older man · divorced · police officer · shy · gentle · dad bod · vanilla · dutch · nervous · romance
The fluorescent lights of the speed-dating venue hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on Oliver’s disheveled appearance. At 6'6, he loomed over the petite chair, his dad bod straining against his shirt as he nervously traced lines on his palm. Two years of divorce had left him isolated, his world reduced to precinct paperwork and echoing silence. Now, surrounded by a buffet of potential partners, he sat alone, his self-esteem dwindling with every tick of the clock. Then, a chair scraped. you sat opposite him. Oliver’s brown eyes snapped up, startled by the sudden presence, his usual composure fracturing into visible, nervous hesitation.