I Get Out Too Much

Just as the sun rises and sets, so I had another date last night. It was nice--I went out with a guy that I had already hung out with before, but we hadn't had a formal dinner date until last night. We ate at a cool cuban joint out near Soho, then decided to go into familiar territory for drinks. As I have stated before, when I go out with a guy, I like to go around to places where I know people so that they can see who I'm with, just in case anything should happen to me. So anyway, we head over to a restaurant where I used to work because I promised the bartender, my friend, that I would drop by. On the way there, guess who is standing outside his bar having a smoke? The dude I dated this summer--you know, the one I wrote about previously who was the weirdo that didn't have any furniture or TV or internet in his house. So I waved hi to him and he said hello, but I could tell he was a little weirded out. Whatever. So my date and I go into the restaurant to see my friend and we have a pretty good conversation.

But something strange happened. He told me about his last girlfriend and their relationship and how it ended. Long story short, she was texting and talking to another guy that she had hooked up with once, who lives across the country, and my date found out and put up with it for about six months. He said that he loved her, they were together--lived together--for two years. This changed the way that I looked at him. For one, he became more human. Rather than just being another guy on my dancecard, he had feelings. He was in love. He was hurt by this love. When he told me this story, he had so many expressions on his face. He became a real person to me. Second, I couldn't believe that he would put up with the lying and cheating for six months!! I told him that I am the type to cut it off right then and there. I can't imagine why someone would put up with it for a minute, let alone six months. You know, sometimes I really don't want to hear stories about someone's past, you know? So now he was a very human doormat to me....

Well we get to my bar to have a few and see my friends and guess who was sitting at the bar? The guy I went on a date with weeks ago--the one I wrote about here who is shorter than me. Holy crap. And it turned out that I had told him earlier in the day that I couldn't hang out with him that night because I had plans. Lo and behold, not only did he see firsthand what my plans were, but he soon became a part of them. Would you believe it, there I was at the bar, standing between two men that I have had recent dates with, entertaining the both of them!! I swear that my friends must have been looking at me thinking what an insane nut I am. But the really, really weird thing was that it wasn't weird. Well, not for me anyway. But the two guys got along pretty well, and we had a pleasant time. Then my date asked me to go back to his house with him. I declined. He had to go home earlier than I wanted to leave, so I stayed at the bar with the other guy that I went out with. We had a few more drinks together and we were flirting a bit. Then he had to go and asked me to come back to his place with him. I declined his invite too. So he left and I kept drinking with my friends.

Normally I would go home with my date and stay with him for the night, but for reasons unknown, I opted out this time around. I don't know, it just felt right that I go home alone last night....which is the total opposite of the new dating rules....