Continued from Rejection in the kindest and most sensible way

I was sitting in the theater with two of my girlfriends when it happened. We were having a ladies night out. I got really cute too. I styled my hair big and curly, put a flower in it, picked out a hot orange tube top and knee-lengthened skirt and espadrille heels. I looked good. So we’re sitting there about an hour into Magic Mike when I get a text message from Mr. Kind and Sensible aka Paul:

“I’m thinking of Indian food for dinner. Care to join me?”

I was initially shocked because I never expected to hear from him. My second thought was “fuck, I’m watching a movie with my girls. I can’t just leave them.” So, I told them about the text. Since the theater was practically empty, they urged, “Go!” I’m so dingy. This is indicative of why I don’t get laid. I don’t seize the opportunity.

“Really?! We’re watching the movie.”
“The movie will be here.”
“Girl, go to him!”

I wrote back that I’d join him, when and where. I crept out of the theater and hopped into a cab to go the mile and a half to where he was waiting for me.

When I got there, I didn’t know exactly where he was. I went to the wrong Indian restaurant, so I sent a text. He called me. I was close. Instead of giving me directions to get to him, he said he’d come get me. I waited and when he finally hit the corner, I was crushed. I didn’t think I’d ever hear from him again and here he was, fully aware of my attraction, asking me to dinner. We walked to the restaurant. Crush on!

“Why are you dressed up?”
“I was out for coffee with a friend. We’d just finished when I got your text.” I lied.

Conversation over dinner was completely comfortable. He’d finally decided to spend a month in Hungary when his contract was up. Then he was planning on moving to Oakland, California for a year. This excited me because I’m from the East Bay and also plan on moving there after spending a month in Europe. My mind immediately thought of the sex I’m hoping we have. If we could do it before we left Asia, we could meet up in Europe and then in North America and that would make us lovers on three continents. His neurosis went to the growing crime rate that had been plaguing the city. I did a map search of the address where he’d be staying and told him it was a great, safe area of Oakland near Berkeley. This made him feel better.

When it was time to pay, I could sense he was going to pay for both, but I immediately pulled out my own money. I still wasn’t open to treating this as a date. I didn’t want to assume anything. After we ate, we weren’t ready to just go home, so we went for coffee at a café near the restaurant. We continued talking. We didn’t talk about my confession or his subsequent sort of rejection.  We just talked about our lives. He was clearly unclear on where he was headed and a bit neurotic. I am too. He’s so good looking. The ladies at the café kept smiling at us. We often get those kinds of smiles. It’s a sort of smile that says “you two are going to go home tonight and have great sex.” I wish.

In the middle of our conversation, one of the baristas brought me this doll. She didn’t speak English. She just put it in my hands and looked back and forth between Paul and me.

We both laughed. Paul told me to take a picture, so I did. I told him knowing Asian women, it was some sort of fertility doll.

Around midnight, we finally decided we were tired enough to go home. As we said good night, he asked what I was up to this weekend. I said I was probably going to the beach. He shared that his company was having some sort of company party on a beach and that he might go. We hugged good-bye. It was a tight, sincere hug. His long arms reached down over me. He smelled good. Damn.

Because the night was so lovely, I decided to walk the three miles home and listen to some music while doing it. I changed out of my heels to flip flops. I sent Paul a text telling him of my decision. He wished me a safe walk home.

♥K.