I left work and went home on Friday, nervous and anxious for my date. The babysitter arrived and I slipped away, driving the short distance to the restaurant where we were meeting. I got there a few minutes before him and was nervous that I wouldn’t know him when he came in. It was a silly worry… I recognized him immediately.
He was exactly like my brother.
Y’all, I’m not even exaggerating. He looked like my brother. He talked like my brother. He acted like my brother. And although he was handsome and charming and witty, all I could think about was that he was… EXACTLY LIKE MY BROTHER. I love my brother and all, but I don’t want to date him.
So all my nerves and jitters were for nothing. We had a nice dinner and drinks and parted ways with a hug and an understanding that there would not be a second date. I went home a little disappointed because I’d had such high hopes, but ultimately it wasn’t a complete loss… I went out and had fun with a guy. And that’s something I haven’t done in a while.
Saturday came and with it another first date. This one I wasn’t excited about. This one I’d tried to cancel a few times because I had a sneaking suspicion that he was a barely disguised asshole, but he assured me he was not and so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and went out to meet him anyway.
I don’t know if it was my low expectations or what, but I can’t even type about him without getting a little giddy and light headed. He is not the best looking guy in the room but when he slid out of his car and walked towards me, he oozed the kind of self confidence that you only get by being, well, a badass. He’s tall and trim, spending several hours a week engaged in mixed martial arts. He’s a health food nut which is totally against my belief that pizza goes with everything. He’s absolutely nothing I was looking for in a guy.
But we spent about two hours completely and totally engrossed in conversation. There were no awkward silences. There was no need to check my phone for the time or for text messages. There was no need to do anything but laugh, happy and at ease in his company. Despite the borderline inappropriateness of his sense of humor, we parted ways with a tight hug and the barest brush of his lips on mine. And then he was gone and I sighed with a mix of disappointment, contentment and a sense of wonder that I’d just had a successful date that may or may not result in a second date.
Only it will.
Because we’re meeting up again tonight.
Hold on to your hats, voyeurs, I’m actually, actually, ACTUALLY dating.