Meeting Tall Guy

I met Tall Guy through the online dating site. His profile popped up about a week after I had gone out with ED Guy and never heard back. My pride was a little wounded but I was determined not to give up. Tall Guy’s photo was a hairy one, full beard and longish hair, with his face tilted in profile. He listed himself as being 6’8”. He had to be lying or it was a typo. We did the whole back and forth question/answer thing very quickly. So quickly, in fact that I was beginning to wonder if he was desperate or would think I was… The emails that followed were hilarious. We both asked a lot of questions, traded funny experiences. I was feeling comfortable and made the first move. I gave him my number…

It is fairly awkward giving a random person your phone number online, especially when they do not ask for it. I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but then again, we are both doing the online dating thing so it should be kind of expected. Tall Guy works nights and started texting me. After my last couple online dates I thought it would be practical to screen this one thoroughly before committing to an actual in-person meeting. I texted questions, he’d text back answers. This was comparatively better than having a conversation on the phone because I could just shoot straight and get easy answers. He seemed to be enjoying the back and forth quite a bit as well.

Me: Are you super religious?

TG: HELL NO!!!

Asked about his likes, dislikes, favorites, family friends, stupid questions… He asked back too. It was all very entertaining. On one side, I considered him very funny. On another side, there was the distinct possibility that he was the type of funny guy who is never serious nd just irritating after awhile because they joke too much. Well, I would just have to meet him to make sure. Tall Guy asked me out to get drinks the next day and I accepted.

My normal nervous self tried to wrap its brain around 6’8” and failed. I was looking up at trees trying to get an idea of what I would be seeing that night. Kind of scary… but also exciting. When I was stuck in traffic on my way home I had my first phone conversation with the Tall Guy. Buying shoes at the mall, he called to see what time we should meet up and where. Deep voice, good. Still funny but not in a whacked out way, good. This may not be so painful…

The mad dash home about killed me. I ran in the house to pee, because after sitting in my car for 45 minutes that is the first thing on my agenda when the condo came in sight. Then walk the dog while constantly repeating “Poop, Cutter!” only to give up and tell the poor dog he’d have to hold it. Ran back inside, stripped, showered, blow dried, curled, make-uped… I dug through the mad pile of clothes that seems to build up any place I live and tried on a half dozen different things. This makes me look fat. That makes my chest look flat. This will make me sweat more than I already am. These shoes don’t go well with these jeans. My boss had told me to wear heels so I won’t seem so short next to the Tall Guy and I finally acquiesced, but felt silly and dressed up when he was going to wear “casual clothes.” Screw it!

In the parking lot at the restaurant I checked myself out in the mirror and sighed. Sometimes women look at themselves and wonder what other people will see. I just hoped he would disregard my shoes. Walking up to meet him I realized just how tall Tall Guy actually was. Good Lord! Even with four inches from my platforms I felt like a midget next to this guy!

I don’t recall that we hugged in greeting. I think there was more of a tentative waving of hands at one another before heading into the sushi place. I was super nervous. This guy was really attractive (in a hairy, hippy sorta way.) He was quick witted and made conversation very easy, where as I was so tongue-tied I thought I would need to excuse myself and just drive home where I could put my sweats on, read a book, drink beer and get shit-faced.

What stood out in my mind about the first part of that night are the following things:

1)The gentle smile that he had when the little child/monster from another table was running around

2)How his eyes crinkled sheepishly when I told him that his “drummer forearms” looked more like a normal person’s calves

3)He leaned forward and with the sincerity of a concerned saint asked me to please, not be nervous

As hard as I could, I tried to calm down and be myself. Dating is hard. Your mind goes into over drive. You worry about saying the wrong thing, laughing like an imbecile, saying something stupid, offending the other person, getting sushi stuck in your teeth without realizing it and smiling too big.

After dinner we took a walk around the lake and talked. I discovered that he likes to write in addition to playing the drums. He loves his job. Has a female roommate (but was quite serious when he said there was nothing going on there. Nothing to worry about AT ALL.) Loves music by Frank Zappa. Tall Guy has a very raunchy sense of humor, which I appreciate. We had coffee and talked more. I made a mental note that it is not a first date topic to talk about my recently deceased father (just a little weird).

What stood out in my mind from the later part of the date:

1Tall Guy is funny

2)He can pull hair and demonstrated that jokingly but still made me want to jump him

3)Good, sweet gentle kiss goodnight

When Tall Guy walked me to my car he started by giving me a hug goodnight. It was short and he immediately grabbed my neck, which scared the piss out of me. I mean, this man is huge! But he'd thought he had rammed his shoulder into my windpipe. It was my first indication that perhaps he, too, had been nervous. I laughed it off and reassured him that I was not injured and he had imagined the whole thing. Then, to my utter astonishment, he leaned in, ran his hand up the back of my neck, into my hair and kissed me. It was sweet. Almost delicate. I was surprised he had kissed me at all.

The drive home was short, but I was happy. It was a nice, slightly stressful date that ended really well. I hoped that I would hear from him again. But you never know… I had thought the date with ED Guy had gone ok and still hadn’t heard anything from him two weeks later.