** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1
#lookingforlove 7/?
"Dad will you sit down what's going on just tell me already." Emily snapped as Gerry paced past her for the fourth time in as many minutes still not telling her what the problem was that had warranted his late night phone call.
"You are what's wrong, what the hell did I let you make me sign up for that bloody dating site in the first place for?" Gerry replied finally stopping and staring at her with unadulterated panic in his eyes as she tried to work out exactly what could have happened in the space of the four days since they set up his account that would have affected him so much.
"Look there's no reason to get your boxers in a bunch if it's bothering you that much we'll just delete the membership again? What's wrong has no one replied to your profile? Is your ego all bruised?" She laughed immediately regretting the levity as he turned on his heels again and glared at her.
"Oh I've had plenty of interest most of it from bloody fruit cakes but I did find one woman who seemed like my sort of person and…."
"Look if she didn't reply to your message or if she's politely told you she's not interested it's not a reason to give up." Emily interrupted cringing slightly as he growled throwing the empty beer bottle in his hand into the bin before going to retrieve another one from the fridge. If she was honest she had worried slightly how Gerry would react to the possibility of rejection or the fact that not every woman he contacted on the site would take one look at his profile and immediately want to marry him and have his babies but this was more of a reaction than she was expecting this soon in the process. "Dad look there'll be more….."
"She didn't friggin reject me Emily she replied and I arranged to do one of those online chat things with her tomorrow night and now I'm crapping myself." Gerry shouted from the kitchen stopping the words in her throat as she stared at him in surprise as he came out.
"Yeah right, the great Gerry Standing, Casanova of East London, doesn't know what to say to a woman? You're having a laugh aren't you? If this is your way of trying to get back at me for forcing you into joining the site in the first place ha-ha you got me." Catlin laughed looking at him as he came into the room again one look at him telling her that this wasn't a joke he was genuinely worried about the online conversation. "Dad come on you talk to women all the time why would this get you so het up? It's just the same as talking to any woman only you will be doing it online using a keyboard instead of face to face!"
"That's exactly the problem Emily I can do it face to face I can come out with the patter, I can look at a woman and say oh you've got gorgeous eyes, a beautiful smile, great legs whatever. That's easy when a woman is right in front of you and you can see her and see how she's reacting and adjust your lines accordingly." Gerry sighed sinking into the arm chair as Emily tried not to laugh at the juvenile description of his own chat up methods. "It's not the same as just walking up to a woman in a pub and asking her what she wants to drink."
"Yeah but I thought that was the whole point dad!" She sighed trying to think of a way to put her next statement that didn't sound callous. "All that stuff you're talking about wasn't exactly getting you anywhere was it? Why can't you see that just talking to someone without the barriers of what they look like or what you look like or how you can smarm them or where you can take them is why we did this in the first place. All you have to do is sit in front of the computer tomorrow night and talk, see what if anything you have in common when it's nothing but you and her at your respective keyboards typing."
"Yeah well that's the other thing." Gerry replied staring at his hands as she continued to get more confused.
"You're not making any sense now dad what is the other thing?"
"I can't type that fast ok? I'm not good with computers Brian does all that stuff in the office I barely ever touch the thing what if it takes me so long to answer that she gives up and just leaves?"
"Typing? That's' what you're worried about? Oh for the love of god look how about for tomorrow, just for this first chat and I mean just for the first one I come round and I'll type you can tell me what to say but after that if she wants to talk again and you do too you're on your own ok? I'm not playing cyber gooseberry even if she would never know I was there."
"Yeah, yeah ok that might work!" Gerry smiled as she watched the regular confidence return to his eyes and sighed heavily if it was going to get things moving she was happy to help but it would definitely be a one off after that if he wanted to smooth talk women online he could do it himself.
