Their first date

I had a cute opportunity to witness a first date. Last week while working at a local coffee shop, I watched a slightly overdressed young woman in her mid-30s walk in with an all black outfit, black heels, and nicely coiffed blond hair. She looked around, placed her coffee order, and took a seat next to me on the long bench in front of the side window. 

I had been writing my book for about 15 minutes, but had not yet remembered to send my music into my earbuds. I kept typing along when a nice-looking man, also in his mid-30s, entered. He was casually dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, baseball cap, a gym shoe on his left foot, and a walking cast on his right. He recognized the pretty blond and they greeted each other with a hug.

I wasn’t planning on eavesdropping, but I got drawn  in at some point and couldn’t disengage from their conversation. The beginning was a lot of pleasantries and that typical Atlanta topic: traffic. She asked if traffic was heavy on his route. Was he late? She did arrive before him, but I didn’t notice the time when either of them arrived. They each relayed a story about one time when they had gotten stuck on the highway for an extended amount of time. If you live in Atlanta, you have these stories too.

Thursday afternoon seemed like an odd time for a first date, but their jobs may be a bit unusual and flexible. He is administratively linked to a local dog park chain, and she is an art dealer. Both jobs sound fun, but very different. They are clearly bonding over their love of dogs. She had taken her childhood dog to live with her for a while, She had been married and lost custody of her dog in the divorce. He tried to talk about art and said he is working to be more cultured and have more cultural experiences. She teased him a bit, but seemed impressed. I was a little surprised since she seemed a little polished and was a little more laid back. They were both very kind with one another and the conversation never lulled. I had the impression that they had been texting for a while.

They both share similar experiences living in New York City. She grew up in Buckhead, but has moved a bit. In her adult years. She went to college out of state, but I missed where. Out of nowhere she asks him about his favorite pastry and where he typically would find it. That sounds a little like a test. Does she not believe that he has had all of these New York experiences? Hmm. He gives a simple answer about a croissant at a local bakery. She seems satisfied with his answer.

Moving on to Halloween…it’s her favorite holiday. She loves Rob Zombie. Oh maybe she loves his film Halloween. My eavesdropping skills are weak. Maybe the earbuds are muffling the sound even without any music playing. She also loved the movie The Witch (The VVitch). It freaked her out. He laughs the whole time as she discusses this so animatedly.

Suddenly, and seemingly out of left field, she announces, “Oh, I gotta go. I have a gallery showing now.” They stand up, hug, and wish each other well. They walk out separate doors and part ways. I think the first date was a success!