Belinda managed to force a smile as her voice dripped with sarcasm. âYouâre more than a little late, donât you think?â
The man rolled up his sleeve, revealing an expensive watch. âOh no, itâs already been over forty minutes. My apologies, Ms. Wesley; I didnât realize how quickly time had passed.â
Belinda, who had come here with a shred of hope of meeting a decent blind date, was now thoroughly disillusioned. She was already figuring out an excuse to leave.
Before she could say anything, the man adjusted his thick glasses and grinned. âRegardless, weâve now met. Letâs not dwell on the less significant matters. Iâm delighted to meet you, Ms. Wesley. Allow me to introduce myself.â
This gentleman was forty minutes late, and he expected to just brush it off?
The man didnât wait for Belinda to respond and confidently began his self-introduction.
âMy name is Dominic, 28 years old, a graduate student at M-Elite University, the top university in M State. Iâm about 6 feet tall and weigh around 180 pounds. I donât smoke or drink, and Iâm looking for a sophisticated woman from a family like yours to be my wife. And you, Ms. Wesley?â
Belinda eyed him skeptically. She hadnât been able to gauge his height when he arrived since she was already seated. But after looking at his chubby face, she could tell the 180 pounds part was accurate, if not an understatement.
âHello, Mr. Dominic. My name is Belinda. I donât think itâs necessary for me to introduce myself because I donât think weâre compatible.â
Belinda said with a forced smile.
Upon hearing this, Dominic furrowed his brows in confusion. âWhy? Why do you think weâre incompatible so quickly? Ms. Wesley, you seem quite nice to me, and youâre quite beautiful. Even though youâre a bit older, I could overlook that due to your beauty. Also, you seem to meet my height requirement. Youâre about 5 feet, 5 inches, right?â
Belinda was taken aback. This chap had the audacity to critique her?
What the hell? What did he mean by saying she was older? She was only 26. She was two years younger than him!
And he had the nerve to say she was older? What a character!
âMr. Dominic, if I remember correctly, you said youâre 28 this year, right?â Belinda asked.
Dominic nodded confidently. âYes, Iâm only 28. Everyone around me thinks Iâm very promising. I always tell them not to flatter me, or I might become arrogant. Haha.â
Arrogant? Arrogant about what? His balding head, his thick glasses, or his chubby face?
Belinda chuckled sarcastically. âMr. Dominic, you are indeed young at 28, but Iâm only 26. Why do you say Iâm older? Donât you find that strange?â Dominic shook his head, his face serious. âYouâre a woman; you canât compare yourself to us men. Ms. Wesley, weâre adults, and I wonât sugarcoat things for you. Weâre here for a blind date, which is all about practicality. Look at you, a woman of 26 with an average,education and a clerical job with no prospects. Sure, you have a pretty face, but you canât eat beauty, can you? Wonât I be the one supporting the family? Besides, to be blunt, a womanâs value depreciates after 25. You have to face reality. Itâs already rare for a man in my position not to look down on you.â