Last night I went out on a first date with the Matt that I met this past weekend. He made reservations for us at Checker's Bistro, and when I arrived, I was impressed that the hostess knew my name and then walked me back to him at the table. It certainly made recognizing him much easier, especially since I was sans-glasses both this past weekend and at the present.We both ordered the coffee-cured fillet Mignon that was doused in this lovely wine sauce that tasted like cherries. It was absolutely AMAZING. My tongue was doing joyful somersaults behind my lips!
The conversation was so easy and fun, and I learned a lot about him. He's 31, owns a condo (which apparently overlooks a beautiful lake), rents out a banquet hall and hosts a $6,000 Halloween party every year, and loves the Mets. He is a former cop who left the police force when he realized the seediness of the scene, and from there he became an investigator for the state until he then became what he is now: a fraud investigator for an insurance company, which often sends him traveling to various places to conduct those interrogations.
There was a good balance of question-asking and answer-telling, and while we didn't get into any hefty topics about religion or politics, the event had all the marks of a first date gone well.
It just so happened that my friends Chip & Emily were seated at the table behind ours, so when Lija texted me to tell me that she and her fiancee Matt (hereto forth called Matt #2) would be swinging by in a few, all I had to do was whisper down the lane that they ought to stay until she arrived.
After a delicious trio of ice cream-filled pastries for dessert, Matt #1 generously paid, I profusely thanked, and then the 4 of us made our way past the dance floor to the bar, where we not only ran into Lija & Matt #2 but where I ran into 3 others that I knew, the one especially being someone that I had not seen in a gazillion years. I love moments like those!Then one of the server girls introduced herself and explained that she had to meet me, and although she didn't say, I had a feeling it was simply because she liked the black silk flower in my hair. She put 3 gold and silver beaded necklaces around my neck, explained that she told her colleagues that she "simply must meet the girl at Table #71," and explained that it was my laughter and smile which she noticed. How sweet she was to say such a nice thing to me with so many people listening! Her smile was just as pretty!
Lija, Matt #2, Chip, Emily, Matt #1, and I sat ourselves down at another table, and soon there arrived--in a neat wire holder--a paper cone filled with popcorn, compliments of the house. Oh, to feel loved!
When it was time to leave, Matt #1 retrieved my coat from the little room into which he took it earlier, and then he did that fabulous thing my father always does for my mother: he opened the coat and held it out to me so that I could spin myself around and have him help me into it. He walked me to my car, I thanked him again for a wonderful night, and then we parted.
I had a waiting text message invitation on my phone to pray the Rosary with Shawn (whose apartment I would pass on the drive home), and--knowing that prayer is strongest when done with another person beside you--I accepted.There were so, so many people I prayed for in my Rosary tonight. And I have so much to be thankful for!
