The dating game - the adventure continues

Music plays: 'Open the door...to your...Mystery Date'

I feel like I am participating in an episode of 'Sex and the City' without the sex, or the great backdrop of the great city of New York, or even the hair makeup and clothes (for that matter...HEY perhaps THAT"S what I am missing!!) *laughs*

OK so I am not really ready to date. But I would like to meet some nice men and go out from time to time. Unfortunately it is difficult to meet men without going out on a full-blown 'bonafide' date.

So I reach a point where there is one gentleman I have talked to through the personals and I agree to go out to dinner.

The day comes for the 'date' and we touch base with each other and he let's me know that if I show up after he does he will be driving a Silver Corvette. Now this man is very dashing - you can pick him out of a crowd - at least from what I can tell of his pictures (and that is assuming that he is sending me his picture) - so I did not really see the need to inform me about a Corvette - unless he was trying to impress me. Which it does not because I don't like Corvettes (unless they are years 1957 thru 1963) - I am more of a Jaguar, or olderr Camaro, Firebird or even a Jeep (convertibles of course)*laugh*.

So we meet at a nice Italian restuarant. He does look like his picture. We are seated at a cozy table. We order food, I order a glass of red wine - he orders Sex on the Beach (this should have been a clue to me) - we begin to talk. I ask him to expound upon what I already know about him from our 'converstations' he had been living in Las Vegas and moved here to Cleveland - which I find a bit odd. He told me what he was doing here...he then asked if I have ever been to Las Vegas - I tell him no and that I really have no desire to go there. He asks me what I am doing next weekend. Very much implying that he wants to take me to Vegas. I laugh and I say well I know I am *not* going to Las Vegas next weekend. He then says 'Well I will take you any where you want to go - how about Naples..and I don't mean Florida' - this really stuns me for a minute. I tell him that we really don't know each other well enough for me to go away with him for a weekend.

Our entrees arrive and the waitress keeps coming over to check on us. He gets a bit irritated and asks her to leave us alone - he is nice about it but I can tell he is irritated. After we talk some more and eat, he orders himself another drink. Eventually, the waitress brings the check and he asks her 'What's the biggest tip you have ever gotten?' the girl seems rather uncomfortable and again I get the feeling he is just trying to flaunt his wealth or impress me - this act does not impress me at all.

I excuse myself to go to the restroom. I come back and he asks if he can buy me a drink - there is a bar attached to this restaurant and I agree. I order a White Russian and he orders another Sex on the Beach - he had 2 with dinner....we talk some more and he begins to try to touch me and tries to kiss me. I tell him that I don't really feel right about this just yet. He keeps trying. Nothing too too intimate - just lightly stroking the inside of my wrist (which actually can be very intimate) and he keeps trying to rub my back and shoulders and neck. Again, I tell him that I would really like to take things slowly - he gets a little irritated. I begin to think I should just walk out. Instead I go to the restroom again. When I come back there is another drink waiting for me and of course he has ordered another for himself. I barely touch the drink. He keeps trying so finally I tell him it is getting late and I am tired and need to go home. He walks me to my car. I allow him to give me a kiss goodnight. It is a nice kiss. A very nice kiss, actually.

I leave him a message thanking him for dinner the next day. He writes me an e-mail with a cute little joke and I decide to address how I feel. I reiterate that I need to, have to, go slowly with things. That I don't usually drink that much as a rule. That I don't get all that friendly with anyone on a first date and also that I don't plan on going away for a weekend getaway with anyone until I know them better. I was not mean or bitchy - I just thought I should tell him because I don't want to lead him on.

He writes me back very angry, stating that I have no right to say what I am saying because after all he was only trying to 'get to know me'....um ok

So I write him back - angry myself and tell him that I am not going to back down from how I feel and I am just not ready to go that fast - that I am in a different place in my life than he is right now and I need him to respect that. If not, it's ok, there are plenty of other 'fish' in the sea for both of us... I also mention that I am not impressed with his wealth or his manner of flaunting it and that I find that type of behaviour to be distasteful.

I probably really pissed him off. Oh well.

I guess I am just not ready for this. It is too soon, I am still healing. It would be nice though, to meet someone and share some fun. Does it have to be this dating thing though? Isn't there another way? Too bad I just can't join a softball team - but I am not that athletic. I mean there has to be a way to meet some nice guys - perhaps I need a Yentl (I am not sure if that is how it is spelled). I am not ready for a major relationship, obviously. I don't want one-night stands. But it does not mean that I want to sit at home on a Friday night either. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery out there?

There is nothing wrong with a little passion. There's really nothing wrong with a little sex, either. I mean as long as you are safe and you are both willing to respect each other. And for me it's really important that they be divorced or single...but how can you tell? Really...

It's scary out here guys. It's like sky-jumping without a parachute. It's also funny, wierd and interesting.

Well perhaps I will find the right person - if there is such a thing for me. If not, at least I will have material for my blog. *laugh*