Father of the Bride

Sales down at the bridal warehouse are pitiful. No one is making goals. Brides are not buying. Summer weddings are bought for and no one is quite ready to buy for summer 2010. Can you blame them? I wouldn't know what I'd want to wear next week, no less a year from now.

One of these 2010 brides came in last week with her father. When she introduced me to him as her father, I about fainted. He looked way too young to be this girl's father. Did she really mean father, as in my paternal father, or father as in "Dad-Dad-Daddy-O?" She told me her parents were divorced when she was three, so I'm thinking it was a high school sweetheart situation. And maybe they were still in high school when they got divorced. Other than his youth (my age bracket for sure), I also noticed that he was HOT. While trying to focus on my bride, her gown choices, and making sure she felt special and princess-like, I was wondering how to bring up the topic of her father. Would it be inappropriate to ask if her father was available? I was trying to give eye contact and flirt in a professional "I'm not really flirting, but paying attention to your beautiful daughter who is my client" kind of way. I gave the bride my card, as I always do, but should have given one to her dad. Now I just have to hope she comes back into the shop and brings him with her.

Other dating news:

I met a guy a few weeks ago when I went out with the girls after work to a karaoke bar. Mr. Karaoke was paying close attention to our table of girls all night, but not in a creepy sort of way. Gradually, my co-workers fizzled out and I was left standing solo with Mr. Karaoke. Now whether he asked me for my number because we were the only two people in the bar over 40, or whether it was because all of my friends had retreated, or if he actually found me interesting, I'm not sure. But I did give him my number.

He called promptly and we talked for awhile and then he asked me out on a proper date. After doing the scheduling dance for a bit, we determined the following Sunday would work for both of us. The very next day, he called to invite me to his company Christmas Party that Thursday. Apparently, it had been cancelled due to snow storms and they were finally getting around to it in May. Okay, first of all, we had just had a rather lengthy discussion about our schedules and how I wasn't available on Thursday. Was I suddenly going to change plans? More alarmingly, he was asking me to his company Christmas Party as a FIRST DATE. I just find that a bit strange. Everyone is bringing their significant others and he is going to bring someone he just met. "So how do you know Mr. K?" a co-worker might ask. "Oh, we just met at karaoke on Saturday. This is our first date. What can you tell me about him?"

As it turned out our first date (on the originally scheduled Sunday) included a trip to the top of the Space Needle, a dinner at Belltown Bistro and a complete walk to my front door. Now that is a proper date. I was so impressed I almost didn't know how to act! It was really nice.

The next day he informed me that our old Alma Mater was closing its doors and there was a huge gala with closing ceremony and party following the next weekend. I'm not really into old high school reunions, gatherings and the like, but didn't want to be rude about it. Clearly he was pretty excited and really wanted to take me. I tried to play it down and skirt the topic. I thought I successfully avoided the issue, when after our second date (an even nicer dinner at Cutters), he dropped me at my front door again and said "so we're going to have to figure out how to get you to that LHS event." I just laughed, said I'd be out of town and he could tell me all about it.

While I was out of town, he sent me a text message (no he did not "text" me) saying "call me tomorrow and let me know if you're up for going to the LHS party." Sheesh, ya stalker, how many times do I need to say "no thanks?" I explained that due to late flights, me working, unknown schedule, I had to decline, but thank you and let me know how it is.

I finally decided that Mr. K is just one of those guys who feels like he needs to have a date to things. He doesn't want to go into parties and other social situations alone. Why else would he be so insistent on my company to such events? Hope there are no weddings coming up in the near future. I couldn't afford the outfit.

Missed Opportunities:

The other day I was standing in line at a pizza joint for a slice on my way home from work. I had been out of town for a week and had no groceries. I was starving after a full and long day of dressing and undressing brides and didn't want to head into the Safeway hungry or I'd be up and down every aisle buying far too many inappropriate items. There were no pizzas available in the pizza joint and I wasn't prepared to wait and left.

Suddenly, while standing at the corner waiting for the light, the man who I'd been chit chatting with in line at the pizza joint came up behind me.
"Excuse me, are you single?" he asked. Like a deer caught in the headlights, I was stunned by such a simple question to which I was sure I knew the answer. "Uh, not exactly," I said.
He then offered to take me for Thai food across the street. I thanked him profusely and assured him how nice an offer that was and went on my way, leaving him feeling uncomfortable and dejected. I'm, however, walking away guiltily feeling like crap. I could tell from our brief encounter that he isn't my type and it would be wrong to lead him on by accepting his offer of a free meal. However, it'd be mean to say I am single but I simply don't want to go out with him. Later I decided it would have been easy to simply say "I am just starting to date someone and don't feel comfortable going out with others at this time." Why can't I think of that stuff on the fly? Now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for this character in my hood so I can talk to him again. It was a very nice gesture and I want to encourage him to keep up the bold moves.

Barista Boy:
He still uses his low talking, big blue eyed technique of wooing me and suggesting we "hang out." So far Mrs. Robinson is steering clear.

Nothing else going on in the dating or non-dating world. Just waiting for my bride to bring her father back for my enjoyment.