Date on Display
Whenever you start dating somebody, it’s only a matter of time before you have to go on display. They bring you around all their friends. You try to act like you don’t notice that said friends are whispering about you and composing emails about you in their heads. You try to put your best self forward while at the same time try to act like it’s not an act, that you are just naturally this brilliant, smart, witty, in a word, perfect.
It’s one of the most stressful nights in a new relationship. And it’s the precursor to meeting the parents. It’s like the dress rehearsal to the real event. And it usually happens a little further into the relationship.
Which is why I was caught completely unprepared when I met AJ for drinks on our second date and found 12 of his closest friends sitting at the bar.
It didn’t start out as 12. It started out as two. Two I could deal with. The girl there was nice and low-key and chatty and the guy was silent, but smiley. Two I could deal with.
And then incredibly proper pregnant lady walked in the door.
This was the one who was going to be the harshest judge. I could tell. She already was looking at me with disdain. (She is also, by the way, the one who gave nice, chatty first-lady shit about not getting her wedding thank-yous out fast enough later on).
As the night wore on, more people kept showing up. And I noticed two things: 1) I was at least 8 years younger than anybody there and 2) Everybody was married or engaged… except for the couple who was two seconds away from getting engaged … and me, on my second date.
We left the bar and separated temporarily. I was supposed to go to the movies with E and told AJ I’d meet up with him later. Apparently, though, everybody had the same plan E and I did and every movie for hours within reasonable distance was sold out. So we met up with them again, this time at dinner.
I sat down across from nice chatty lady and incredibly bubbly lady (who had come later and decided she was going to be my new best friend for the night … when we left, I hugged her and thanked her … twice). Suddenly, I realized there was somebody new at the table. I stood up to introduce myself, trying to put my best, friendliest face forward. Charming and witty and friendly and perfect.
I went to sit back down, just at the moment that my chair decided the fight between gravity and the weight of my purse was just too much. The chair fell backwards on the floor with a loud clatter. I fell on my ass.
I could hear incredibly proper pregnant lady composing her email from all the way down the table.
It’s one of the most stressful nights in a new relationship. And it’s the precursor to meeting the parents. It’s like the dress rehearsal to the real event. And it usually happens a little further into the relationship.
Which is why I was caught completely unprepared when I met AJ for drinks on our second date and found 12 of his closest friends sitting at the bar.
It didn’t start out as 12. It started out as two. Two I could deal with. The girl there was nice and low-key and chatty and the guy was silent, but smiley. Two I could deal with.
And then incredibly proper pregnant lady walked in the door.
This was the one who was going to be the harshest judge. I could tell. She already was looking at me with disdain. (She is also, by the way, the one who gave nice, chatty first-lady shit about not getting her wedding thank-yous out fast enough later on).
As the night wore on, more people kept showing up. And I noticed two things: 1) I was at least 8 years younger than anybody there and 2) Everybody was married or engaged… except for the couple who was two seconds away from getting engaged … and me, on my second date.
We left the bar and separated temporarily. I was supposed to go to the movies with E and told AJ I’d meet up with him later. Apparently, though, everybody had the same plan E and I did and every movie for hours within reasonable distance was sold out. So we met up with them again, this time at dinner.
I sat down across from nice chatty lady and incredibly bubbly lady (who had come later and decided she was going to be my new best friend for the night … when we left, I hugged her and thanked her … twice). Suddenly, I realized there was somebody new at the table. I stood up to introduce myself, trying to put my best, friendliest face forward. Charming and witty and friendly and perfect.
I went to sit back down, just at the moment that my chair decided the fight between gravity and the weight of my purse was just too much. The chair fell backwards on the floor with a loud clatter. I fell on my ass.
I could hear incredibly proper pregnant lady composing her email from all the way down the table.
posted by Still Hopeful @ 4:40 PM
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