Inline Dating

 

All George could think about was Rose. Her gorgeous pink plumage, preened tidily in rows, glistened in the morning sun. Her long, beautiful legs resembled handcrafted chopsticks. Rose was flamingo perfection!

 

Shaking himself from his daydream, George focused on his workout again. He stretched his S-shaped neck upward, swiveling his head from side to side, like a pink sock puppet. Tomorrow was the most important day of his life--his first courtship dance.

 

George woke early the next morning, too nervous to sleep. As he began his daily routine of stretching and preening, nervousness overcame him. His shrimp breakfast churned in his stomach like pebbles.

 

Meanwhile, across the lake, Rose was nervous herself. She knew her parents expected her to choose the perfect flamingo mate--tall, dark, and handsome. But Rose was looking for more than your average lawn ornament. She wanted a dedicated, sincere mate, who would become a lifelong friend.

 

As the male flamingos lined up, George searched for Rose in the sea of pink spectators. He positioned himself so Rose could easily spot him. By now, his skinny legs trembled like guitar strings and could barely support his coral body.

 

As the courtship dance began, George started to relax. He shuffled through the shallow water flawlessly. He extended his graceful neck and tilted his head slightly, creating a perfect capital I. All was well . . . until he caught a glimpse of Rose gazing at him. Their eyes locked, and George froze. Flamingos toppled behind him like flapping, pink dominos.

 

 

The crowd gasped and burst into laughter. George had never been so embarrassed. He slipped into the next row, trying to hide in the mass of dancing flamingos. To block out his blunder, George concentrated as hard as he could and finished the dance admirably.

 

As the young females called out their choices one by one, George was certain he wouldn’t be called. He didn’t even notice that Rose was next.

 

“Row thirty-one, seven from the left,” Rose honked proudly.

 

George counted the flamingos on his right to discover he now had a partner for life.