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Chapter 2 WHY WON’T HE TEXT ME? CASE STUDY: JULIE’S POST-DATE STRESS Mark, a 27-year-old heterosexual male, and Julie, a 28-year-old heterosexual female, were set up through a mutual friend. Th eir fi rst date was at a casual bar in the lower east side of downtown Manhattan. Julie was nervous. She spent hours picking out her outfi t and decided on high-waisted jeans and a black tank top. She became anxious as her mind fi lled with questions. Would she recognize Mark? Would they have common interests? Suffi cient topics of con- versation? Or would there be long pauses of awkward silence? After an exten- sive pep talk from her best friend, Samantha, she felt prepared and confi dent. Afterward, Julie thought the date went smoothly. Th ey discussed their love for travel, specifi cally in South America. Mark laughed when Julie told the story about her freshman-year roommate, who woke up to an alarm clock blasting Broadway show tunes. Th ey both were close to their families and loved the excitement of a football tailgate. Overall, Julie felt an emotional connection. She called Samantha. “Sam, that was the best date. He was attentive and sweet. We had so much in common. It felt great.” Julie went to sleep with a smile on her face. Th e next day she couldn’t focus at work. She told her coworkers all about the date and wondered aloud when she would hear from him. “He’ll defi nitely text you,” her coworkers assured her. Th ree days passed, and Julie still hadn’t heard a word from Mark. Cue the next call to Samantha. “Sam. I am freaking out. Why won’t he text me !?”