Before Christmas, on the "Caragh Lynch drunk" nihgt, I met what I assumed to be a very nice, very cute guy. We even had a great first date--relaxed and original (rock climbing) and everything a first date usually isn't. That should have been my first tip-off. We went out once more, but then we both went home to opposite sides of Atlanta for break and forgot about one another...until he moved back to Valdosta and found my number once again. Since I was babysitting the drunk parents in Athens, I let him go to voicemail a few times before calling back and agreeing to meet after I got back to Valdosta. Twenty-four hours and 6 calls from him later, I began to wonder if another date would be the best idea...
I did give the lad a chance, we hung out some with mutual friends, went to a barbeque at his place (the one traged that this didn't work out: he was an excellent cook...), and then that Saturday we had a solo date. Sure, it was just only the dinner and a movie cliche, but the girlie pressure from my roommates forced me to curl my hair and put on a pair of high heels...when we arrived at the dollar movie theater, I wished I hadn't bothered. Guys, in the first month or two of a relationship, don't show a girl you are a cheap ass...there are fun things to do with little or no cash that doesn't involve 6 month old movies in a middle schol hangout joint. The car conversation kept me entertained...at least until I realized he was serious....Chris was talking about his tanning bed/spray on tan redgiments. Seems he's in training to be in a fitness hunk of the month calendar. By dinner, I was seeing a Karl persona and definitely ready to go home, and since we only went to Atlanta Bread Company (I know Valdosta is a small town, but for the second time going out to eat with someone, you can find one other resturaunt than where you went on the first date), I skipped a meal to hurry him along and nursed my one glass of coke before saying goodnight.
So obviously this wasn't going wonderfully, but things weren't horrible either so Chris and I still hung out...until one day in Jordan's dorm. Lizzy and I had gone down there to be social with the lads, bu were being ignored so they could oogle over whores on MTV. I don't do well being ignored, especially not for unpretty gals, so when Chris starts discussing his love for really short blondes (I'm definitely neither) I got over him fast and decided to leave. But walking out, he decides to capture me in a hug...what's with his sudden mood change? Since we hadn't really been dating that long, or anything official, I decided that the formality of a breakup was unnessacary...probably not my kindest decision, but it was logical at the time. So when a group of us went to the bars Friday night and Chris never tried to talk to or dance with me, I assumed he saw things the same way--I spent a very enjoyable evening dancing with a new cutie and Chris helped entertain my roommate who's boyfriend is stuck up in the orange hell we call UT. (Don't worry Mama, they only danced, she's still your innocent little girl!) Bur for some reason, he called Lizzy 4 times before bed onmy cell because he decided she was drunk and needed food...and then he got her cell number from a different frined to call her the next day and see if she was okay. That's a sweet friend thing to do, right?
Turns out, the alcohol went to my head because I missed A LOT that went on that night...according to Chris...Monday I finally gave in to his insistance that we meet and "talk" even though I was still battling the flu and had to endure a long, drawn out event. He requested we go back to being just friends as we were (when? we met at a bar and had our first date 3 days later...no friends period in between...), asked if I needed to cry or yell at him (should I have? It had only been about 4 dates...), and finally, when I passed on Lizzy's desire (and her boyfriend's) for him to stop calling her every hour, on the hour, he calmly explained to me that they were interested in each other and Lizzy was breaking up with her boyfriend, so I shouldn't get involved...Lizzy just hadn't told me the truth because she wasn't comfortable around me until Chris ended things...
Wow...I definitely know how to pick 'em--could he possibly have had a few more neurosis? Adam Clay, is that Vegas proposal still open when I'm 21? I have forgotten how amazingly normal and sane you are...those are great qualities in a man.
