Vixen Divorcee’s First Blind Date

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My friend, Marlys, set me up on my first blind date.  Her description of the guy sounded intriguing and I was ripe to test the waters of the dating world, so I said, “Give him my phone number.”

Our first contact should have prepared me for what followed.

He suggested dinner and a movie.  Okay by me.

He suggested The King’s Speech.  Again, okay by me.

Then he suggested that we meet at the theater and go out to dinner afterwards.

Not okay by me.

I suggested, tactfully as I could, that since we’d never met, I’d be more comfortable dining first, then going to the movie.

He wouldn’t budge.

That’s how I found myself in the lobby of a movie theater, walking up to a strange man, hoping he was my date.

Try finding your blind date in this crowd

“You must be Georgia,” he said, so at least that awkwardness was over.  And he was good looking; tall, slim, full head of hair (something I took totally for granted the last time I was dating, back in my 20’s).

He’d already bought our tickets, another good sign.  Maybe the evening would be fine.

Sitting in a darkened theater in close physical proximity to a complete stranger is odd.

When that stranger is your date, it’s even odder.  Think of those moments when something you’re watching touches you, amuses you, scares you.  You turn to your friend to share that moment.  But the person next to me was no friend of mine and I had no idea how he’d react to what we were watching.

I loved the movie.  There was that.  He did, too, so we had something to talk about.

We were out the door of the theater and into the chilly night air before he stopped to ask if I still wanted to get something to eat.

Still wanted to get something to eat?  I wondered what that meant.  Was he thinking of just heading home without any effort to get to know me?

It was now 9 p.m. and I hadn’t eaten, so I said the obvious, “I’m starved.  I definitely want to eat.  There’s a good hamburger place across the street, my favorite wine bar is around the corner, and there’s a cute Italian restaurant a block away.”

His response was, “How about Pizza Hut?”

 

  I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, hoping he was kidding. No, he was serious.

“Pizza Hut?” I said.  “Where’s Pizza Hut?”

“There’s one only six minutes from here by car.”

“But, but, there are all these options right here, within a few steps of us,” I said.

“My car’s right around the corner.  I’ll drive and then drop you back at your car.  I love their pizza.”

My thoughts didn’t matter.  It was going to be Pizza Hut or nothing.  I was at that hunger stage where I’d faint behind the wheel of my car if I didn’t eat before driving home.

He drove me to Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut must serve a purpose in American life, since there are over 6,000 of them in the country.  They just don’t serve a purpose in my life.  The plastic, fast food ambience of this Pizza Hut set the tone for conversation over our meal.  I couldn’t wait to get dropped back to the familiar comfort of my car.   I made this happen as fast as humanly possible.

I don’t remember anything about the conversation.  I don’t even remember the man’s name.

What I do remember, so  vividly, is the tense moment in the film when King George is about to tell the  British people that they are going to war with Germany.  The swelling, portentous, resonant chords of  Beethoven’s 7th Symphony filled the movie theater.  That perfect cinematic moment made the whole  silly, awkward evening worthwhile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBQvhKkG1x8

 

 

 

 

 

17 thoughts on “Vixen Divorcee’s First Blind Date”

  1. It is amazing what kinds of memories music can bring back. The last time I heard this symphony, I was at Tanglewood, on the great expanse of lawn with my girl friends. We were totally entranced by the experience and I will forever remember that moment when I heard this music. Hopefully, when you hear this magnificent piece it will not bring back memories of Pizza Hut man.

    • Music has such power to evoke place, people, feelings. When you hear the symphony, do you feel like you’re back at Tanglewood with your friends? Georgia

  2. I have never, and that would be never with an N, had a successful blind date. The blind date is a set up for disappointment. And if one is interested and the other isn’t? Even worse! Even if I should molder into a crotchety old bachelor, please god no more blind dates.

  3. Oh my. Too funny. Here’s my theory. He was a very simple guy and your friend told him the movie. Sorry to sound like such a snob but no one who really appreciated that great movie would go to eat at Pizza Hut after. I doubt there was a high correlation between people who saw that movie and eat at Pizza Hut. (Now home delivery…another question.)

  4. Can you say “loser”? Sure. I knew you could. This train wreck was obviously on a date with himself, and probably had fond acne-scarred pubescent memories of ‘hangin’ with his homies at the Hut’, and doing parking lot burnouts in his Fiesta. I guess I got lucky: my one and only blind date led to an 18 year relationship and marriage, but I think that’s pretty unusual. Your experience here sounds more typical. Rest assured, your date WAS blind!

  6. The fact that your “date” knew that there was a Pizza Hut six minutes by car from the movie theater seems to indicate this was his preferred after theater destination. If one’s objective is to put your best foot forward this was frightening at best. I am wondering if he was testing your limits?

    I am sure he did not even notice, that from the moment you entered, your eyes glassed over and you had the look of a catatonic stroke victim. I wonder if he left thinking that it was his best date ever.

    Finally, I do agree with Lady M. I do hope that when you hear Mr. B’s 7th, you don’t have a strange urge to order in Pizza.

  7. Thanks to all of you for your clever comments on my blind date. You’re making me laugh at what could otherwise be a grim, uncomfortable memory.

  8. He sounds like a totally insensitive and self-absorbed man. I’m glad you walked away as quickly as possible. I chose to spend the first Thanksgiving after my divorce by myself. My daughter looked in on me, in my Queen (so long, King) bed, newspaper strewed around me. She said “mom, I’m worried about you.” But, I was thinking “I don’t have to roast a turkey, eat a turkey, talk to turkeys…” . Georgia, you don’t have to talk to that turkey again. Happy Thanksgiving all.

    • Thanks for sharing the story of your first Thanksgiving as a divorcee. Hope you have a happy one this year.

  9. What is it about women? And perhaps about men, too. That as soon as our partner leaves we think we must find another one, and soon. Usually, there is a financial necessity. But the real need, I fear, is to have someone to complete our lives. The best part of my “single” life has been to find my own voice and create my own life. Blind dates help to keep the possibility open that someone will fit into the new and wiser life. How wonderful if that happens…if not, you’ve built yourself a strong foundation for the life you’ve been given today!! How great is that??

  10. Great movie. Bad date. The great thing is you put yourself out there. So many times I have just sat in front of the tv or spent time alone when maybe, just around the corner, there was something good happening. Can’t win all the time, maybe not even most of the time, but we can’t win at all if we don’t try.