Two Birds

I had another first date. This time it was different. Roomie always teased me how I should try dating a military man. I never have...not because I exclude them, just cuz it never happened. I’ve also noted that I've never dated a lawyer, either. The date on Wednesday killed two birds with one stone (so to speak). He is a lawyer and army reservist. He got called up to duty in January and is serving his one year tour on local military fort like place. He is into physical fitness. This is what I knew of him prior to our meeting.

First impression was not good! I got there pretty much right on time…well, close enough. I pulled up at 6 p.m. on the nose, but was on the phone checking in with C2. She is such a mother hen! It was 6:02 or 6:03 when I got to the front door of the eating establishment. Two birds was not outside…even though the weather was warm and sunny and there was a bench. He wasn’t waiting on the “waiting bench” inside or in the bar. Hmmmm….what to do? So I poke my head around the place to see if I can see him. Thank goodness for the hostess. She asked if I was supposed to meet someone. "Yes." "Is it a guy?" "Yes." "He’s around the corner over there." ARGH! What the hell is he thinking? You don’t just sit down to wait for me and I wasn’t all that late!!!! This is not going to be good, I think.

“Is that him?” the perky little hostess asks. I don’t have my glasses on (like I ever wear those bad boys…need to go shopping for them but shopping never makes the top of the priority list) and I’m not sure how much he looks like his picture. Damn it! I squint, tell the girl I think so, but don’t have my glasses on (like I want to tell her he’s a blind date!!!!). He is sporting a high and tight, at least that I can tell from 20 feet out. As I walk over, he looks up and recognizes me. He stands up and gives me a hug. Hmmm… he gets a plus for that but still has that big minus for not being readily available when I arrived. He immediately tells me how he had asked for a booth and when they put him out of site, he asked the hostesses to keep an eye out for me. Okay, so he is at least considerate. Minus has been neutralized.

I had gotten water and he asked me if I wanted anything else to drink and I declined. I couldn’t remember if he drank or not, he didn’t have one in front of him and I don’t drink alone. But then he asked for a beer. I could have changed my mind, but stuck with water - trying to keep the calorie count down, as I still need to drop 7-10 more pounds. He is an absolutely fascinating person. He’s got the gift of gab. Should I be surprised? Lawyers talk for a living, right?. He likes to travel, like yours truly. Actually used to guide whitewater rafting and wants to raft in damn, where is that in South America? Any way, he seemed like a really cool guy. Dinner took about 1-1/2 hours. I took forever to eat because he keep asking me questions…not in the exhausting, interrogating way the TU professor did, but in the I want to get to know you way. He talked a little about his work as a criminal lawyer and of course this I love crime and law shows junky was really interested. It was cool. He’s very competitive and loves his work. So he is probably a really good attorney. Yes, R, he did decline my offer to pay for dinner and paid for me.

The evening went really well. Or so I think. Any way, as we leave, he asks me for my email (we had already exchanged phone numbers) but doesn’t mention getting together again. Hmmm… So, I gave him my business card. Not my untraceable email but my real work phone and email info. Yeah, C2 stop flippin’ out! Sorry if I omitted this in the after action report. But I felt safe enough to give him my stuff and I liked him. I wanted to get communication from him in a timely manner.

When I gave the after action report to C2, I told her it was a really nice evening but my gut says he isn’t interested in me. Not sure why, but it just seems that way to me. Maybe because he didn’t ogle over me as most men do. I’m not saying that in an “I’m great” way. It’s just usually when I meet a guy for the first time, I can see it in their eyes. I actually asked C2 if I had dressed okay (since she hadn’t dressed me)…thinking it was my clothes hiding my body or my makeup was screwed up. She said I looked fabulous, so I’m thinking I probably looked acceptable anyway. That evening I send an mail to the only email I have for him, telling him thanks for dinner and I had a lovely time. I figure I won’t hear from him again but I will be courteous enough to say thanks.

But, today, I get an email that he had sent late yesterday afternoon (not to my work email but to the account I’m lazy in checking) telling me that he thought I was interesting to talk to and would like to get together again. Okay then. I wrote back telling him I was hiking this weekend and he could join me (no C2, he won’t kill me on the trail!) or we could try another week night. So, we’ll see.

But I’ve already started telling myself the 10 reasons this whole thing won’t work out and why I should be fine with him not calling or getting together with me. Yup that’s me. Make myself feel better for the imminent rejection. So, if he doesn’t I’ve already sabotaged the relationship. I can be sure we are good to go - move on if he doesn’t call and screw up the date if he does!!! Whoa is me!