I was a bit nervous as I was getting ready for dinner. I would normally throw on a pair of jeans and a cute jacket but the dinners are "no jeans" so I tried on a bunch of clothes until I made a decision. The restaurant was 6 minutes from my house so I was trying to time my arrival. I stopped by my PO box and picked up mail, drove around the block once and proceeded to find parking at the restaurant. I left the unopened bill from my divorce lawyer in the car.
I took a deep breath as I got out and headed to the entrance of the restaurant. It was not one of my favorites in town. I had no idea who to ask for ... and whether they would be by the door or at the table already. As I entered, it was clear they were not at the door. I felt butterflies in my stomach and anxiety about having to ask where I would find my dinner group. But I did.
I was told that there was a gentleman at the bar and the organizer, Dru, who I spoke to on the phone was there too. She seemed nice on the phone. She told me that she has been hosting these dinners for the past four years. And there they were; at the corner of the bar. Dru had a piece of paper and when she saw me, she jumped up and gave me a big hug like we were old friends. It felt strange but I went along.
She introduced me to Dan who was coddling a drink. He stood up to meet me. He was tall with short black hair and a moustache. Not my type at all. He immediately asked what I do. I was vague. He proceeded to guess what company I worked for and when he guessed it the first time, I acknowledged. Then he told me that he hates my company with a passion. A sign of a great evening ahead. Did I mention that I prefer men without facial hair?
I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir from the bartender and focused on it instead of the uninspiring small talk. A petite blond woman joined us. Her name was Elaine and she was an event planner. Dan seemed to take an instant liking to her. Another gentleman joined us at the bar. He looked like he was in his late 40s or early 50s. He was blond with a matching moustache and an average body type. Wayne seemed like a quiet and thoughtful man but not my type as well.
Dru shared with us that the last guy had his motorcycle breakdown and will join us later. She then showed us to our table . Dan did not like the sitting arrangement so he rearranged us so Elaine would be sitting next to him. It was then that I noticed a playboy bunny tattoo on Dan's forearm.
I wish I could have gone home then.
The bread basket was next to me so I picked it up and handed it to Dan who was sitting to my left. He proceeded to take the gum out of his mouth and stick the blue ball of rubber on his side plate. There are no words to describe my thoughts at that point. He then flipped open the white napkin on the bread basket and handing out pita bread to each of us, while telling us that his hands are perfectly clean. Arggggggghhhhhhhh!!
He looked down at the olive dip and asked how one would eat that. I wasn't volunteering any advice. I felt like such a snob already. But table manners were on my list of requirements.
Apparently Dan and Wayne have met before and started talking about their military service. It was then that I discovered that Wayne was interesting but that he was much much older than me. He was stationed in Haifa when I was 14! I was being generous about his age. He was a sweet man but definitely not my type.
I was sitting there stabbing my mediocre salmon and trying to follow the conversation, which was tough, because I had no kids and very limited interest in sports. And just then, Joseph, the motorcycle guy showed up and joined us. He half apologized for being late. He sat to my left and reached over to grab some of Dan's calamari ... more outstanding manners in one evening!!
We tried to involve him in our conversation. Someone asked him what he does for a living. He grunted and said: "I am a business man." At which point, I tried not choke on my dinner. Dan jabbed my arm and whispered: "does he have an accent. Is he a foreigner?" Luckily, I had no food in my mouth and was able to say, "I think he has a slight accent." Dan then asked Joseph where he was from and was satisfied when he shared with us that he was from Romania.
Joseph then ordered a bowl of soup and did not participate in the conversation. I wondered why he bothered to come. As soon as his soup arrived, he consumed it completely and almost licked the bowl. He then shared with us that he has to leave to take care of his motorcycle. And off he went. I was so jealous; I was ready to go (about 90 minutes earlier).
We finished eating. Got our individual bills and I was relieved to be able to head back home to pack for my business trip to Dubai. And then, I heard Dan ask whether we should move to the bar to have a drink or a coffee ... the thought was unbearable. I plead my regrets and told them that I needed to head home to pack. At that point, I realized my theatre training paid off since I was the only one at dinner who actually knew that I was having a horrible time and laughing on the inside.
And my friends were waiting to hear about how my first dinner went ... did I meet some fantastic people? Was there a connection? What is this really all about?
When I shared with them, over some great wine, the wonders of dating dining ... we all had a laugh ... I realized this opened a whole new world for me of people I would not regularly encounter ... and new adventures ...
p.s. All names have been changed to protect the not so innocent
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