The Bad Date in Partner Pursuit

And in honor of its e-book publishing anniversary, I want to share my bad date story that inspired Audrey’s bad date in Partner Pursuit (only I made it much worse in Partner Pursuit). Evil author chuckle. Someone once asked me what expertise I brought to writing romcoms, and I said that I was single for many years in New York City and I had quite a few bad dates.

In fact, the bad date in my first book, Partner Pursuit, was inspired by a real date.

The Inspiration for the Bad Date in Partner Pursuit

After meeting via a dating site, my date and I arranged to go for a bike ride around Central Park.

I thought this was pretty romantic—to go for a leisurely bike ride in the park and maybe stop for a picnic. So I dressed in a t-shirt and a skirt, and I wheeled out my blue hybrid bicycle with its basket.

But no.

As I was standing there at the entrance to the park, a guy approaches whose face looks remarkably like the photo of my date. But he’s wearing a full-body black Speedo outfit. Tight. With little left to the imagination.

His first line, after confirming my name, was “That doesn’t look like it goes very fast.”

Not compared to the racing bike he brought.

He wanted to race around Central Park. Then he told me he liked to combine his workout with his dates to be efficient.

I wondered how successful this strategy was.

When we stopped at one point, he said he saw himself as a modern-day monk. I didn’t know what to say to this. What had I put in my profile that attracted a modern-day monk?

I went back and checked my profile to confirm that I’d written that I was social and outgoing. I had.

We did not have a second date. But I did get in my exercise for that day so there is something to be said for that.

Let’s Talk

Have you had any terrible first dates? And did you still have a second date?