Part 01 Riley's Mistake

"Right, right, right, left, right, definitely right, left right....." Riley was working his way through the latest hook up app.

Ping! "You've matched with Vero!"

"Nice," Riley thought without even checking the profile. "She's a smoke."

"Hey. How are you doing?" he typed. Send.

"Right, Right, eew left."

Ping! New Message Received!

"I'm good. Kinda surprised u messaged me" it said

"Why would you be surprised? You're gorgeous" Riley responded.

He was right. Vero was gorgeous. Straight black hair, big brown eyes, and a beautiful smile. If Riley would've bothered to check he would've saw Vero was 24, 5'9" enjoyed the gym, scary movies, is a foodie, was born in El Salvador and was transgender.

"Thanks 😊 Ur cute too" Vero responded.

Riley was more than cute. Riley's profile laid it out. He was 25, 6'3", with played baseball in college, just finished grad school, and was born and raised in Chicago.

"You're making me blush," he replied.

"Awww I'm sorry," came from Vero.

Riley smiled to himself. He liked when girls played along with the tiny flirts he threw out there.

"Busy tonight? Want to grab a drink?" Riley asked.

"I'm free 😊," Vero replied.

"Great! How's 7:30?"

"Perfect!"

"I'll send you the address to a place in Wicker Park I know."

"Sounds good to me."

"See you at 7:30." With that Riley dropped his phone and proceeded to get ready.

Riley arrived at the bar just before 7:20. He thought he try to grab a table near the door so he could catch Vero as she walked in. And walk in she did. Riley instantly felt underdressed in his jeans and v-neck. Vero came in looking like a Greek Goddess. A thigh length, sleeveless yellow dress that was belted across the waist and a pair of flats that laces up to her calf, hair pulled back tight, with make up done like Liz Taylor in Cleopatra. All she was missing was the headdress. All Riley could think was, "Wow."

The next few hours felt like moments to both. The conversation came easier and they felt like old friends. Riley looked at his phone and saw it was almost 11. "I hate to do this but I think I need to call it a night."

"Oh, I didn't even realize it was this late," Vero replied checking her phone too, "I should get going, too."

Riley paid the bill and they walked outside and stood on the sidewalk. "I'm that way," Riley pointed behind himself.

"And I'm over there," Vero pointed in the other direction.

They both stood facing each other for a few brief moments not wanting the night to end. It was Vero that broke the silence, "I had a really nice time. I'd love to see you again."

"How about tomorrow?" Riley blurted out anxious and excitedly, not being able to keep his cool like usual.

Vero couldn't help but to smile, "I'd like that."

"Ok, dinner at 6?" Riley asked. "I can make a reservation at the Italian place down the street."

"6:30?" Vero countered.

"6:30 it is," replied Riley.

They lingered for a second more when Vero rose up and gave Riley a kiss on the cheek. "Tomorrow," she said

"Tomorrow," Riley whispered back.

With that Vero turned and walked away. Riley stood and stared until she glanced back at him over her shoulder and turned the corner. As soon as she was out of sight, Riley let out a deep breath. "She's amazing," he said out loud to no one in particular. He walked the few blocks home in a daze. This wasn't what he wanted from tonight. He was hoping to have a few drinks and end up back at his place. Maybe have a quickie in the morning and call it a day. Keep the number in his phone for a rainy day. Now all he wanted was 6:30 tomorrow to get here now.

The next day Riley called and made the reservation. He sent Vero a text, "We're in for 6:30."

He waited for what felt like an hour staring at his phone. Two minutes later it vibrated in his hand. "I can't wait," Vero texted back.

That night went much like the first, conversation came easy and before they knew it the restaurant was closing. They did the same dance around in front of the restaurant as the night before. Vero was going to a cousin's wedding this weekend in Milwaukee so they wouldn't be able to see each other. Riley had no plans. Maybe he'd call some friends to go out or jump on COD for the weekend to pass the time.

Riley did none of those things. He had movies on all Saturday but his mind was on Vero. Around 9:30 his phone dinged. Picture Message it said. He opened it up and there was Vero in a knee length blue dress and heels, hands behind her back smiling at the camera. "I wish you were here," she sent after the picture.

"You look beautiful. I hope you're having a great time!" Riley sent back.

"I am. xoxo."

Riley set his phone down. Looked up at the ceiling with one of the Superman movies in the background. He thought to himself, "I actually have butterflies."

Riley woke up Sunday and ran some errands. He was almost home from getting groceries when his phone buzzed.

"I'll be back around 7 tonight. Dinner?" Vero asked.

It took everything for Riley not to jump with joy with hands full of grocery bags. "That would be great," he texted back.

That night they met at a Greek restaurant Vero picked out. Same thing happened. The conversation flowed freely until Vero said something that made Riley pause.

"During my transition," Vero started.

"Wait...what do you mean?" Riley asked

"My transition." Vero looked at him unsure of what was happening.

"What transition?" Riley asked nervously.

"My transition Riley. You know from boy to girl. Like it said in my profile," Vero said both mad and hurt.

"I....I didn't read your profile," Riley said looking down at his plate. "I just saw a pretty face."

"So what now Riley?" Vero asked, voice shakey and tears in her eyes. "What now?"

"I...um," Riley started but Vero cut him off.

"No forget it. I already know." Vero said with a quiver of a voice. She got up, threw her napkin down and started to storm off but stopped, came back and threw something in Riley's lap. "Here. I thought there was something but I guess not." She stormed out. Riley still couldn't bring himself to look up from his plate. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, confused and sad all at once. The waiter silently dropped the check at the table while Riley picked up what Vero had thrown in his lap. It was a ball and bat keychain with his name on it. A small gesture that spoke volumes to Riley. She cared to think of him and cared to remember the most important parts of his life. He paid the bill and walked somberly home.

When he got home he opened up the app they had connected on and found her profile. There it was. Plain as day. He hadn't even bothered to look. He felt confused. Confused because he had never been attracted to a man.

"No," he thought, "That's not right. She's who she is, who she always was and you're a piece of shit for thinking otherwise for even a second."

He cried that night. Because he was mad at himself. Because he was ashamed and embarrassed. Most of all because he thought he lost her.

The next day he messaged her, "I'm sorry. Can we talk?"

Nothing.

"Vero I'm so sorry. Please can we meet or can I call you?

Nothing.

Three more days and three more messages.

Nothing.

He looked on the app. Blocked. He deleted his account. He didn't want it anymore. He didn't want anyone else.

"Vero, I know you want nothing to do with me. No one would blame you if they knew the circumstances. I just wanted a hook up. I mindlessly swiped right and left. I saw you and I wanted you. Then we met and you ran through me like a freight train. I felt connected to you. I wanted to be with you every second. I thought I didn't want to be with anyone but when I met you I wanted to be with only one. I was wrong. I should've read your profile. Part of me is glad I didn't though because we wouldn't have met. I would've been to shallow and too much of a boy to message you. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did the other night. I was confused because I didn't think I could like a woman like you. It was a surprise to me that I didn't care, but I thought I should. I don't care though. I know that's probably meaningless right now, but I just wanted you to know. I want to be with you. I want to go back to that first night. I want to feel your lips on my cheek. Most of all I just want to tell you I'm sorry. I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you. If not, I hope you find someone to treat you the way I should have." Send. Riley put down his phone and put his head in his hands. Now he could only wait. The next day Riley spent pacing around his apartment.

Nothing.

He went to bed that night but couldn't sleep. He stared at the picture Vero had sent him from her cousin's wedding. He replayed their dates in his mind.

The next few days went by much the same way. Work was the only escape. Even there he found himself holding the keychain Vero had gotten him and turning it in his fingers. He missed her terribly.

Five days after he sent his last message his phone buzzed. He had given up hope that it would be Vero's name when he looked at his messages, so when it was from her he burst into tears. It didn't matter what the message said. It was her. That's all he cared about.

"Meet me for a drink?"

"Yes. Anywhere. Anytime." he replied.

"Now. Our first date."

Riley barely had his shoes on as he flew out the door. He had purposely picked a bar close to his apartment that first night in case he got lucky. Now he was glad it was close so he could be there as soon as possible. He power walked all the way to the bar. He would've ran had he taken the time to tie his left shoe before he left.

He walked in the bar. There she was. Beautiful. Here he was. One shoe tied, gym shorts and the first shirt he pulled from his dresser. He sat down and went to speak.

"Wait," Vero said holding up her hand. "Let me go first."

Riley sat back waiting for the lashing he thought he was about to receive.

"You hurt me so much that night," Vero started.

"I'm sor..."

Vero raised her hand and cut him off again.

"I know you're sorry," she started, "and you should be. It could've been avoided if you just read my damn profile. I really like you and this sucks. I want to forgive you. I want to start over. I want to act like this never happened. I don't know if I can."

She paused and waited. After a few seconds she looked at him, "Say something you idiot!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. I just don't know what to say," Riley said. "I don't blame you. I really like you too. I would love to go back to the beginning too. Or back to the other night and tell you I didn't realize but I didn't care. Instead I acted like it was a problem for me because my head told me it should've been when my heart told me I fucking love you. I knew you for a week and I was fucking in love with you. Now it's ruined. I ruined it. I lost you."

Vero looked away from Riley, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "Fuck you, Riley. Fuck you because I love you, too."

Riley reached across the table and took her hand. "Vero."

"Shut up. If you ever hurt me again we're done," she whispered.

Riley nearly threw the table from between them to get to her. "I promise," he said as he reached for her. "Never again," he said as he kissed her for the first time.

They sat and talked for hours that night about their pasts and eventually made their way to Riley's apartment. They talked until the early morning about their future, until Vero laid her head in Riley's lap and fell asleep. Riley stayed up as long as he could. Running his fingers through her hair and looking at the woman he almost lost, the woman he loved.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep but when he woke up there she was. Hair gently falling over her face, still sleeping. She stirred when he moved. She stretched herself and smiled at him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said.

"Good morning," she replied.

She leaned forward and kissed him. They embraced lips parting and tongues dancing. Her hand ran through his hair, his arms wrapped around her. He stood up still holding her in his arms and carried her to his bed. He laid her down and they made love for the first time.