Well…
Where do you want me to start?
The plan was lunch at a local cafe. A beachside cafe, one of my favourites. The time was set for 12.30 and we were both running late. Me because I did NOT want to be the first one there and him because he had been car shopping and couldn’t get away from the salesman.
So, my cunning, arriving late plan, was foiled. I was there first sitting waiting for my drink to arrive when the phone rings. ‘Tis YGM2. Watching me from the footpath to see if I was me…
Clearly, I was.
He joins me and we pick up where we left off on the phone last night. All very easy going and casual.
This is good I think to myself. Easy and casual… not tense and awkward.
So my first impression is … He could use some help with his choice of vestments for a 1st date. But then, most guys could use a fashion sense transplant right? This is not a major strike against him.
We are so busy talking that it takes some time to decide on a meal …
I had just had breakfast with the girls so opt for a salad – and no, I am not the kind of girl who is afraid to eat in front of a guy. One doesn’t develop a fine comfortably upholstered appearance by being reticient with food… I am mature enough to be fairly settled in my skin these days and so choosing to have a meal was not awkward at all.
YGM2 orders the steak, well done. I find this unusual – he is Sth African and orders well done steak… In my mind well done and steak are mutually exclusive … and he appeared a wee bit embarassed to order a full meal at lunch time which I thought was funny… but this also was not a major strike against him.
Time passes, as does the meal and, skipping dessert, in favour of coffee (ok the comfortable with food may not extend to dessert…) all the while the conversation flows freely, covering such varied topics as family, growing up in the country and then Africa and it’s history and politics.
We then of course leave the cafe, with him paying (I may be a feminist where baby showers are concerned, but not dating…) and we take a walk along the waterfront. Bear in mind I am wearing my vanity shoes… You know girls, the pair that are stunning but half a size too small … I fear for my toes but am forward enough to tell him about the vanity shoes as a caution not to go too far, or too fast!!!
’tis a lovely afternoon. The sun is shining on us and all is well. We walk to the headland and take a seat in the sun continuing to chat away about everything and nothing. The whole time my little radar is going… Do I like him? Do I fancy him? The answer is, as yet, unclear. I do not dislike him at all and we are comfortable together. This is a nice place to be for now I think.
We talk for quite some time until the shadows start to encroach on our seat and we wend our way back towards the car, actually stopping in the sun again to talk some more. (The feet are holding up surprisingly well…)
The thought in my mind then becomes, “clearly he is free for the evening, I have an offer of drinks at the pub with the girls and I am wondering if I want to take them up on it”.
I decide yes.
The thinking behind the decision is this… YGM2 made no definitive offer of a new plan. I was not keen to be making the plan, after all – the plan is the guys domain, ask Dr Venus and Mars. I think if YGM2 had said, shall we keep hanging out? Would you like to see a movie or something? I would have said yes, but as he was clearly waiting for me to come up with the goods I decided to opt for the girls. This is not a major strike against him though.
So we make it back to my car … the awkward “what is the appropriate farewell?” moment arrives… we opt of a hug with a kiss on the cheek. This is accomplished with little fuss but the hugger (him) perhaps held on a little too long for the huggee (moi).
I am left thinking … uh oh … I am in the “treading cautiously” camp … he may be in the “woo hoo, full steam ahead” camp…
Time will tell …
He definitely isn’t an axe wielding maniac…. that is a definite strike in his favour.