Wheel of Fortune

September 16, 2019

Pin Ball and Rolls Royce

I won't lie. My attempts at on-line dating have been abysmal. There was the guy that wanted to know if I'd enjoy having my legs shaved. And then there was the one

that said he was married, but his wife didn't mind. And then I saw Carl's ad. "Widowed gentleman, retired, financially stable. Likes jazz, the beach, and pinball. An Aries

man, looking for a Scorpio woman." With that, I was ready to sign on the dotted line.

I was a Scorpio, and my late husband had been an Aries. I had been a pinball groupie since thirteen, spending all my baby-sitting nickels at the corner store's one single

machine.

I'd already had a great love and wasn't seeking a soul mate. Just someone to go to the movies, swimming, and yes to play pinball.

I answered Carl's ad and when I asked about the Aries-Scorpio thing he answered cryptically that he wanted a Wendy to his Peter Pan. Well, at least he has read Linda

Goodman I thought. We emailed for several weeks and he seemed nice, normal, and not a Trumpie.

I finally agreed to a date though he was being secretive about where we would be going. I agreed, but arranged my cell phone to track my location to my daughter's phone

in case things went horribly wrong.

We planned to meet on Naples Fifth Avenue, and that seemed safe to me. We had exchanged photos but he said I would recognize him by his electric blue convertible.

The evening of our date I parked my reliable Nissan Sentra in the nearby parking garage and walked to the agreed upon spot on Fifth Avenue.

Well, there was Carl . Crisp white shirt, pressed blue jeans, sandals, no socks. And beside him was a shiny, gleaming electric blue convertible Rolls Royce.

Well this was Naples after all. He opened the door, offered his hand and said "Hop in, Mary my love."

I sank into the leather seats, slightly flustered but managed to ask where we were going.

"I found a place in Cape Coral, he said maneuvering into traffic, "it has craft beer, vegan pizza, and a back room full of pinball."

Had a just found Peter Pan?

There will definitely be a second date. At my place. Wait till he sees my pinball room!