Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Date with a Unicorn: Part 10

When I arrived at the Commissary, he was already there, sitting on a stool at the bar facing me standing in the doorway. Dressed down in a sweater and jeans (and not the usual suit and tie) I don't think I'd ever seen him look so sexy.

"Do you want to sit at the bar or get a table" he asked me. "Let's do the bar," I suggested. "We're 'bar people' after all," I said. "We are indeed bar people," he agreed.

And there we sat. Bodies turned towards each other on our stools. He sat with his thighs framing the outsides of my own legs closed together, gently squeezing inward. He leaned over and rested his hands on my shoulders.

And there we sat for hours, our faces only inches apart, talking softly in the dimly lit restaurant. Only parting to give our server our orders and to eat. We both got Steak and Eggs, which I recall being good but don't really remember eating it. There was only him. And me. And being together.

I couldn't tell you what we talked about. How we'd spent our weekends. A few stories of past travels. I told him about my favorite bridge in Venice, "Ponte de Sospiri" - The Bridge of Sighs - a spot historically known for painful and beautiful tragedies. He told me how he'd gotten lost in a field once in Thailand and befriended a local man who drew him a map to find his way home. And I kept thinking that I could listen to him talk forever... Had anyone ever captivated my attention like this?

Already I could feel us getting closer. I was no longer being wined and dined and introduced to friends, while we dawned our best outfits and thought of clever things to say. Instead, we were meeting at a late hour, at the last minute, after long work days, to find comfort and a breath, in the company of one another. In our street clothes. At our bar stools. His thighs wrapped tightly around mine. His hands on my shoulders.

When it came time to pay, Mr. Unicorn once again refused to let me contribute. And as honored and grateful and touched I continued to be at his adamant and continued generosity, I was starting to feel guilty at his unselfishness. I finally spoke up: "You really aren't going to let me pay?" "No, he said." "Really, I said?" "Really," he said. "You have to let me pay for something," I insisted. "No, I don't." He was resolute. "Okay.." I pondered. "What about, if for your birthday, I get to plan a date for you. I do all the planning and all the paying. For one night. How about that?" "That would be nice," he said. So that was that.

Towards the end of the evening I admitted my hesitance at accepting his last minute dinner invitation. "I shouldn't have said yes to this tonight," I explained calmly. "It was so last minute." "And I shouldn't be seeing you this often, if I were acting the way I usually do with new girls," he countered. "Well, I've decided I'm not going to play games with you," I nervously continued. "You better not," he replied and smiled. He picked up his glass and clinked it against mine. "To no games," he said. "We just don't need them."

Then we finished our drinks and left the restaurant linked arm and arm and walked to my car. I gave him a ride back to his apartment, put the car in park and leaned over to kiss him. We continued slowly and sweetly and tenderly with one another for several minutes. "I don't want to say good night," he said. "Neither do I," I said. He squeezed my hand and got out. I watched him walk to his door and shut it behind him. Then I slowly drove down his street and exhaled a long breath. Lucky, lucky me, I thought. Lucky me. With a soft smile on my lips, musing dreamily on this wonderful man, I eventually found my way home through the quiet and empty streets of the city.

15 comments:

Rachel said...

I don't think this could've worked out better. I know I said to be cautious about too much too soon and being too available is risky. But being honest and telling him your hesitancy is also about not playing games too. Which I'm a fan of. I don't want to sound like I'm a fan of playing games, but I do think it's important to maintain a bit of a separate life as well. Which you did when you said you were meeting a friend already - it wasn't like you dropped everything to see him.

I'm so happy for you. I love how well this is going and I crossing about everything I can cross (eyes, fingers, toes, legs) in hopes that this works out as perfectly as it's started :)

MA said...

wow. i mean... wow. i think that... nope? nope. there are no words.

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

Sigh. Wow. That sounds like pretty much the most perfect evening. So glad you found my blog so I could find your blog and come read this. I have a total smile on my face now.

Toddy said...

Rachel - thank you for commenting! it is much appreciated especially bc I know thats not always your thing but you've been great about it for my posts. As for dropping everything for a new date, boyfriend etc. I would NEVER do that. I hate when girlfriends or guy friends do that to me. HATE. And its so unnecessary. If I had had plans, I wouldn't have gone. But I did have an early drinks date with a friend I needed to catch up with. And I don't think I would've trekked out to some far away place either. I told him WHEN I was free and WHERE I could handle it conveniently and so his last minute invitation bc my last minute conditions and it worked out. Thank you thank you thank you for crossing all your limbs for me. I hope it works out too! Though I fear its not going to work out as "perfectly" as you all hope and you'll be disappointed when things "stop being polite...and start getting real." Or rather "Stop being swoonage...and start getting real."

Vittoria- thanks for commenting. I read your blog religiously and anyone reading this comment should too. She is more hilarious then I could ever be in my dreams. Some people are just plain funny. And clever.

Krysten-I'm glad I found your blog too! If this post made you small go back and start with "New Year, New Man" and then read all the Date with a Unicorn Posts Parts 1-10. They will make you smile even MORE. I promise. And thanks for reading! I love new readers.

And Cheers, T.

WashingTina said...

Here's to more of the same!

Toddy said...

Oh Tina- I just adore you my lovely fellow commentwhore. And your calm voice of reason to soothe my spaz.

Maura said...

I despise games, and I love that you put your cards on the table. I'm very much the same way, and I've watched it come back to bite me, but I've realized whoever is going to fall in love with ME, is also going to fall in love with the fact that I'm wildly open with my feelings.

Sounds like an amazing date!

Kelly said...

So I had this thought while reading this. And that is: "How does she remember every line he says? How can she write thousands of words about one night?" And then I reminded myself that when you are dating someone that really gets inside your head/heart, you do remember the details, the one-liners that cut so deep, and you really do leave at the end of the night with a movie screen crystal clear memory of your time with the person. I forget this sometimes because it has been a really long time since I had that kind of connection with a guy. SIGH.

but my point it, that is a really important thing to keep in mind. The sheer idea that you are able to recount the night in such detail. Emotions and memory are very closely tied and you obviously have some real emotions toward this guy. the proof is in the posts. ;)

Toddy said...

Maura- Thanks for your comment. Love your blog too by the way and I wish you a fast recovery off crutches and back to running. I feel very vulnerable playing the "no game playing" game. It definitely COULD come back to bite me and it worries me. I took a risk.

Kelly-What an inciteful analysis of my writing process. I definitely don't remember everything. The topics of conversation over 3 hours. What I was wearing - no idea though I'm sure it was carefully picked out. His parents names. The decor at Commissary. But yes, the hands on my shoulder, the funny story about Thailand and the one liner sound bytes that melted my heart I do vividly recall. I also may exaggerate some of it. For example, the drive home. I'm sure I was happy and I'm sure the streets were quiet and I was giddy and contemplative. But that part is described more for flair and to round out a good story. Make sense? And yes I like him a lot. And yes - that worries me. A great deal.

J said...

I love this, and all the little details like how you sat on the stools and the empty streets on the drive home- it reads like something out of a novel.

It's so easy when it's right, isn't it? Things just work. As always, looking forward to the next Unicorn installment!

Toddy said...

J- Thanks for your continued support. There are definitely MORE UNICORN posts in the works. The number of them isn't up to me, its up to MR.U not getting sick of me but there's definitely quite a few more at this point. Also- I would LOVE TO WRITE A NOVEL. If I actually thought anyone would read it. And I appreciate the compliment. Keep reading! And commenting! I'm a slut for comments! And as always, Cheers! -T

Jolene said...

That sounds like an amazing date! Sounds so similar to M, yet again, and I of course, dig that. So glad you didn't play games and went with it!

Toddy said...

Jolene- would love to hear more about how Mr. M is similar to Mr. U. They are a different person right? Hasn't your Mr. M been married and divorced before in which case Mr. U is suredly not the same person. Here's hoping! -T

Anonymous said...

Yep, I'm still glad you went!

Toddy said...

Quarter- hahah. Thanks. Yeah I'm glad I went too. look what I would've missed if I hadn't? -T