To the beat of "The night before Christmas"

'Twas a day in July, and back in my town,

My inbox was buzzing, my curiosity wound.

I clicked on a message, and to my surprise,

A catfish was waiting, in baited disguise.

“What the heck?” I thought, with some time to spare,

I studied the profile with a curious stare.

Could my eyes be deceiving, could it be true?

No app could produce such a heavenly view!

I soon sent some screenshots to my buddy June,

this has to be fake, it’s an obvious dupe!

This woman is gorgeous, there’s no way she’s a scoop!

June had to agree, "This just can’t be real;

This woman’s too gorgeous, she's got danger appeal!

Surely, she's murderous, there's something amiss,

No beauty like that comes without risk!"

So, I called up my sis, “Hey what’cha doing”

to which Cori replied “Nothing, and you” (totally doesn’t rhyme, her actual response)

I probably shrugged and quickly replied,

“I’m sharing location, for safety and care;

I’ve linked with a lady, potentially shady”.

Cori agreed, and casually said,

“yea, that’s fine--no need to dread.

if you go missing, and I have time,

I’ll send out a search party, but all in due time.”

To which I replied, with a laugh and a sigh,

“that’s actually perfect, no need to closely pry”

So I set up a date with this beautiful muse,

“Let’s meet at the Firehouse—hard to refuse.

How about Saturday—please, don’t be late.”

To which she replied, “You work quickly, that’s great!

But let’s change the date to Sunday at 8;

I’m meeting the girls after, so it’s actually fate.”

The date quickly approached, thoughts filled my head,

What if this woman’s real, and not a catfish instead?

I’d need a bit more time, but what should I say?

It wasn’t too clear where this might sway.

So I threw out my shot, changed the tick of our clock,

Logistics and planning—they’re my sure-fire stock.

A minor adjustment, I’d move it to three,

Unsure if she’ll agree, to the change made by thee.

No matter the fate, of course she was late;

Our very first date, the feeling sure did elate.

As she walked in the room, removed was the gloom;

Her outfit was bright, it started feeling just right.

Our conversations flowed, and I basked in her glow,

A connection so pure, it made my heart grow.

The hours flew by, this soul was familiar;

A timeless connection, is truly peculiar.

In her presence, I knew this was a treasure to cherish,

A bond so rare, one I’d never let perish.

Saya looked for the Mexican woman she was meeting up at the dingy, dark speakeasy bar they were supposed to meet at. It was half past 6 and she was already 15 minutes late to meet her. She hoped it wasn’t too late. The heavy wood door swung closed behind her and her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was still there! Cass wore pink shorts and had a head of unruly black hair with the sides of her head shaved, she was looking at her watch when Saya’s gaze landed on her and they locked eyes. She wasn’t wearing the red bandana around her neck like she was in her dating app profile, so it took a minute to figure out who she was. Saya walked towards her, clutching her Fanny pack while Cass stood up and held her hand out. “Saya?” She said confidently, her dry hand slowly shaking Saya’s clammy palm. “Yea, it’s me, Cass?” Saya replied with a smile, feigning a relaxed smile and awkward laugh. “So sorry I’m late,” she said with a giggle. “Don’t worry about it, or ‘no pasenada’ as we say where I’m from.”

Saya climbed onto the high chair and Cass took her seat. “Would you like something to drink?” Cass asked. “Sure, what are you having?” “A tequila and grapefruit” Cass replied calmly.

“That sounds great! I’ll have the same.” Saya said a little loudly, and then mentally slapped herself on the forehead. Damn, she was more nervous than she thought.

Cass hoped off her chair to get them drinks and Saya followed her little pink shorts as she stood at the bar, crossing one foot behind the other and having a laugh with the bartender.

Cass regaled Saya with her stories of Mexico, the land, and the beautiful people who made it feel like home, her hands gesturing excitedly. Saya shared about her upbringing in Nigeria, how she felt torn from her home and had been trying to find it ever since. They talked about spirituality, past relationships, family, and both lost track of time. Before they knew it, it was time for Saya to head to her afrobeats dance party. She’d planned to meet up with some friends afterwards, a sure fire way to get out of a bad date, but this time she actually wanted to stay. They lingered over their drinks a little longer until Cass checked her watch again. “We should go or you’ll be late for your party,” she said, tousling her hair. She closed the bar tab and as they walked out of the door together, she turned to Saya and said “I’m going to kiss you now.” “Ok,” Saya said. They kissed softly on the lips, lingering a little while longer before parting ways.

The rest, as they say, is history.