Sunday, September 11, 2011

Waltzing Matilda

Remember that key lime pie from Friday?  I forgot to mention one thing.  Eharmony Tom baked it.  And I ate it at a bbq/open house at the studio where he’s taking dance lessons.  I think I went on a date on Friday night. 
Let’s back up.  After Open Ended Questions, Tom and I exchanged a few emails and we set up dinner plans for this past Thursday night.  Okay, set up dinner plans is a bit of a stretch as my good friend TopChef can attest.  She’s the one I emailed late at night with the plea – I need restaurant ideas!  Like I couldn’t Yelp it myself.  Not really.  I was a little panicked. 
I prepared for the big night by, well, not doing much.  Turns out it didn't matter because the Thursday date got postponed.  That worked out well because my parents were in town.  And quite frankly, there’s nothing sadder than a 32 year old going on her first date except for a 32 year old going on her first date with her mom and dad waiting at home.  So, Thursday was scrapped but Eharmony Tom invited me to his dance school for the bbq/open house on Friday night.  He was baking a pie.  Well, hello!  A pie-baking dancer?  Not exactly a cowboy but beggars can’t be choosers. 
On Friday night, I drove to the mess that is known as Northern Virginia to go to the Arthur Murray Dance Studio.  Since my Foursquare has crashed and burned since the latest update, I couldn’t check in so I texted Richmond so someone knew my exact address just in case “open house dance studio with pies” turned out to be an elaborate ruse to kidnap me.  Unfortunately, there was no kidnapping.
I ended up walking in right after Eharmony Tom.  We exchanged pleasantries…is that what you do on a first date?  Again, I’m still debating whether this was even a date.  We talked as he changed into his dancing shoes.  I’m totally not making any fun.  I have fashion sneakers.  And Crocs…which I didn’t wear, just so you know.  Although I did consider it briefly.  As he was lacing up his dancing shoes, I asked the question that probably should’ve been blazingly obvious – um, do I have to dance?  I sure did.  Right after that, I was praying for the kidnappers to show up. 
I’ll skip over all the boring parts which involve me learning to dance a waltz, a rumba, and a single swing.  Do you know how awkward it is to learn to dance with a stranger while you’re learning how to do the date thing?  Oh, and did I mention the “touching!!!” (that’s for TopChef – possibly more excited by the possibility of me touching and kissing something other than my cat more than I was.  Actually, that just sounds creepy.  I swear...I'm not into cat-lovin'.)  We all know how much I love touching, don't we?  The funniest line of the night was from Eharmony Tom – you seem really tense.  He’s not only a pie-baking dancer; he’s a perceptive one at that.
After the dance lessons, there were general dances, student dances, professional dances, and a little pie eating.  There was a little chatting between Eharmony Tom and me as well.  He really was a very nice guy.  And he can count dance steps like nobody’s business.   
Let's waltz to the end of the night.  Remember how lame a high-five at the end of the date sounded?  Well, get ready.  This is how I ended the night - I gave a quick wave, thanked him for his kindness, and said I’d talk to him later.  Huh?!  Yep, I basically have no game whatsoever.  But it wasn’t like I was that into him.
And I guess he wasn’t that into me either.  He Eharmony-emailed me and said he “didn’t feel the connection.”  Then he closed our match.  So.  That ends that. 
But the experience wasn’t a total loss.  I know how to waltz now.  And the key lime pie really wasn’t all that bad.      
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Does this even count as a date?  There was no food purchased, there was no door-holding, there was no kissing.  Does it count?  Can I call this my first date?  And seriously, I really can't wear Crocs on a first date?  

2 comments:

  1. That was absolutely, without question, *definitely* a date. You went dancing! You had dessert! There was the question of kissing lingering in the air. That's dating.

    I'm sorry it didn't work out, but I'm so, SO excited that you went! Do it again soon, okay? The dates will get easier. You'll feel more relaxed over time and one of these days you'll find a cowboy. (If he's not in NOVA I could probably introduce you to a few in Oklahoma...:))

    But seriously, I'm so glad you went! Hooray!

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  2. Yea for you, that was totally a first date! Not all dates end with kissing, so don't worry about it.

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