Saturday, November 10, 2007

Blind (date) sided

Tonight the plan was to head to a cafe bookstore for some book browsing and beverage sipping. I biked to the store, and through the windows saw a large group of people. I'd recently heard a book-reading at this store, so I thought perhaps another book-reading was in progress.

I entered the store and was surrounded by talking. A lot of talking. Everyone was talking. I thought this odd, until I realized I'd walked into a speed-dating event. People sat across from each other at tables. There were lots teeth, animated conversation, careful hair, and dark clothing. The lights were turned down a bit for ambiance, and a votive candle sat on each table.

I froze, then backed slowly to the book stacks. As I browsed, the hubbub of the eager hummed behind me. I felt my breath get faster and more shallow, and my heart started pounding. I found a book and a store attendant took my money.

"Didn't realize this was going on," I said.

She looked at me. We exchanged looks.

"Yyyyyeah," she replied.

I biked over to the coffee shop, my heart pounding even faster, my hands shaking. Inside, I went to the counter where two young men stood.

"I just walked into a speed-dating event by accident. I think I'm having a contact anxiety attack from being around all of those blind dates."

"Wow, that's rough."

"Yeah. I mean, I thought I was past all that-- I'd decided no more blind dates, and then I walked in and I started flashing back, and I'm, I'm..."

"It's OK. He patted my arm. You're safe here."

"I'm going to need a large cocoa. And a chocolate croissant. Heated."

I sat down alone to my sci-fi book and cocoa, without any worry about what I looked like or how I was coming across, or whether the person I'm sitting across from and don't even find all that engaging is lying about wanting to see me again.

It was heaven.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't now that coca was now legal in the US.

JC said...

What the heck are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

Coca. The plant they grow in Colombia to give us something to snort.

Anonymous said...

You changed the spelling. You b....

JC said...

What? What are you talking about? Have you been chewing coca again? You know, the leaves, not the tasty beverage?

Anonymous said...

Your spelling has, and does, and always will suck.

JC said...

But enough about your marathon prowess...