The First Time

It was a warm night, so being me I was dreading going out. Sweating is never a way to impress a new person, especially when she is someone that you have admired. Perhaps admiration is the wrong word, but it will do for the moment.

I have the worst luck when it comes to parking my car, so true to form I parked about as far away as possible. And walked. In the heat. Walking fast because I wanted to get there early and see if I could spot her before she spotted me. Walking into the centre, I remembered there were multiple escalators and we had agreed to meet at the top. Might have helped if I knew which one was the top.

Standing at the 3rd (or 4th) escalator, I saw a woman standing next to the top. At a glance, I figured there was no way this woman was going to be the person I was here for. She really didn't meet the image that I had from her writing. Not that I actually had an accurate image, strange as it sounds I couldn't picture this person, yet the woman at the top of the stairs was in no way someone who would want to spend time with me.

How wrong I was. How wrong I still am at times.

I passed this short (had to be mentioned) woman and with 5 minutes to spare I went looking for the "top of the escalators", stupid me I was already there. The top of the escalators was in a circle, so I started walking around. Glancing at the woman I noticed, I started liking what I was looking at - but still figured there's no way that is the woman here to meet me. I've never been that lucky.

At the 2nd circuit, I saw the same woman sit down and pick out a book from her handbag. I figured what the hell, she has to be close or at least here. I even jokingly figured it might be the woman I was looking at. I called the number she gave me. Figuring the top of the stairs was the meeting point, I positioned myself so I could get there quickly. Fortunately it was also in view of the woman I was looking at. At the 3rd or 4th ring, the woman with the book rummaged through her handbag and picked out her phone ... my heart stopped. There's no way my luck is THAT good.

She picked up and said with a smirk "Hello". Not only could I hear the laugh in her voice, but I could see it from where I was walking towards. She had obviously seen me come up the stairs, but had let me walk straight past her. This could be interesting.

I don't remember our first phone conversation, but there was a lot of laughing at my expense. Which seemed to be the start to many laughing sessions. Sometimes it's good to hear someone laugh, even if it is at your own expense.

I could tell she was very apprehensive, I was probably exactly what she expected in a "eStalker" but it was very obvious there'd be nothing more than (hopefully) a good friendship.

We discussed the option of food, but decided on the pub for a drink. I must remember that I don't drink beer, and it's possible to get other drinks at a pub.

She and I talked and talked and talked. I said more things than I really had planned to (the old rule of not mentioning ex's seems to be forgotten on me) but it did seem she enjoyed the conversation. At least I survived the first 30 minutes without her running away screaming. In fact I think we had 3 or 4 drinks before we thought about food.

Over food I think is when the blogs came up. The fact that I'd been reading her's for a while (ok, a long time) and that mine was the 2nd incarnation, although my 1st is still offline (won't be going online again for a while).

The hours we spoke for melded together, I can't remember how many we were there for. But eventually we got to the end and as we walked out of the centre, she mentioned that she came out of public transport with the "great unwashed". Quick thinking (ha, me quick!) I dragged out my chivalry and offered to drive her home.

And this is where my luck ran out - with a couple of beers in me, I forgot where I parked my car. My manliness was decreasing rapidly. She laughed at me again (numerous times at the pub too) and finally helped my find the car park. With my fantastic ability to remember road names (yeah, haha!) she had to direct me. Manliness decreases again.

Once I pulled into her street, there was an awkward silence. I looked at her, she looked at me and said something like "Thanks for a nice night, bye" and jumped out of my car. I do believe if her house had been a few more steps away, I would have seen her run.

I believe I sent her a text the next morning, just being light and easy. And I believe that's where the fun started. Well, at least the interesting part that neither she nor I can work out what we were both doing.

Perhaps another blog entry will be about the months we chatted before I stopped being stupid. Ok, until I was less stupid.