My sister's voice echoes in my memory as I fumble with the restaurant reservation on my phone. "Just smile, pretend he's interesting, and order the steak." Easy for her to say – she's never had a string of mediocre one-line dates that left her wondering if there was more to life than small talk and awkward silences. Tonight's supposed to be my last hurrah before abandoning the scene completely; if this guy's not impressed within five minutes, it's over.
2