Looking for the Last Person I'll Ever Start Dating

Boy Blue was balls-out from message one. After the obligatory commentary on my profile and a compliment or two for good measure, he went straight for the kill: Interested in meeting up?

I liked his nerve in asking right up front, and I liked that he claimed to have interests other than sitting on his expanding bum. So I agreed to a Friday night dinner-and-a-movie* outing with the 32-year-old self-described eccentric.

He was sitting on a bench, staring intently at his cell when I arrived at 7:30 on the dot. We exchanged a somewhat awkward handshake-turned-hug and headed toward the sushi place I'd passed on my way to meet him. Conversation got off to a decent, if less-than-thrilling, start, but it quickly picked up. Boy Blue has some story-telling skills, and we didn't have any problems talking to one another.

After we'd sated ourselves with sushi, he shared some of his past times with me. Skydiving? Cool. Pottery? Neat. D&D? Erm, really?** Surprisingly, this revelation didn't completely turn me off to the guy. He did, however, go into a little more detail on the subject than I would have preferred (really? Not sure I care what that fictional dragon-type thing looks like...), and I found myself hoping for a break in the conversation so I could excuse myself to the ladies'.

He, however, beat me to the bathroom punch. I used the opportunity to check my phone and respond quickly to a text from Mamacita Bano. ( Serial killer? Likely not... he is into D&D, though...)

The server dropped the check on the table in Boy Blue's absence, and I made a mental note to work on settling that score before I left the table. Alas and alack, by the time he returned all mental documentation of those intentions was long forgotten, and I retreated to the loo.

Only once inside a stall did I remember the check on the table. Damn. He's going to think I'm that girl who expects to be paid for all the time. By the time I returned, he'd settled up, so I pointed out my poor timing. He made light of the situation, which was a pretty decent response. (I like a guy who can rag me for things like that.)

All that finished, we meandered out of the restaurant and headed toward Cleveland Park, since we had something like two hours before Dark Knight*** started.

And, whoa... what a two hours it was. During this time, Boy Blue came out with the following, in no particular order:

- An invitation to his sister's birthday dinner the following day. In Philly.
With his family.
- The story of his divorce.
- An invitation to Niagara Falls the following weekend. With his family.
- The story of the disillusion of his last relationship.
- An invitation to the Poconos in a couple of weeks. Again, with his family!
- His five-date rule. (I'll know within five dates if I want to be with someone.)
- Some stories about his sexual exploits.
- The claim that he is currently looking for the last person he'll ever start dating in this life.
- Many stories about his family.
- His belief in communication being the key to successful relationships. (Spot on, Blue.)

So, wow... all summed up like that, it seems a bit overwhelming for a first date, no?

Maybe the humidity muddled my brain, but I really wasn't put out by most of this. I openly called him out about several of the things on that list (meeting family the day after date one? Saying he's searching for the last person he'll ever start dating?), and he took that well, sparing me no gentle ribbing when it came time for him to call me out on something.

I was honest that I'm not really in the market for something serious. (Not that I'm opposed, should something work out that way, but I'm not setting out to settle down at the moment.)

Anyhow, by the time we were in the theater and waiting for the movie to begin, I was overcome with the urge to kiss him. I figured I had two options... ignore the urge and risk being distracted throughout the movie, or go in, balls-out, for a kiss and get it over with.

Being that I'm Belle and all, I chose the latter. (It was just a peck, okay? Nothing that could be considered obnoxious PDA by anyone but the most prudish of prudes.)

He, too, apparently felt compelled to get something out of the way before the movie began... I, he informed me, had passed his five-date test, socially-unaccepted smoking habit notwithstanding.

What, I asked him, you don't need five dates to decide you could be with me?

Nope, he told me. I've made up my mind.

Good for you. Now, if you're lucky, you might pass my newly-adopted five-date test.

The highly-hailed movie did not disappoint, and, aside from a couple pecks distributed during down moments in the flick, Boy Blue waited until the credits were rolling to give me a proper (but not too lengthy) kiss. Must say, that didn't disappoint either.

We walked back to where I'd parked, and I gave him a ride to his place before heading home. He asked to see me again, to which I agreed. (I did, however, reveal that he got off easy with the dinner/movie deal and that I was considering his plan for Date #2 a test. Boy Blue better step it up.)

And, maybe I'm crazy to accept a second date from a guy who, despite having just met me, seems like he could be down on one knee with a ring out in the not-so-distant future. But it's all part of the rules of engagement, right? Date #2 should reveal more...


* Dinner and a movie happens to be my least favorite standard first date plan. In addition to being a sad cliche, it's way more suitable for a third date, in my opinion.
** Got any questions? Belle's recently gotten a little schooling in the world of D&D.
*** If you haven't seen it, get thee immediately to the theater and watch in amazement and awe. Go on, now, git!