000."

She was about to speak when he continued, "After we get married, you won't have to work. As a teacher you'd make three to four thousand a month, after all the hardwork. It would be better if you stay home to look after the house. We surely won't miss that meager amount. We can plan a child quickly. Afterall, my mother's desire for a grandchild is driving her insane."

"..." Stacy Scott sat there speechlessly unable to believe the man who spoke without a break. Soon, he started making castles in the air envisioning their future child attending school, now she couldn't help but interrupt him and break his imaginary castle. "I'm sorry, Mr. Moore, but I don't think we're suitable for each other."

"..." Everything quietened down suddenly. The silence was awkward. And the man who couldn't stop talking about their furture life and children had closed his mouth, stared at Stacy in disbelief. He, who had come to this blind date considereing it as an occasion to discuss marriage and not just a formal first meeting, had never imagined to be rejected, that too so straightforwardly.

As he stopped speaking, another voice sounded. It seemed to be coming from the next table. It suddenly felt louder and louder, making people think whether it was as noisy before too?

It was a woman. She said in a shrill voice, "You, a thirty-year-old man without a car or a house, dares to attend a blind date?"

"I do have a house and a car." A man's deep composed voice said. However, it was soon drowned into the woman's sharp response.

"Don't make me laugh. You call that broken-down shack in the old town a house? That house is even older than you, you know! And it's already a honor that you call it a house, but you dare to mention a car to me as well? Do you have a car? The one you ride on is a bicycle. Ask around, who still rides a bicycle these days?"

She went on saying, "It wouldn't be as bad if it was just a bicycle, but it's typically an old-fashioned rod-brake bike, are you trying to make a joke out of me? Why don't you clutch that rod-brake of yours and find someone to marry? I'd like to see who would be blind enough to marry you." Finally, there was scraping sound of a chair scratching the floor informing everyone around that someone stood up from their seat and it was the end of the conversation.

All this made the atmosphere on Stacy's table more awkward. The woman's words embolded the beer-bellied man.

He spoke even more rudely, "See it's getting tough these days, where are you going find a man like me? Honestly speaking, I wouldn't have come today if I didn't know that you were a teacher. Teachers are patient, good at helping children with their homework, you know? And look at you, you're already 26 years old , if you still keep being picky, you might be left with nothing but second-hand men. Why don't we try dating each other and know each other better? Let's do this, okay!"

"..." Stacy really wanted to splash her coffee on his face, but resisted and calmed herself before firmly saying,

"I'm sorry, Mr. Moore, but I don't think we are a good fit for each other." She could disregard his appearance and be fine with other conditions, but their fundamentally different viewpoints were a dealbreaker.

The man contradicted his own words, on one hand, he disliked her being a teacher, and on the other hand, he wanted to marry her!

She thought he was quite sharp and scheming to marry a teacher just to save on future child education expenses and found it ridiculous. Moreover, what did he mean by not having to work? Did she have to let her so many years of studying down the drain just to marry him and have his children and be a fultime nanny?

The paunchy man had now realised that she wouldn't budge at all, saving his remaining dignity he mummbled under his breadth,

"You have no idea what's good for you? Do you think you're some goddess?" Finishing his words, he rose from his chair and left.

With a deep sigh, Stacy felt somewhat tired because today's blind date fell through again! This was the fifth person she had met this month. As she thought of her mother's expression, her stepfather and stepsister's strained faces, Stacy felt no desire to go home. But, she had to return, in such a huge city, she had no other place to go.

Gathering herself together, she was about to go out, when sound of a chair moving came from the next table. Two people who had failed their blind dates ran into each other head-on. Looking at the man who was two heads taller than her, Stacy was slightly taken aback. "Is this man a model?", she thought.

He was atleast one meter and ninety cm tall and imposing, his chin had no tinge of blue stubble making his face sharply angled.

Even his prominent nose bridge made him apart from the rest, she wondered if he had a mixed-race bloodline, his eyes were deep and tinged with dark blue.

Seeing his persona Stacy thought,"His overall aura is strong when he isn't speaking, and emanates a commanding presence. Such a man, he needs to go on a blind date too?"

This guy wore a slighted faded checked shirt with a pair a denims, which was rather average. Recalling the harsh feminine voice from before, she understood. However, these average clothes didn't lose out to any high brands and even looked luxurious on him.

Their eyes met, with gentlemanly manners he stepped back a bit, signaling her to go first. Satisfied with his gesture, something suddenly came to Stacy's mind, and she blurted out, "Since we're not interested in them anyway, shall we give it a try?"