Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year would see me right...

Suzi Sparrow swung her arm out of bed and groped for her phone on the side table. Her fingers fumbled until they found the button to turn off the song on the radio. With a soft groan, she sat up and leaned against her headboard as she checked her phone.

A message from Ciaran had come in at 6:53am, over an hour ago. Hope you slept well. Looking forward to our date tonight :)

Suzi let out a breathy sigh. She hadn't even met this guy yet, and he was on the 'good morning' texts already. She preferred to just meet someone rather than become pen-pals with them first.

She eventually got up and grabbed her gym bag, giving the bare amount of maintenance to herself.

When she rounded the corner of her local convenience store, she nodded and smiled at the homeless man outside. He gave his usual smile and wave.

Rushing through the gym floor and up the stairs to the yoga room, Suzi cast a glance over the room for Olga, who didn't seem to be there today. It had been Olga who recommended Ciaran - tonight's date. The two of them had gone on a date a while back that Olga swore was the best first date she'd ever had. It actually sounded perfect.

Suzi's day was a packed one. After yoga she went to a local trendy coffee shop, where she had a full day of job hunting on her laptop. Such was the busy life of the unemployed.

"Thanks a latte," the barista said to departing customers. She always made coffee puns.

As Suzi sat down with her overpriced cappuccino and waited for her açai berry bowl, she checked emails and scanned her social media. She decided to reply to Ciaran and told him she was also looking forward to seeing him tonight.

She cast the occasional glance up at the lovely barista lady - who was pretty much the main reason why Suzi liked the place. The woman, Cassandra, was always smiling and her face would light up whenever she saw Suzi. And she had great, creamy skin.

Focusing on her laptop, Suzi read a few articles on Quora. She had only started reading through Quora to learn new things and get different perspectives about random things, after her ex Ashley told her she was too closed to new ideas. And that was what led Suzi to agree to this whole Thirty One Blind Dates thing. While lost in a thread about Harry Potter plot holes, she remembered she was supposed to be looking for work.

When Suzi eventually packed up and headed for the door, she gave Cassandra a goodbye wave, but didn't see the tourist lady turning to her. Their shoulders bumped and Suzi gasped as ice cold coffee spilled all over her lycra top.

There were giggles and lots of looks as Suzi stood there, absolutely horrified, while the tourist lady gave her apologies and the sexy barista made her way over. Suzi ignored them all and could do nothing but run out of the coffee house, mortified. She could never go back there now. She'd always be known as the woman who got iced.

After a long shower back at her place, she headed for her hair appointment. Suzi thought it was about time she did something with her boring blonde hair, and that adding a shade of red would be nice.

The more she thought about it, the more she looked forward to tonight's date. The best first date in history! Olga had declared. And she got around. That had to count for something.

Feeling good about her new hair and how it flowed in the wind, Suzi made another stop back at hers and grabbed her clothes and make-up bag. She would be meeting Ciaran in a bar on the east side, just a few blocks away from Amy's house, so she made plans to get ready for the date at Amy's.

"Oh my god! Love the hair!" Amy exclaimed when she opened the front door. "Tonight's guy doesn't know how lucky he is."

"Oh, he's gonna find out," Suzi said in a sassy voice filled with mock-confidence.

Amy made them a batch of sangria and they chatted for a while on her big sofa, before Suzi got ready.

The bar was fancy, with a large glittering chandelier and a guy playing a grand piano on a platform.

"You must be Suzi," Ciaran said, stepping off a stool by the bar and giving her a quick hug.

"I must," Suzi agreed, smiling.

He was a bit heavier than Olga had made him out to be, with a round face and dark hair in need of a cut. His nerves must have been getting to him as he was sweating a lot. But, he wore a smart shirt and smelled nice.

Soon after they got their first drinks, Ciaran dropped the "So what are you really passionate about?" question. Suzi had never liked those kinds of questions as she was pretty much clueless about their answers, and what she did know she wouldn't want to get into with a stranger in a bar.

Sometime after their second round of drinks she decided that she was highly disappointed with him. Olga had built him up so much. But this guy? He was asking every mundane first-date question that he must have found online. Asking about her siblings, any holidays coming up, why she likes this or why she doesn't like that. She didn't even get the sense he was really listening, but just preparing his next question with a smile.

"One more?" Ciaran asked with another smile that seemed too loaded with nerves.

"Actually I have a really early start tomorrow. This was really fun though. Some other day?"

Suzi made her excuses and remained polite, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

Once outside the bar, there was an awkward moment of them saying their goodbyes. She could see him thinking about a kiss, but she took the lead and rubbed his arm while thanking him for a nice night. And with that, she turned and headed down the road, not looking back.

She brought out her phone and texted Amy. He was really nice, but no spark! X

In the cab on the way back, she checked through a couple dating apps, making herself feel better by matching with a few hot guys with topless photos, even if she had no intention of meeting them.

As she left the cab, she noticed a crowd had gathered at the far end of her street. The homeless man outside the store was on the ground, looking frail and white as a ghost. Someone was calling an ambulance.

Suzi shuddered as she stared, feeling helpless. She forced herself to go back to her apartment, trying to shake the feeling that she should have done more for the poor guy earlier. But how was she supposed to know the future? If she did, she would've skipped out on tonight's dud of a date.

Snuggled in bed, she watched a Youtube channel about movie news and rumours before falling asleep. She was already looking forward to putting this day behind her.

*

Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year would see me right...

Suzi groaned and reached out to shut her phone up. The morning light streamed in through her curtains.

She shut the radio off, half-thinking about how she managed to catch the same song as yesterday morning. But then the radio always played the same songs over and over.

With a big yawn, she sat up and checked her phone.

Hope you slept well. Looking forward to our date tonight :)

What the hell? Did Ciaran think he could just pretend like their date never happened, and try and get another one? Was he trying to be cute in some weird guy way?

A strong shower was what Suzi needed, and that's just what she had. A scream escaped her when she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair was blonde again. She told herself it was just a cheap dye. So much for semi-permanent.

It wasn't until she checked her phone after and saw an appointment reminder about her 9:00am yoga class, that she decided she was going crazy.

She sat on the bed and messaged Amy. Think I drank more than I realised last night. Can I come round later to pick up my make up and stuff? X

The world might be going crazy, but Suzi knew a strong coffee would fix everything.

Around the corner from her place, she perked up when she saw the homeless man was back in his spot. She smiled and waved at him, happy to see he was okay.

Her phone buzzed with Amy's reply. What stuff? Are you still getting ready here tonight? xx

Suzi's head was so flustered with disturbing thoughts that she almost stopped in the street, wondering just what the hell was going on. She saw she was right by the coffee shop now, and felt that the coffee couldn't come soon enough.

"Thanks a latte!" the barista called out to customers as Suzi went in.

A throbbing sensation started to pound in Suzi's temple. She asked the barista, "Have you ever had deja-vu?"

The sexy woman blinked at her. "I'm not sure, but I can check with the manager?"

Suzi sat down and waited for them to bring her coffee, feeling her legs weakening. She checked her phone again and froze when she finally saw today's date.

It was Saturday. Again. Day six of her thirty one blind dates.

A spiralling sense of nausea churned her stomach. The world tilted around her. She looked up to see that - yes - everything was the same as yesterday. She remembered the same couple in matching colours, the kids playing on their tablets, the mother breastfeeding her baby.

All of it. Exactly the same.

Suzi played it cool, for now, even though her heart was racing. She had her coffee and tried to remain calm. Then she raced for the door.

Someone came out of nowhere and suddenly iced coffee was flying through the air and landed on Suzi's top, catching her breath. The embarrassed tourist lady made her stuttering apologies. Again.

Suzi's mind was a mess as she jogged through the streets, ignoring the looks from people.

Was she really living the same day again?

She rushed back home, had another quick shower to wash away the sticky coffee, and tried not to have a panic attack.

Not knowing what else to do - what could she do? - she decided the best thing was to go about her day as though nothing were wrong. So she fired up her laptop and tried to keep busy on the job boards, still trying not to freak out, but ended up getting lost in random Reddit threads. She was never good at being productive at the best of times, and always tended to get distracted.

After some time, she remembered the homeless man who had collapsed last night. She headed down the street to the corner. He was still there, of course. A thin smile under his grizzly beard. Heavy wrinkles lining his grey eyes.

Suzi went into the store, picked up a sandwich from the deli and a large coffee, and gave them to the man. He thanked her profusely and she found he was very chatty, but she politely left him.

At least, she felt, she had done one thing right with her do-over.

Another message came on her phone. From Ciaran. All good for tonight still? Haven't heard from you :)

She stood in the street for a time, staring at her phone. She hadn't responded to him this morning. This was the first 'new' thing that had happened today.

Unsure of how she felt about things being new, or if she wanted them to play out the same as yesterday and just get the day over with, she saw that she still had time to make her hair appointment. It was so strange, going back there and having the same conversations with the same staff, and going through everything again. But in the end, Suzi was still happy with her new hair.

"Oh my god! Love the hair!"

Suzi fought back the stress attacking her nervous system and tried to act normal as she went into Amy's place.

They had their sangria and their same talks about life and relationships.

And then once again, Suzi was on her date with Ciaran.

He was as sweaty and nervous as she remembered. But then, this was still a first date for him. She hardly remembered everything he had said the first time round, but it felt like he was going through the same series of get-to-know-you questions.

This time she was sure she wasn't interested in him. He was just so boring, and had a monotonous voice. Sure, he was funny, and was a bit of a geek, which usually Suzi loved in a guy. But two first-dates were enough for her to know she didn't feel anything for him.

She made the same excuses after their second drinks and left him with an arm rub and a goodbye filled with big smiles.

Near her place, a great sense of relief washed over her when she saw the homeless man in his spot outside the market. He gave her a smile and a wave as she walked by.

When she settled into bed, skimming through Youtube videos, she was happier than ever that this insane day was coming to an end.

*

Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year would see me right...

Suzi screamed into her pillow. She grabbed her phone and shut off that damn song. There was only so much Elbow she could take.

The same message from Ciaran was on her phone. Same date. Same blonde hair.

Same everything.

Again!

It took her several minutes to calm herself down and control her breathing.

"See you latte!" the hot barista called out as Suzi went into the coffee shop.

She ordered her coffee to go.

She turned to leave and this time she was ready for that tourist lady and her iced coffee, sidestepping around her as she left.

Another person came to Suzi's mind. The homeless man. Even if she was sure this day could reset again, she couldn't stand the idea of him passing out again. Suzi made her way to the store and got him another sandwich and coffee, and added two packets of jellies.

Seeing the man with the bag of sweets gave her an idea. She marched back into the store, and ten minutes later came out with $150 worth of junk food and alcohol. She went back to her place and turned off her phone.

The rest of the day was spent watching every Star Wars film. By the end she decided that the prequels weren't so bad, and her theory for Rey's heritage is that she's definitely a clone of the Emperor.

At one point, Suzi stopped to throw up a load of sugary bile, and then dug back into her Ben and Jerry's.

She ended the night with a viewing of Magic Mike and Magic Mike XL, while touching herself the entire time.

*

Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year would see me right...

Suzi stretched and sat up, letting the radio play out while she came to terms with living another repeated day. At least she didn't have a sugar and wine hangover.

In fact, a part of her started to feel a little excited at the idea of there being no consequences. She could do anything she wanted and the day would just reset.

She couldn't help the wicked smile on her face.

In her yoga class - after stopping off to give the homeless man a bag full of groceries - she released an otherworldly loud fart during a very peaceful and meditative downward dog, and enjoyed the uncomfortable laughter and horrified looks from people.

At her hair appointment, she decided to go all-out and got a Brazilian blow-dry, which turned out amazing. She looked like a cover model, she thought.

Amy's eyes grew twice their size when she saw her, saying how much she loved Suzi's new look.

She couldn't help but enjoy Ciaran's shocked face when she met him. Then he quickly moved onto his list of questions. Suzi did most of the talking this time. She asked him personal questions and made sure to respond openly and honestly to everything. She ordered shots and laughed loudly at some of his better jokes.

She was no longer interested in the first date niceties that could get in the way of a real connection between two people. After a while even Ciaran seemed to relax, and she found he actually had a wicked sense of humour.

When the time came to pay the tab, Suzi grabbed his arm and yanked him towards the door, telling him they should run for it, the sense of excitement and danger - and double gin and tonics - spurring her on.

It wasn't until she was out of the door, laughing hysterically, that she realised Ciaran had been stopped by the floor staff inside. Other staff were coming out to get her.

Suzi shuddered, quickly sobering, and dashed down the street. Her mind was a swirling, chaotic mess.

*

She felt horrible the next morning. There was no hangover, but she hated herself for giving Ciaran a terrible date.

When she dropped off the sandwich and coffee to the homeless man, she decided to sit with him and finally listen to the stories he had to say.

To her surprise, she found him to be a very intelligent and sober old man, who had had a lot of terrible luck.

"It's not so bad, out here," he said at one point. "You know, it's liberating, doing whatever you want without caring about people's judgements."

Suzi asked him, "What would you do, if you could live the same day over and over?"

"That's pretty much what I've been doing for years now. I would make the most of it, and take as much as I could from it. I would use it to my advantage."

*

Suzi woke up the next day with a fierce determination in her. She spent the entire day in the coffee shop, reading the latest novel by Tana French, and building her confidence by flirting with the barista.

She took the next day off too, spending the whole day applying to jobs. Even if the day would reset, she wanted to get a strong understanding of the state of the industry and build up her experience of applying to jobs, finding out tips for her cover letters and CV.

The only thing she could carry over each day was her knowledge.

She went to yoga class every morning - even if she wasn't sure if her body reset too. The discipline of going every day would be the best thing for her.

She spent an hour with the homeless man every day, asking him questions that led to different stories.

She added two hours of Duolingo to her days, and was happy to finally get around to learning Spanish, like she'd been meaning to. After a while she was able to skip straight to the advanced topics.

Her days mostly went the same as originally intended: yoga, coffee shop, hair salon, Amy's, date. How long she had been stuck in that loop, she couldn't be sure. But in a strange way she felt like she was making progress. It was like having a holiday where you could do anything you wanted.

And each night, Suzi went on her date with Ciaran.

She was surprised she actually began to enjoy his company. At the end of what was probably her best first date with him, they shared a long, deep, passionate kiss in the street. She giggled to herself, at now seeing this man in a completely new light.

Ciaran stroked her hair, and said, "I really like your new colour."

"Thanks," she said, smiling. "I just got it done-" She froze, staring at him. "I got it done today. I didn't tell you that. How did you know it's a new colour?"

Ciaran's eyes widened. "Ah, you... you did say. Remember?"

"No. I didn't. How the hell did you know?"

Suzi stepped back and eyed him cautiously. "Did you do this? Put me on a time loop?"

His eyes widened. "How did you know? I mean, huh?"

Suzi slammed her hands into his chest and shoved him back. She followed with another shove. "You did this to me? What the hell? How? Why?"

"Whoa, wait. Only I was supposed to experience the loop. Your mind was meant to reset too so it would feel like just one day."

"What are you talking about?" Suzi moved to push him again but held back. "How'd you do it?"

Ciaran grimaced. "My cousin got this thing from an old man in China, but he didn't know what it did so he gave it to me. And it turned out... it was able to loop a day. I just had to press the button at the end of each day."

She glared at him.

"Look, Suzi. I'm terrible with first dates. No one likes me when they meet me. No one. I just wanted to get more comfortable with you, and then you could see what I was really like. And you did, right? Get to know me? I mean.. right?"

Suzi frowned, her stomach tightening. "Why the hell did the day loop for me as well?"

"Ah, I'm still trying to figure the device out. Look, I'm sorry. I promise, I won't reset the day again. I just... I just wanted to have a great date with you, and for you to like me."

Suzi let out a long sigh. "Ciaran. I really did have a nice time with you. But after all your looping, that kiss is all you'll get from me. Now, can we call it quits?"

Ciaran gave her a weak smile. "Quits. Thanks. And, it really was great getting to know you."

Suzi half-stepped closer to him, and wasn't sure if she was going to punch him or kiss him. Then she turned and left.

She was glad to finally put this day behind her.

**********

Author's Note: This one-shot is part of the 31 Blind Dates anthology from more than two dozen Wattpad writers including members of the Stars program, published authors, Ambassadors and Wattys winners. If you want to start at the beginning, go to the profile of rskovach

You will find the next story in the collection on the profile of littlecinnamon Just look for this sticker: