Since you asked and even if you didn't

I have had some inquiries as to how my date went Friday night.  If you recall, we left our heroine (that would be me) in a slight tizzy since she had just revealed her important personal information in a scam online.  Well, it did not stop me from the matters at hand.  I took care of business and still went on my date.

This was the first time for me to actually meet this gentleman face to face.  We had met through an online service (which I find to be far superior to the bar scene) and had been enjoying getting to know one another through email correspondence.  We knew much of what the other liked by discussing our Must Haves and Can't Stands in a relationship.  But this was the litmus test.  We had each seen the other's picture but those can often be deceiving so they do not carry much weight with me. 

In spite of how open you may think I am giving out information online, I will not give out my phone number or address or even last name until I have a very strong comfort level.  This has always worked well for me and I am evidently a pretty good judge of character because I have had good success in meeting some very nice guys through the internet and many whom I still consider friends.  [I do not need any warnings of how dangerous this is. That privilege is reserved for my family. I am old enough to make rational decisions and I do not take any risks.  I actually have a set of "rules" I follow and will be glad to share those details with anyone who cares to inquire.] It is a scary world out there but I am not cocooned and I am careful.

Ironically enough, out of all the people in the pool, without revealing too much to the other (in the event one of us was a stalker), we figured out we lived roughly in the same neighborhood. He suggested we get together at a nearby Starbucks for coffee.  Safe enough.  When he asked me out he offered two choices of dates and times and I picked Friday evening.  I drove myself, of course, and arrived early. I'm not a big coffee drinker and it turns out, neither is he, but this is a very comfortable place to meet and sit around visiting with no pressure to vacate a table for the next patrons.                                        

I waited outside at one of the small tables and as he approached crossing the parking lot, he called out a greeting.  My response?  "Hello.  Are you Bob?"  

"No, I'm Bill."  I was mortified that I had called him by the wrong name but I laughed and apologized.  I knew his name was Bill!  (Just so you know.  His name is not Bill or Bob.  I am protecting the innocent but you get the drift.)

He was a good sport and said, "Well, let's get something to drink before Bob gets here." (Sense of humor.  Check.)

I could not believe I made such a critical social blunder.  It is not like I do this so much I cannot keep things straight on all the guys in my life.  And, I am not one to get particularly nervous about a first date.  I really think I was still rattled about the internet scam.  Either way, I did it and he was gracious.

Side bar:  For those of you who may never ventured into a Starbucks because you do not drink coffee, let me recommend the Chia Tea. I discovered it about three years ago and it is wonderful!!  Hot or iced. Yummy!

We spent the next three hours talking about everything.  Very comfortable.  He then suggested we go get a bite to eat and that turned into another hour and a half of enjoyable conversation.  There was a fair balance of talking and plenty of laughs.  Not a bad evening. And, he was actually better looking than his picture had revealed.

Turns out he lives less than half a mile from my son's house where I currently reside.  Knowing each other's street seems safe enough.  We actually had a lot in common but he stills harbors a lot of resentment toward his ex.  I will overlook/forgive a certain amount of anomosity toward the ex in the getting-to-know-you first conversations.  If we go out again and the ex-Mrs. Starbucks is still a strong point of discussion, I will be much less tolerant. I prefer to date guys who have moved on with their lives. 

The only red flag that was raised for me:  When I mentioned the flurry of activity I had gone through prior to the date (shutting down credit cards, etc.) he offered his assistance.  Turns out he has the three credit reporting agencies loaded on his cell phone.  What's up with that??  For now I will chalk it up to a very organized and cautious person but my radar is up. 

Bottom line:  I have no idea if we will ever go out again in spite of his comments to indicate otherwise. No sparks flew but we did have a good time.  I will keep you posted.