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Paula doesn't know why she's putting herself through this again. Perhaps it's the fact that the loneliness of everyday life hurts more than the stares. That despite how cruel others can be, it at least serves as a bit of attention. So here she sits in wait for her date. Though if he's like any of the others, he'll leave in disgust as soon as his eyes lay on her.

She sighs sadly to herself. That reaction is better than the few who stay to toy with her. To pretend as if they care until they reveal it was all a joke. To point out the flaws that she's keenly aware of. She looks to her left nub, and a crushing sadness almost brings her to tears. To think she'd lose it in a freak car accident, and from then on, her life would never be the same.

Simple things she took for granted have become chores. She can't even cut her own steak anymore without assistance. Ah, there it is, something she's used to, tears roll down her cheeks, but she's quick to clear them. She wouldn't want to become a burden in public. She looks to a nearby clock and finds that it's already ten minutes past the time they agreed to meet.

She would give him the benefit of the doubt, but right now, she can only think the worst. Maybe he's already spotted her from afar and moved on? Perhaps he never existed in the first place?

“Sorry I'm late."

Paula is confused. A young human man in his mid-twenties stands beside the table with a nervous smile as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Can I help you?" She asks.

“It's me, Jonathan."

Wait, this isn't the person she made a date with. She picks up her phone and quickly looks over the profile. Oh no... His main picture has the human before her and an older gray wolf beside him with his arm over the young man's shoulders. This entire time she thought she was talking to the wolf! Looking back to the man, she becomes hot with embarrassment. She's easily fifteen years older than him!

“Y-You're Jonathan?"

“...Yeah. Sorry, were you expecting the other guy?" She nods. “Dammit." He whispers under his breath. “Um... So what happens now? Should I leave?"

This isn't what she expected, but he seems to be honest. While she doesn't expect this to go anywhere, she could use the company.

“I don't mind. Please, sit."

His smile relaxes as he takes his seat.

“So, it's nice to meet you, Paula."

“Nice to meet you too." She returns the smile, but deep down, she can't shake the idea that this will all go wrong.

An uncomfortable silence grows as Paula watches this young man start to fidget in his seat, a thin layer of sweat beginning to build on his brow.

“Uh... What do you do for a living?" He breaks the silence.

“I'm in tech support," Paula answers while keeping a close eye on the man. She can't figure out why he's so nervous. “How about you?"

“I stream."

“Stream?"

“Yeah, like, games. I play games."

Oh, Paula recalls hearing something about that from a friend. It's supposedly a big thing. People watching others play games. Indeed an odd prospect for a job but, she won't judge. Though she can tell Jonathan looks embarrassed.

“You make a decent living from streaming?"

“I'd say so." He admits. “Though it can get better if my following grows."

Once more they fall into silence. This time Jonathan's fidgeting double as if he's trying his best to think of what else to say. Paula gets the feeling that perhaps he came here on a dare, or maybe he's streaming this as a prank? Her mood darkens, and Jonathan seems to pick up on this as a long sigh leaves him.

“Listen... I'm going to be honest with you." Jonathan looks Paula in the eyes, and for a moment, she believes the worst has come. “I've never done this before. I'm so out of my element it's laughable." He looks at the table ashamed. “This is a terrible date, isn't it?"

That wasn't what she expected. This entire time he's been nervous over this date not being good? That's really sweet. The negative thoughts take a backseat for Paula as she allows herself to enjoy this moment.

“You're doing fine." She tries to comfort him. “While I was expecting someone else, I'm happy you're here."

“Really?"

“Of course. I'm sure you were expecting someone else too."

“What do you mean?"

“Well, my arm." She gives a glance to her nub.

“Has that been a problem for you?" Jonathan notices that he's hit a sore spot. “Oh... Sorry. Um, I'm fine with your missing arm." He bites his tongue at how stupid that sounded. “I-I mean, I knew about it, and it doesn't bother me."

This is the first time Paula has heard that from a man. Sure, her family and friends are alright with her change, but this is different. This is a stranger, someone who knew how she was and still wanted to possibly date her. She can't fight it anymore; her eyes begin to waver as she tries to maintain her composure. Seeing this, Jonathan feels as if he's screwed up.

“Shit... I didn't mean to insult you." He tries to figure out how to salvage this but stops as she rests her hand onto his.

“It's fine. I'm happy is all."

Jonathan doesn't say it, but he can tell that she's been having a rough time from her reaction alone. So he rests his other hand on top of hers to comfort her the best he can. It takes a moment, but she calms down and moves her hand away. He hasn't known Paula for long, but he can't shake this feeling that she's a good person and even before this date can properly start, he wants to see her again.

“So, who's the wolf in the picture with you?" Paula asks.

Jonathan wakes from his thoughts. “Oh, that's just my dad."

“Really?" Paula wasn't expecting that.

“I'm adopted, but he's my dad all the same." He chuckles. “It throws off a lot of people when they first learn that."

“It's rare for a beastborn to adopt outside their species," Paula states.

“He certainly loves to brag about that." Jonathan doesn't want this to be all about him. “So what about you, Paula? Are your parents doing well?"

Paula doesn't notice the smile growing on her face, nor how she starts to sit up straight as the conversation continues.

“They're doing fine. My mother got her tail caught in the door last week. She still calls me daily to complain about how it's bruised. As for my father, he's busy with his job."

“Good to hear." Jonathan's nervousness from before starts to melt away. “How about you? How's your week been?"

Paula's happy mood disappears as the memory of her visiting a local diner comes back. How she ordered a steak and the waiter made her feel like shit when she asked for his help to cut it. It seems like since she lost her arm, all of these horrible things happen to her. Jonathan instantly notices her mood darken, and he becomes worried that he may have brought up some bad memories.

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

She bites her quivering lip. “I-I haven't been having a good week." She has to use all of her strength to not break down in tears. “I'm sorry."

Paula gets up from her seat and quickly walks out of the coffee shop, but Jonathan is just as fast as he follows after her. He catches up to her and grabs her by the arm. When he turns her around, she's looking to her feet with tears flowing down her cheek. He's not a smooth guy, but one lesson his dad taught him is what he needs right now: Never leave someone crying alone.

“Paula... I have no idea what you've been through. I'm not even going to pretend as if I understand what you're feeling. All I can say is that I don't want this date to end this way." He places a hand under her chin and lifts her to face him. “How about we try and make this week better? Is there someplace you'd like to go to?"

“I-I don't want to waste any more of your time." Paula tries to pull away, but Jonathan keeps her there.

“Seriously. Any place. We'll go there right now."

When she looks into his eyes, she can see how honest he is and concerned for her wellbeing. She's terrified of putting her trust in someone else, but her yearning for companionship now takes control of her actions.

“I could go for a steak?" She says unsure.

His concerned look fades as a smile takes its place. “I got just the place."

---

This isn't what Paula was expecting today. She assumed this date would end like all others before had, with her crying alone in her apartment as she drank herself into a stupor. Though here she is, sitting in a rather lovely restaurant as Jonathan and her wait for their meals. They ordered the same meal, a porterhouse steak done medium-rare.

“So, I guess we kinda moved on from a meeting to an actual date?" Jonathan comments with a light chuckle.

“I guess we did."

Paula's ears lie flat on her head as she feels guilty. It was supposed to be a simple coffee, and she practically forced him here. A hand rests on hers as she looks up to see him smiling at her.

“I'm glad you decided to humor me. I meant it when I said I didn't want our date to end that way. You're a lovely woman; I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving in tears."

Paula lets out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. He's so genuine that it hurts. It's been so long since a stranger has treated her with any respect or compassion, and yet she's on a date with someone who's doing that. In the back of her mind, she's terrified that she'll wake up and find this was all a dream.

“I'm sorry for my outburst earlier," Paula says. “It...It's been rough since I've lost my arm."

Jonathan's smile fades some. “If it's not too much to ask, how long ago?"

“A year." She answers. “In a car accident."

“I'm sorry." Is all Jonathan could say.

“It's not your-"

“Your meal." A waiter interrupts as he sets their plates before them.

When Paula looks to her meal, she's somewhat excited to be eating something that she thoroughly enjoys, but as she picks up her knife with one hand, her heart sinks. This is just like that time back in the dinner. She can feel her fur stand up as she freezes in place. What is she going to do? Should she ask a waiter for help or Jonathan?

She bites her lip. This is so embarrassing. No matter who she asks, she'll just make this whole date more awkward than it already is. He'll finally see what kind of burden she is and give her that look of disgust she's used to. Her lip quivers as she's on the verge of crying again, but before any tears can fall, she notices a hand grab her plate before another is placed in front of her.

Her vision begins to blur more as she finds all the meat has already been cut into neat slices. She looks up at Jonathan as he smiles at her.

“I hope you don't mind, but I thought you'd enjoy it more if it were already cut."

Paula swallows her emotions and quickly clears her eyes before giving Jonathan a smile in return.

“Thank you."

“Don't mention it."

---

Is Paula laughing? How long has it been since she's done that? How long has it been since she's felt this good about anything? This date, the meal, Jonathan, everything is wonderful. They've been chatting after their meal and sharing various stories about their lives. Jonathan tells her how his father also forgets about his tail and constantly gets it stuck in places.

They even talked about serious things too. About how tough it was growing up as an adopted child to a beastborn. Paula told Jonathan of her struggles since losing her arm and how people have treated her for the first time. She could see how genuinely upset hearing her story made him, and in turn, it made her think that maybe she didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

Soon Jonathan was driving her home, the two of them continuing to share stories along the way, but eventually, it all ended as Jonathan walked her up to her door. This is where their date would end, and Paula was terrified that she would never see him again.

“S-So..." Jonathan rubs the back of his neck. “I had a great time. I know I'm not who you were expecting and probably younger than you're comfortable with, but... I really want to see you again."

Paula feels her heart cry out in joy, and she decides to do something bold. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek. When she pulls away, she can see his entire face is red, and that makes her smile.

“I'd like that."

“A-Alright!" He clears his throat, embarrassed. “I'll call you."

Paula watches him walk away, giving him a wave as he leaves before entering her apartment. She leans against the door as the entire day hits her. Deep down, she hopes she'll see him again.

---

“Polly, you've been sitting there for like ten minutes. Tell me how the date went!" Paula's friend Debra is sitting beside her; she's a sandy brown fox beastborn. “Don't say it was another flop."

Paula sighs as she sips from her glass of wine. “It was amazing."

“Really? Then why are you acting so depressed about it?"

Paula's face starts to burn hot in embarrassment. She pulls out her phone, opens the dating app to Jonathan's profile, and tosses it to her friend. “He's the one on the left."

Debra picks up the phone, immediately looks at the wolf before her eyes widen as she peers at the human. She can feel a grin spreading across her face.

“Whoa... Are you telling me this smoothie showed up? He's practically a baby!"

Paula sinks into her couch, wanting to melt away from this moment.

“I know! But he was so sincere that I decided to just spend a little time with him... It... It was the best date I've ever had."

Her friend elbows her some. “Hey, I'm not judging. I hear humies are enthusiastic lovers, especially a young pup like him."

“Can you shut up!" Paula can't take this overwhelming amount of embarrassment.

Her friend chuckles. “Hey, if you're reacting like this, you must like him."

Paula lets out a snort. “Well, he's charming, but I can't date someone that young."

“You're not that old, Paula." Debra rolls her eyes. “Sure, he's young, but if he's genuinely into you, why not give him a try?"

Paula takes another sip of her wine. “It's one thing that he's young, but he's also a human."

“Wow, didn't know you were that type of beast, Paula." Her friend says, scrolling through the DM's between her and Jonathan. “I mean, from these messages, he never minded that you were a beastborn."

Paula puts down her drink and snatches her phone away before tossing it to the other couch.

“You know how everyone sees interspecies couples, Debra. I can't do that to someone who's got so much life ahead of them."

Debra gets up from the couch, picks up Paula's phone again, and is surprised when it lets out a ping. She looks over the message that was sent and smiles to herself before turning to her friend.

“If he doesn't care, why should you?" She asks before tossing her phone to Paula.

Paula grabs her phone and looks at the text that was sent.

Hey, I know there are these dumb rules about waiting a few days or whatever, but I wanted to know if you were interested in another date? I had a great time and want to get to know you more. Just let me know if you're interested or not.

Despite her fur, Paula's face is bright red as her friend sits beside her again.

“So? Going to convince yourself why you shouldn't take him up on his offer?" At Paula's silence, Debra rests a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe it's time for you to be selfish for once?"

Paula looks over at her friend as she smiles at her. She knows Debra is worried about her, all of her friends are, and she's right. If Jonathan wants to have another date, why should she turn him down because of what others might think? Paula sets her phone down, grabs her glass of wine, downs it before holding her cellphone again and texting him back.

I'd love to go on another date! I'm free this Saturday if that works for you?

As soon as she sent it, she got a response.

Saturday is good. How does eleven AM sound to you?

That works for me. She replies.

Awesome. I'll come by to pick you up.

Ok.

Paula's heart is racing as she sets her phone down; Debra leans back as she is enjoying the back and forth there.

“I wonder if all humies are like that?" Debra says. “I could go for some of that enthusiasm."

“T-This is just a friend's date. I'm sure he's not interested in me."

Debra rolls her eyes. “Sure didn't seem that way to me. "