Date #2 – Good Night, no really, Good Night.

With one date under my belt, I’m feeling braver, and I’m ready to get this thing really cooking. Back to the Match.com site to search for another prospect. I log on and have an e-mail from a gentleman that seems pretty normal (I believe he may have been a response to my first mass “wink” expedition where I roped in my first date). This guy we will call A.S. (see note below). So, A.S. and I exchange a few e-mails back and forth. I remember he titled his first e-mail “2 overachievers.” That was intriguing to me – what do 2 overachievers together equal? Are they compatible or not? Guess I’m about to find out….

So after our e-mail correspondence, we decide to meet up one night for drinks. He suggests a nearby bar – No Bar. Again this is in my neighborhood, North Hollywood, and he lives close as well. I had driven by the outside of this bar for years, but never been in.


As I was pulling up, he texted me that he was there – I let him know that I was parking and walking in. As I approached the outside door, I saw a guy that looked like the Match.com pictures, so I knew that must be A.S. I greeted him outside with a hug and hello and he lead me through the main door to the bar. The inside was very dark and hip – there was the main room with the bar, a side room with benches lining the wall and little cubes to sit on, and a third room with a pool table. As we walked up to the bar, I noticed he had already ordered a drink. He asked me what I would like. I paused, with a verbal “hmmmmm” as I was looking around for a drink menu. The first drink order is very important – it can set the tone for the night, and on a first date it can tell the guy what type of girl you are. “Well, what are you having?” I inquired. He looked down at his tall reddish drink and then looked back at me. He stumbled on his words as he tried to get them out “well, umm…I hope this doesn’t offend you…but I’m not drinking tonight. I have several auditions tomorrow”

What?! No, I’m not upset about him not drinking, but Another actor? Really LA? Is there anyone in this city that is NOT an actor?

“Oh no worries” I replied “but I hope you don’t mind that I do.” We both let out a laugh, and I ordered a Grey Goose and Tonic from the bartender (my go-to drink).
After we had our cocktails in hand, we found a spot to sit down in the bench room – at the only table that was not taken.

We sat and started the normal first date small talk – “so what is it that you do?” He seemed very interested in my job – I think we spent at least 30 minutes with him asking endless questions about my job – to the point where I thought for sure he was about to pitch me a TV show idea. Right when I was about to pipe up and try to change the subject, he must have notice my conversation fatigue and actually apologized for grilling me. “Sorry I have so many questions about your job, I just find it so interesting.” Okay, apology got him off the hook – moving on now.

So what does he do? Well, once again I was duped by the Match.com profile. Online he says that he is a writer/producer for digital shorts. Translation – he has his own youtube channel, and creates comedy sketches. But he is also and actor and waiter. Yup, another person perpetuating the LA stereotype. I remind myself mentally not to get hung up on this. And really I can respect the ambition of trying to make something happen in Hollywood. So we chitchat more about life – where we are from, siblings, and football (that seems to be a recurring subject – guess its my picture on Match.com in the Vince Young jersey).

After a few hours of conversation (and only one drink – btw, I wanted another one, but we weren’t sitting at the bar, and there never seemed to be a good time to get up), we decided to call it a night. We walk out of the bar, and he starts to walk me to my car.
Now to tell the next part of this story, I will need the help of my visual aides for you to get the full effect. Here is the bar in relation to my car:


Okay, so we exit the bar, and as you can see from the picture above, I had parked on the street, but on the other side. A.S. being a gentleman, indicates that he will walk me to my car. So we cross the street, walk up the sidewalk, and stand next to my car (near my passenger side door). It is there that we say good night – I wish him luck on his auditions tomorrow, we hug, and then head our separate ways.

Or so I thought…As I cross in front of my car and open up my driver-side door, I look back and he is standing there, in the road at my driver-side door. He starts to talk again, but he is visibly nervous and mostly looks at his feet, not me.

“I…Uh…had a really good time tonight” he says.

“Yeah me too” I replied…but really I’m thinking “please don’t let us get hit by a car.”

“So…I was wondering…uh…if you would like to…uh…do it again sometime” he continued

“Sure thing, you have my number, so just give me a call”

“Well, how about…uh this uh…this Friday?”

“Hmmm” I said with a pause as I mentally was trying to pull up my calendar. But before I could respond, he broke in.

“Oh, well you don’t have to commit right now if you don’t want to…I mean, it’s fine…whatever”

Feeling the need to comfort his insecurity, I responded “No that’s not it. I was just trying to think if I had any prior commitments. But Friday will be just fine.” To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was free or not, but I just wanted to get out of the middle of the road and go home by this point.

“Okay, cool – do you like movies?”

What? Is he really still having a conversation with me?

“Uh, yeah of course.” I replied

And then he continues to ramble aimlessly “I mean movies aren't the most social event to do, but we could do something social before or after…or both. Like dinner or drinks or whatever.”

I cut him off a little “yeah, that sounds great – I’m up for whatever.”

“Okay great, see you then.” He says. He pauses and then finally turns to cross the street.


Scene of the crime:

Phew that was awkward. I jump in my car and giggle to myself a little. I felt bad for him – I could feel how hard and nerve-racking that was to ask me out on a second date. And as awkward as it was for me, I give him credit for trying to lock in a second date. As I mentioned, he was very uncomfortable and could barely make eye contact, but for now I will think of this as endearing – I mean, it must mean that he likes me if I make him so nervous, right?

So I think to myself as I drive home, I will give this guy another date – well actually I already committed it to it, right? But the funniest part about this whole story is that the next day I get a text from A.S. saying “Hey Nicole, great meeting you last night. I actually do have plans on Friday but I’d love to go out with you again. “

What??!! Are you serious? Why did we have to have the awkward road conversation then? And weren’t you the one that suggested Friday?

Boys!


Side note on the guys’ names: I’m still navigating these new waters of blogging, and I hadn’t really figured out how I would handle all matters concerning these guys. Instead of using their names, I will give them some sort of initials – and no it won’t be there first and last initial – truth be told, I rarely know their last names even after a first date. I have changed my first date’s name to the initials BX, so that is how he will be referred to from here on out. And the second date with BX will be the next entry, so stay tuned. I‘m also still contemplating if and when I tell these guys about the blog. If its just one date, then there is probably no need, but if I start going on several dates with a guy, is it untruthful for me not to tell him that I’m blogging about my experiences? Not a bridge I have to cross just yet, but feel free to give me your advice.

Thank guys!