44.1

After having an OkCupid account for more than a year and a half, I finally had a date!  There is no back story here, other than a simple message about getting a drink.  I was five minutes late and didn't see him anywhere, so I claimed a table by the door and perused the menu with wide eyes because the chosen place was swanky with drinks I didn't understand.  After a few minutes of waiting I got my book out and started reading so I wouldn't get too antsy while I waited.  Fifteen minutes later I was still waiting (we hadn't exchanged numbers, which wouldn't have mattered because I didn't have my phone with me), and I started running images of You've Got Mail in my head: Meg Ryan is waiting for Tom Hanks who is outside, and when he sees who she is he tells his friend he's not going to meet her.  Then I thought maybe he disliked tardiness more than I did and left since I was five minutes late.  I decided to give him a total of thirty minutes before leaving, and with ten minutes to spare he arrived.  He apologized profusely for being late and said he had sent me an email telling me that he would be a few minutes late and then he was standing outside waiting for me while I was sitting inside waiting for him.

He asked what I would like to drink and I told him the fancy drink I had chosen.  He was very concerned whether or not the drink I had chosen had alcohol in it because he didn't want to drink if I wasn't drinking.  I love and hate that mentality; I appreciate the sentiment and respect behind it, but I don't want someone to be uncomfortable because they need a beer to loosen up but feel they can't have one if I'm not drinking - have a drink or two, just don't get sloppy drunk.  In the end, the drink I ordered was some kind of Cosmo, which kicked this non-regular drinker's butt (I swear I took 1.5 hours to sip this drink  - which he matched sip for sip because he's apparently all about an even playing field - and my face got warm and I started wondering if I was talking more loudly than normal).

All in all I had a nice time with Forty-four.  We talked about our favorite San Francisco places, activities, and the naked and/or crazy people seen around the city.  He was extremely polite and chivalrous to the point of offering me a ride home even though it was the complete opposite direction of his apartment.  I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted and asked how far it was; I estimated about two miles and then he looked it up on his phone and embarrassingly said, "Oh no, you know it looks too far, and I've had two drinks.  I'm very nervous about getting pulled over."  I told him it was completely fine and that I had planned on taking the bus.  He was so apologetic that I couldn't help but laugh at the whole situation.  While he was a very sweet man, I think he's definitely looking for a serious relationship, so I'm probably not the one for him since I have no idea what I want right now.