Saturday: Primped and Ready to Flirt (Part 2) May 15, 2007
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Dating, Daydreams, Friends, Life, Men.trackback
Ed note: It is long, but you’ll survive. Promise. See Part 1 if you haven’t already.
I gathered up my liquid courage and stood, balancing in the Nine West heels I bought years ago, which have served me well and are a testament to why $85 is not too much to spend on a pair of shoes you love, put my shoulders back and, as saucily as possible, headed over to where Southern Belle and SB’s Boyfriend were talking to a tall, dark-haired man.
It took a few minutes of hellos and smiling, but finally I was introduced to Passport, 29, who lives in New Orleans and has known SB’s Boyfriend since childhood. His accent was all kinds of crazy – not Big Easy at all, more of a hybrid of Americanized Australian or British, but very faint. He still used terms like “mates” instead of “friends,” as he had just returned from years and years of living abroad, bouncing from country to country. This was terribly endearing and I teased him about it all night long.
My initial far-away instincts were correct. He was very much my type – funny and smart and chatty and tall. I can safely say we hit if off immediately, talking about work and life and his travels and beers and the Hurricane. He sat on a low banquette and I perched on an ottoman across from him, so to keep my posture nice.
It’s been awhile since I really clicked with someone this way. We talked for most of the night and I feel only a little bit bad about abandoning Prom Date and others for this man I’d just met. I felt the need to talk to him, to pick his brain, to flirt shamelessly.
I was drinking white wine and when our Very Annoyed Cocktail Waitress came by (our group had taken over not only our reserved couches, but also another group of seats) I ordered another. He also ordered an Amstel Light. (We were at a wine bar and he’d lamented the lacking beer selection.)
“What’s the name for the tab?”
“I got it,” I said, motioning for her to put it on my tab before he could pay.
“That’s sweet, you didn’t have to do that,” he said.
“Consider it a Welcome Home beer,” I said, coyly. With a wink, no less.
He grinned and said he owed me one.
It is time I came out and said it. I was totally smitten with Passport after just a few minutes. His friendly smile, his warm laugh, his strong conversation skills. It was all too much for my cynical, scorned self to handle, so when he went to smoke with SB’s Boyfriend, I joined Church Group Girl and the others to swoon while I internally questioned his intentions – Did he have a girlfriend? Was he really into me or was he just without anyone else to talk to? Was I mere moments from another dating misjudgment and intense mortification? Was I hallucinating?
The bar was about to close when Southern Belle walked up and announced that the boys wanted to go to the only place (other than a diner) that stays open all night – the Casino. I was arguing with our Very Annoyed Cocktail Waitress about $24 in extra wine on my bill and I quickly dismissed the idea of joining them. I hate casinos, not because I have a moral opposition to gambling, but because if I’m engaging in risky financial behavior, a good purse is coming home with me. That’s just how I roll.
Southern Belle went outside to relay the news to the group – us girls were calling it a night, though they were free to go to the Casino without us.
“But wait, what about your friend?” Passport asked Southern Belle.
“My friend?”
“Yes, your friend [Charming]?”
“No, she’s not coming. She doesn’t like casinos,” Southern Belle said.
And then it happened.
“Well, she’s cool. Is she single?” Passport asked.
(A Brief Interruption: Y’all. These perfect moments of chemistry and connection are so few and far between for me. Most of the nights when I dress up and stumble around in heels with super straight hair and flawless make-up, I end up feeling like I should have stayed in bed in my PJs watching Saturday Night Live while plotting revenge against the World of Love for leaving me behind. And I am saying this now and I mean it – I don’t care what happens next. I don’t care if he’s actually a creep who rides train cars ‘round the country stealing people’s identities, and possibly their souls, or if he has fifty cats and lives with his mom or has really bad hygiene or is secretly married with 37 kids or is a member of a cult or ANYTHING LIKE THAT. The fact that for ONCE IN MY LIFE I correctly guessed – GUESSED! – that a man liked me back is enough to warm my heart for this one perfect moment. Which is so sad, but whatever. I never said I wasn’t.)
Southern Belle, because she is both awesome and a lawyer, decided that perhaps she had a key piece of evidence that would re-open a stalled negotiation. She quickly came to me inside and said, “Oh honey, we are going to the Casino.”
“I hate the casino. I was thinking Jack in the Box and bed,” I said.
“[Passport] really wants you to go.”
“What?”
“He asked if you were single.”
“Which casino are we going to again?” I asked. And then we giggled and I applied some lip gloss and headed out to flirt some more.
Several hours of Passport and I flirting over bottles of water and not gambling, it was time to go home. And as the group pulled up to the corner about a half block from where I’d parked on a one-way street, I said my goodbyes and went to step out onto the curb. Passport grabbed my hand.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, [Charming],” he said. “And I know I’ll be seeing you again.”
I smiled sweetly and agreed, turned away from the car and mouthed the word “Yes!” to no one in particular as I walked to my car.
I was halfway there when I heard him playfully yelling at me from the rolled-down car window.
“Hey there, hot stuff. Looking good,” he teased and I strutted in my heels feeling every bit as confident as I should always feel, regardless of what my hair looks like or which guy is flirting with me or how cute my little black dress is.
I waved as I opened my car door and sighed as I sat inside and started the engine.
“Oh, I am so having a million of his babies,” I gushed to no one in particular. Again.
I am so happy that you had such a great time. You’re right, even if nothing comes of it, having that moment of bliss makes all the dating disasters worth it.
Good luck! I can’t wait to read what happens next.
Yay!!! I am so happy for you. And I echo Bella’s comments!
So, has he called your friend to get your number and call you, yet?
As Al Franken liked to say, ‘Nicely played’. Yes, well played. And Boxcar Willy is sadly no longer with us. But you should get better at guessing. Me, I’m hoping it means you kick the rest of the losers to the curb (at least for the moment). Cheers & Good Luck! ‘VJ’
Yay! I loved this post and I am so happy for you!
Good luck Charming!
That sounds SO awesome!! You did well!! I hope he calls soon, then you can tell us all about the fantastic first date
This is me cheering you on from London! Your attitude towards the whole evening was just fabulous - and you strutted in heels, wow! Looking forward to whatever happens next. Good luck, my dear.
Now that is the stuff that keeps us doing the work, suffering through the duds, putting on the war paint and fantastic shoes, and sitting through jerk after jerk’s come on lines.
That, my gal, is why we’re in it. For just those moments.
rock on, Charming. You certainly had one coming!
Yay!
Not as goofy or sexually perverse as I thought it would be, but I agree those are the moments that seem to raise hopes and make us all good feeling. I think we all have such moments amidst the angst and such. I had one the first night out after I broke up with the ex. Completely unexpected, we danced, we talked, we had a good time. Unlike you, though, I never had a chance to get more out of it. She left, I was numberless, but I was left with something I remember a few years later.
Awwwwwwwwwwww.
if this post were a kitten it would have the BIGGEST blue eyes and her paws would be curled up adorably beneath her chin.
But… if you have a million of his babies…where will you keep all your shoes?
(nice post)
WOOHOO!!!! Sounds like a great night, with more to follow
OMG There totally needs to be a part three where you tell us that you two are an item - Woop woop to you and your LBD with your sexy heels.
You go girl
xXx
Oh I can’t wait for part three! I hope things go well!
YAY! I love the flippy stomach feeling…congrats and keep us posted!
It looks like all of us are excited FOR you! Can’t wait for the next installment.
We’ll all be waiting to see what comes next!!!
Well done, girl!!! I want your flirting skills =P
Greetings!
Wow, that made me tear up a little….that was awesome!! You go girl!
Awesome. Totally, purely, awesome. Fingers crossed!!
Sounds like a winner… I’m definitely pulling for ya! You are in definite need of an Ego boost if nothing else and he seems like just the guy to give it to you..
Good luck! I’m so happy to hear things are going your way for a change.
WAY TO GO CHARMING!!! That is awesome, and I’m so happy for you! Fingers crossed for this one!!! You deserve it.
xo, blogging barbie
Congrats - sounds like a promising start.
~ lola
yay! i’m super happy for you. and like bloggingbarbie said - you totally deserve it! now go have an awesome date with him and blog about it already - people are bored at work!
YAY!!!!!!!!
I love to hear a success story! I’m so happy for you. Keep us updated - we like details!
Isn’t it nice to know we aren’t making this crap up in our head’s?!! That
you felt it and he felt it and he actually DID something (said something) to make something actually happen?! Terrific and inspiring. Hope to hear more good news in the future Charming!
Okay, stop with the whole “have a million of his babies” part… gah! Stick with shoes….shoes to spit up, pee or poop all over you.
Shoes don’t keep you up at night wailing and screaming (well… I GUESS they kind of do, because I’m with you on the whole “my feet are gonna kill me after all night in the shoes, but GOD I look hot in them” so technically your shoes ARE keeping you up all night but it’s you that’s wailing and screaming. But, the shoes.. oh the shoes.. they are SO worth it.
Not babies though!
Oh that is such a nice story!
Happy landings…
yay!
YAY! Is all I have to say! Can’t wait to hear an update!
WOO HOO!!! Sounds like a great night out!!!
Y-E-S! I was really hoping it would turn out like this. I, like everyone else here, cannot wait for the third installment. And so on.
You give me hope! Gratz!
yayyy!! I love those kinds of connections. Keep us posted!
Charming,
and Mr passport sounds like quite a catch…hope it develops into something good.
You handled yourself well, go on with your sexy self
ps. I have been reading your blog for a while even though it’s my first time commenting and always enjoy your posts
wow…beautiful so far..i just happened to trip over your blog and got reading and loved every bit of it.. hopefully i’ll be back… keep it up!
Now that’s a good way to meet someone! Can’t wait to read what happens next.
That’s great. Hope it all works out! Myself, I keep meeting former junkies and women with boyfriends that they neglected to mention…
Glad you had such a fabulous night, Charming, look forward to reading more about this guy!
[...] Passport. (Who, it is worth noting, has not called. It has been 16 days. Not that I’m counting. Really.) [...]
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[...] mostly be couples, but there were some notable single guys in attendance. To be honest, I’d hoped Passport would be there since he’s a friend of Southern Belle’s Boyfriend. But she told me flat out that [...]