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this guy to be different from any of the others. There was nothing special or noteworthy about him that made it worth the effort. Even by online-dating standards he had offered little intrigue, and with all the embellishing that takes place in preparing one's online profile, that was rather dismaying. She tried to recall what prompted her to go out with him, and then she remembered that he had caught her in a weak moment when, feeling unsettled and lonely, she suddenly longed for a normal life with an average guy. So here she was, on a Friday night, rushing around to meet this average or—more likely—less-than-average guy.
    She took a deep breath and tried once again to assume a positive outlook. At least she was getting out of the house. It could be interesting. She might as well try to have a good time. There didn't have to be any entanglements. She couldn't hide forever.
    And perhaps this one would work out differently. But she couldn't count on that and she knew it.
    She dashed through the restaurant doors and found him waiting for her. Just as the little voice in her head had predicted, he looked nothing like his picture and yet she recognized him instantly. Something in his present look was more like what she would have expected anyway. Within their casual online correspondence, she had detected an inherent gentleness, a kind of considerateness in his demeanor that had initially captured and ultimately held her interest. While these qualities had not been evident in his picture, she recognized them in his face, and her reluctance eased up the tiniest bit. "I'm sorry I'm late," she murmured.
    Dan stood up from the bench where he had been waiting and smiled warmly at Maryanne. Clearly he had embellished his height in his online profile, as well. She resented this; she could have at least worn lower heels to minimize the difference had she known. She tried to hide her annoyance. Yet he did not seem to mind so much; she noticed that his eyes were looking over her slender form with approval.
    "Maryanne? You're so much more beautiful than your picture!" he said earnestly. Then he blushed slightly, as if embarrassed by this outburst. She had the impression that his comments, at least, were spontaneous and genuine. "Don't worry about being late," he said good-naturedly. "I figured you were having a tough time finding parking. I did get us a table, though."
    He led her to their table and pulled out her chair for her. "Wow," he remarked as he sat down across from her, "those are some guns you're packing there!"
    Maryanne drew back, startled, and Dan quickly gestured to her arms, once again embarrassed. "I mean, you must work out," he clarified.
    "Oh…yes!" she said with a laugh, feeling the tension leave her. "I practice yoga," she explained.
    "Yoga's quite the workout," he surprised her by saying. "I tried it myself a few times, but I found it difficult to hold many of the poses. I get distracted too easily. Let's see, what was that one? You stand sort of crouched with your hands high up in front like the bug…the locust, was it?" He put his hands up in front of him in an exaggerated simulation of the pose.
    "The praying mantis," she corrected, laughing.
    "Yeah," he agreed amiably. "That's it. Nearly snapped my hamstrings trying to do that one."
    Maryanne tried to imagine this stocky, seemingly unsophisticated guy attempting yoga and suddenly burst into loud laughter at the thought of it. But when she recovered, she changed her tune, eyeing him sideways and saying, "Actually, you look like you could handle it." And it was true. Although he was a burly man, she could see at a glance that he was all muscle.
    "Well, I might have exaggerated," he conceded. "I actually only strained them a little."
    "That seems a bit more plausible…" she teased, surprised to find that she was flirting with him. The realization made her suddenly shy, and she tilted her head slightly downward in a reserved gesture she was in the habit of assuming