Date With Rosie

Date #3 with Rosie was a memorable one. Oh, did I mention that I really like Rosie? Yeah, I think I did. She's a very special lady and I left it to her to plan the date. When I showed up, I didn't know much of what was going to happen. In a way, that's a lot of fun. Twice now that has happened and each time has turned out well. Maybe I should do that more often!! LOL

I picked her up at her place. She chose the restaurant -- a nice little place in a seaside city just south of us. It was a wonderful choice. We both ate off of the lighter fare menu and the items were great. Really enjoyed it. We sat and talked a little bit as she had some coffee after the dinner.

We went to the restaurant fairly early, so we were done fairly early too. As we were leaving, we started thinking about what to do. No good ideas came to mind. On top of this, she was starting to kick herself, because she left the house without a jacket. As we were leaving, I offered to let her use mine, if she was cold. At the time, she said "no", because she didn't need it. I was happy to offer and told her so. I tend to run a bit hot anyway, so I was happy to offer. I really had it as insurance, as I didn't know what the evening would hold. [NOTE: This will play into the story later...]

So, we left and headed back to the car. From there, we did a short drive through the city to one of the scenic vistas. I almost suggested parking and going for a walk, but I didn't feel it was wise, given she was not dressed for it. The wind was blowing and it would definitely have been too cold for one of us. With that, I decided to keep driving. I didn't know what else to do, so I got on to the freeway to head towards our (respective) residences.

At that point, the creativity kicked in. I suggested that we take a more scenic (and indirect) route to get home. She said yes. Hey, we're having fun and talking, so no big deal, right? Exactly! Let the good times roll. So we did! The thing to keep in mind here is that this is not part of some well executed plan. Quite the contrary, all this is from being open to having good things happen and then just going with it. Now, let's continue...

As we're driving through, I kept thinking of things we might *do*, while were still out. I didn't want to end the evening prematurely. That was the last thing that I'd wanted to do. At that point, I had my brainstorm. I knew of a very swanky hotel that wasn't very far away that would be a great place to just walk in and enjoy oneself. Whether it was a few drinks or just the scenic view (both inside and outside), it was likely going to be good enough for our purposes (to keep the fun going, right?).

So I found a parking space close. By the time we got out of the car, it was getting pretty darn cold. At this point, she asked for the jacket. I had a long sleeve shirt on, so I was (again) happy to oblige her. She bundled herself up and we headed off to the hotel. The walk over was brisk and fun. The whole time we'd been talking about anything and everything. It's actually one of the things that I appreciate about her. We can actually talk about things. It's great fun. Yes, she's beautiful, but she's also interesting.

It's worth noting that up to this point, I have been the consummate gentleman. I have not made any overt plays to try to touch, hug or otherwise initiate physical contact with Rosie. In fact, I've been quite conscious of the fact that I didn't want to be seen as someone who is too "hands on". I figured that demonstrating some self-restraint was a good thing on a number of fronts.

Still, my conduct here was more driven by the underlying principle known as the "Golden Rule" -- Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Guess what? It really does work that way! I started these with Sally and they have been serving me well.

So these are my ground rules about dating:

1. Communication is essential. Without that, there's nothing else worth addressing
2. No BS, drama or games
3. We go as fast or slow as SHE is comfortable with
4. We enjoy each others company first
5. My life is an open book, so ask me anything.
6. Given #4, don't be surprised when I ask the same of you (well, her, actually)!

So, we get to the hotel. There's a distinct nip in the air and I am now thankful to be inside. The interior decorating job here is really great. A nice balance between classic and modern looks. Very upscale hotel and clientele... then with some local trash (like me) mixed in to keep it interesting. It's usually around the holidays, that the local flock here, because they do such a great job of "decking the halls".

It turns out that it had been quite a bit of time for both of us since we had last visited the hotel. They'd made some changes and we were comparing notes on it. One of the changes was turning a lounge area into a formal restaurant. That pulled a lot of the seating from this main area, leaving the bar as the sole indoor option. That looked kind of old and stodgy, so I was on the hunt for the next place to go.

I knew they had a downstairs, outdoor option, so I motioned to her and asked her to follow me. I figured that we could go there and find a place to sit. That's when I found it -- another brand new feature of the hotel -- couches with their own personal fire pits!!

We have a winner!!!

No more of this other outside nonsense, it seems as though it was custom constructed for our needs.
At this point, it looks like it is going to satisfy my two main objectives -- relax with a nice view and HEAT! LOL. Seriously, it was starting to get chilly, for being outside with just a light shirt on. We found a couch with a fire and a good view of (what was now left of) the sunset. We're just talking and having a good time -- yakety yak.

The longer we sat, the colder I started to get, despite the warming effect of the fire. I'm doing OK with it so far, but it's starting to get challenging. At this point, Rosie is noticing that I really am getting cold. So, we order some hot drinks. Tea for her, hot chocolate for me. A conversation about chocolate ensues. That turns to a few other topics. Hot chocolate is now gone. I am getting colder by the minute.

She asks how I am doing and I tell her "I'm OK right now, but definitely getting colder". More talking. Finally, I get cold enough (she's sitting on my right) that I put my arm around her back (being careful not to be too forward, eh?) -- at this point, I am just trying to get some warmth here, because I didn't want to stop the evenings festivities and go home. Festivities continue -- we keep talking and admiring the view. She's notices that I am now visibly colder and asks me "are you too cold?" and I tell her "Nope. My right side is pretty OK, but the left is definitely chilly including my hand".

She reaches over and feels that my hand is indeed pretty frigid. So, she's holding my hand in between hers and warming me up. So, we continue talking. At this point, we're getting closer and closer to each other. She's moved much closer to me and is now within kissing distance. She is looking at me and I at her. I haven't moved at all... just kind of right there is front of her. Finally, I leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She didn't jump, so I kissed her again a little closer to her lips. Finally, I lightly kissed her on the lips.

At this point, all bets were off. We were in the patio area of a hotel where we were not guests and we're in a full-fledged make out session. Hey, we're practically the only people here, so it's not like we're going to offend a bunch of folks. Then again, the staff here is likely very used to such public displays of affection -- it's what a lot of the guests do while they're here.

I don't know how long we were kissing for like that, but I had both arms around her now and I guided her back into the couch where we kind of sunk into the pillows and kept on kissing. At one point, we stopped for a moment and then she asked me the equivalent of "so were you just enjoying talking to me or did you have other intentions all along". I quickly replied "both" -- and that was the truth about it. I'd really enjoyed talking with her AND I was very attracted to her. I made sure that she knew that both were true for me.

Yes, I have a very strong attraction to her, but that's not the sole thing that I was playing for here. After a bit, we stopped and talked some more. We talked about where things might go and what next steps were. I told her essentially what I wrote in my profile. I believe that things in a relationship evolve over time. We need to consider our individual goals and needs and how those translate into our shared goals and needs. The only real way to do that is by talking about them. Again, communication is essential.

After we started winding up this conversation, we decided to leave so that she could get ready for work the next day. As we left the hotel, we wandered around a little bit and talked as we headed for the car. We were definitely enjoying each others company. The drive back to her place to drop her off was nice. I let her off by her car and then got out to offer a good night kiss. At this point, our evening was complete and I headed for home.

When I got home, I sent her a text message and said:

Thank you again for a wonderful day and evening. It was great being with you. Talk to you soon!

She replied:

Likewise! :-)

All in all, this made for a wonderful end to my week and was a great experience for both of us. I am really looking forward to seeing her again. She's a great lady, a lot of fun and very attractive.

What's not to appreciate about that!? :-)