Just friends -- finally

Tonight, the Cowboy and I hung out, our first date in the two weeks since the catastrophe of me visiting him at his home.

I always knew that this was the time to bring up what had been bothering me for around a month or more:

He's a great guy. We have a blast hanging out together. But I just don't feel it romantically with him. Maybe it's because there's too much friendship. Or maybe it's just because he's too short -- we are the same height, which is average for a girl and short for a guy.

Tonight we went to what we thought was going to be a funny play, but ended up being a strange and mostly unfunny one-man show. Then we went to a local bar in a distinct neighborhood of our city that had a good mix of college students and older townies.

After having our first beer, a guy in his late 40s or so sat down next to the Cowboy. We started chatting about gambling, of all things. Then he asked the significant question out of the blue:

"How long have you guys been seeing each other?"

"We're not," the Cowboy said immediately. Wow. I was surprised. This clearly wouldn't be nearly as hard as I thought. "We're just buddies."

We talked for longer, then left the bar. On the way back, I knew I had to talk to him.

A bit buzzed from our beers, we walked all the way back without touching (as always), but as soon as we got into his car, he made the familiar reach to the back of my neck, and I had to say something.

"Wait," I said. "What was up with what you said to that guy?"

"Well, I just said that to defuse the situation," he said. "He just said that so he could find out if you were single."

Shit. I guess it would be harder than I thought.

"I like you," he continued. "I'd like to see more of you. I have a great time with you."

"Well..." I couldn't look at him. I kept my eyes down. "I just think that while we get along great as friends, and we have awesome friendship chemistry, I just don't think that we have great romantic chemistry."

He was blank. "Okay."

"I don't want to hurt you," I said, looking him in the eyes. "I really don't. I have the best time hanging out with you. It's just that chemistry sometimes can't be explained. I mean, I've ended up with some pretty weird people because of chemistry." Namely, ALABASTER.

"I just thought that you and I had this cool thing," he said. "I mean, I thought that you and I could be buddy-buddy and then go and hook up. I thought it was the best of both worlds. Maybe that's just me being a typical guy, wanting to hook up."

We talked for a long time. He's been hurt before, and because of that, he's been wary of getting into a formal relationship. I told him how much I had been hurt by the Hott Waiter and how it has been so hard to admit that.

We ended our super-long conversation with a hug and a kiss on the cheek (me to him). I kept reiterating that I wanted us to hang out again. "If you're cool with it, I'm cool with it," he said.

I hope that we do end up hanging out again, because he is a really great guy.

Trapped in a Non-Relationship

Somewhat awkward moment today: I was walking home from the subway and I ran smack into the Busker. I haven't seen him, nor have I spoken to him, since our date a week ago.

He was on the phone. I had my iPod on. We mouthed, "Hi," and moved on.

This is why I have to stop dating guys in my neighborhood. I can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of them.

I've been continuing to see the Cowboy. And, truth be told, I'm not quite sure why. I think I've established that I'm really not that attracted to him. His height is a huge factor when it comes to that. I wish I could get past it, but I just can't. He's too short.

I am well aware of my dating patterns and I know that staying with someone to whom I'm not attracted is a recipe for disaster. It's been bad enough times. But he's a cool guy and I like hanging out with him. He keeps me entertained.

The other day, I told him that I feel a bit guilty that we always hang out in my neighborhood. He suggested that I come over. He still lives at home, but his parents wouldn't be home this weekend -- they would be away. I agreed to it.

I went to visit him on Sunday, and although we originally planned on sometime before 5, we changed to 7.

I called him when I was almost there to let him know.

"And your parents are still away, right?" I asked.

"Um...they're back now," he told me.

"Oh," I said, my voice hollow. "Oh....okay."

I did not want to meet his parents.

I actually told the Cowboy the other night that I wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship. He told me that he was pretty go-with-the-flow, take-it-as-it-comes.

I was not going to meet the parents of a guy I wasn't even seeing exclusively.

I got to his house. He was inside. I could see his father outside to the left. He didn't introduce us. When we went inside, I could tell that there were people in other rooms, but he must have told them to stay put.

I met his two dogs -- both golden retrievers. One VERY large one and one cute little puppy. I don't like dogs except for the occasional puppy.

I think he could tell because the large one jumped on me and kept trying to lick me everywhere. I think the Cowboy could tell how I felt because I had an expression of disgust and contempt on my face, then went to wash my hands as soon as he restrained the large dog.

"Wow, you really don't like dogs," he said, a bit surprised and amused.

"Well, I told you I wasn't an animal person," I told him. "I guess I didn't tell you just how much."

(To be fair, the little puppy then snuggled in between my ankles, and I found that very cute, for an animal.)

We went upstairs to the attic, where he has a pseudo-suite. After hanging out for a bit, I relaxed, and he kissed me. The kisses are weird -- he always initiates them, and it would never occur to me to do so.

AND HE'S SHORT!

We went out and grabbed dinner. It was fun.

I just don't know what to do. This is never going to be a relationship. But I don't want to hurt him. I'd like to stay friends with him. I don't know how to go about this!!

My Attempt at a Harem

Lately, I've been thinking that the best option for me is to establish a harem of men. This way, I can draw from it whenever I'm in the mood for a certain guy.

I've been dating two guys: the Cowboy and the Busker.

I met the Cowboy on an online dating site. He went to college in a state known for its population of cowboys, so he has a total cowboy accent and loves to wear cowboy hats and boots and stuff like that, but not so much in the city here -- mostly in college.

I like him a lot. He's cute, and our conversation is AWESOME. He's a really cool guy, and I love hanging out with him and talking with him. He's great.

The only problem is that I'm not sure that I feel attracted enough to him. We have tons of friendship chemistry but don't have much physical chemistry, which is a complete 180 from the Hott Waiter.

His height is a huge reason. I'm just about the average height for an American woman. His online dating profile said that he was two inches shorter than me. I should have known that ANY guy would exaggerate his height. He's actually exactly my height. EXACTLY. Which is tough for me. I wish it wasn't this way, but it's how it is.

He's also a year younger than me, so that's unusual for me as well. He still lives at home, too (yikes!) but will be moving out in a few months.

Now, the second guy is the Busker.

I was at a popular cafe in my neighborhood a few weeks ago with Miranda when we saw this attractive redheaded guy. I don't usually think redheaded guys are hot, but THIS guy was! I asked him if he was in line, he said no, and he moved back. He was with a girl, but they didn't seem to be together.

I joked to Miranda that we should put out a "missed connection" on Craigslist for him. Long story short, I did, and a week later, he responded. He didn't know who I was, but he said that he was in the cafe all the time. We exchanged several emails, I asked him details about himself, and they all matched up.

He busks for a career -- he plays his guitar and sings around our city, particularly in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. He also teaches lessons and does gigs at local bars, but he's mainly a busker. Sexy!

I was planning on going to a local bar last week, I told him, and he mentioned out of the blue that actually, he was supposed to play music there on that night.

Miranda and I went. It was AWESOME because we knew who he was and he had NO idea who I was!! WE HELD THE POWER!!!!

He texted me, telling me to finally show myself!

And then it happened.

He took off his hat.

He is completely bald on top.

DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT.

Still, aside from that, he's very good-looking and I was attracted to him.

I went up to him at the very end of the night to talk to him. I had been drinking quite a bit.

Me: "Hi."
Busker: "Samantha?"

Perfect. He was thinking of me all night.

We talked for a while, and we said we could call, text, meet up, etc.

A week later -- a few hours ago! -- we got a cup of coffee.

He had his hat on. I'm definitely attracted to him. The problem? We only hung out for about 40 minutes, and STILL, tons of people came up to him because he's so well known in the area -- including two girls who TOTALLY hung all over him and flirted with me!

I tried to stay neutral, because nothing can be less attractive to a guy when you get jealous, but it's tough in that circumstance.

We ended things with a hug and plans to meet up again.

I'd just like to hook up with him on a regular basis, no strings attached, have him be one of the guys in my harem.

We'll see how it goes with both him and the Cowboy.

Whirlwind Romance with the Hott Waiter

It's been two weeks, and it has been fantastic.

In fact, I feel as if I don't want to write about it -- not in too much detail, anyway. I like holding it close to me, feeling like it's something special. I keep it special because I don't reveal too much.

Well, in the past two weeks, the Hott Waiter and I had our pivotal first date, we spontaneously met up at clubs twice, and we spent time at each other's places after that....

Here are a few things that struck me:

He is intensely, openly romantic. On our first date, he was holding my hand before we were halfway down the street. His arms were around me, he was actually playing footsie, and he was holding my hand across the dinner table.

I should have loved it, but it freaked me out!

"Listen," I said apologetically, him holding my hand across the dinner table, "I'm just not used to this."

"Do you want me to tone it down? I can stop--"

"No, no, no. It's good." I smiled. "I like it....I'm just not used to it. I need to relax." And I did relaxed. As time has gone on with us, I've gotten used to it, and I love it now.

There are so many other things. He won't let me walk over so much as a puddle -- he will pick me up and carry me across. He has no qualms about randomly feeding me in the middle of a restaurant, about reaching over to wipe something off my lips, about singing along with insanely romantic song lyrics while grinning at me.

It blows me away. There are times when I can't even breathe.

That is what's most notable about the Hott Waiter.

What's also notable is that, strangely enough, I've never dated a guy to whom I was really, really attracted. In fact, the majority of my relationships have been with guys who blindly adored me -- and while I loved the attention, I honestly wasn't attracted to them.

This is new. Because I am so attracted to the Hott Waiter, I am crazy nervous when I'm with him, and I completely clam up! It almost works out because he never stops talking. (Interestingly enough, my roommate just told me that maybe he talks that much because HE is nervous, too!)

It's weird. Because I'm so nervous, I feel like I can't fully be myself. At my most genuine self, I'm the crazy storyteller, making people laugh. I rack and rack my brain when I'm with him, and I can't think of any stories to tell.

I get paranoid when I'm not with him. I'll be nonchalant, but on the inside, I start freaking out and thinking, "NOW it's it. NOW he won't want to see me again. NOW he'll think I'm weird; NOW he'll think we'll be through."

But each time, we get together again and have an amazing time nonetheless.

Particularly these past two evenings. (My roommates are going to kill me.)

Am I setting myself up for failure? Am I trying to get myself to expect something bad because even if it fails, I can turn to myself and acknowledge that at least I was right all along?

I need to relax....

The Hott Waiter: Part IV

When I last left off, I had just received my email from the Hott Waiter. I was trying not to get my hopes up, so it was a delicious surprise.

He had asked me if there were a better way to get in touch with me, and I joked with him and gave him my email.

I didn't hear from him for a few days. (This was over Thanksgiving.)

While at work on Friday, I received a text. The message read roughly as follows:

What's up - it's the Hott Waiter. thought i would say hi and maybe we could arrange that private show for you really soon.

I let out a shriek.

"What is it?" my co-worker Holly asked from a few desks away.

I threw my cell phone at her.

She grabbed it, read the text and started squealing. She then proceded to ask me, yet again, if he had a friend or a brother or SOMEONE for her!

I decided to play it cool to the Hott Waiter, responding, "I'd like that," later in the evening, but I didn't have to. He beat me to it.

By about 6:00 PM, I had received a call from him and hadn't even realized it -- I was probably in the shower.

His message, roughly:

"Hey, it's the Hott Waiter. Hope all is well, hope we get to talk soon. My number is [555-555-5555]. Well, have a great night!"

YAY. YAY. YAY.

I played it for my friends when they came over. Heh.

I called him back but couldn't get hold of him, so I left him a message that was a tad long and rambling, and I hope he found it funny or at least charming. This is not the time to be boring. He will never remember me if I'm boring.

He called me back today, leaving another message (I swear I have to take my phone off vibrate!) and I called him back right after.

We proceeded to talk for well over an hour.

It was great! The conversation had a great speed and agility to it, if that makes sense. He definitely did most of the talking, and the only low points were when I said something that didn't quite gel right, but then we shifted back into something normal. I'm still really nervous when talking to him and trying to say the right thing.

Here are some tidbits of the conversation:

--He lives alone in a three-bedroom apartment in a city that's a tad far from mine, but easy to get to via public transit. (I can drive, too.) I didn't ask whether he rented or owned.

--He is a RELATIONSHIP GUY! Wow. He was with his last girlfriend for 3 years. She was crazy and jealous, especially since he's the (hott) lead singer of a band and has girls all over him, but he's definitely a one-girl man. He's been single for 9 months.

--I learned all about his siblings, his hometown and where he went to high school (it's that prominent all-boys Catholic school in our city).

--He gets hit on all the time at the restaurant, including by guys, including one very awkward time when an old guy came up to him and kiss his neck.

--His three cats all have gay names, and he acknowledges that people think so, but he's very secure with himself. I told him that Windy thinks he's gay. He laughed and said he knows one thing he can do to prove her otherwise....but he won't do that....except that, well, he WANTS to! We laughed. I was blushing like crazy over the phone.

--This is the most important part: the reason why he kept giving me those cards to fill out was so I would "get the hint" and give him my number!!! I told him to take MY hint by emailing me!!! We laughed about that. He asked if I brought Windy and Blondie there a few days later so they could check him out, and I kind of jokingly evaded the question, but told him that they approved, though Windy thought he was gay.

Anyway, here's the major thing:

WE ARE GOING OUT ON OUR FIRST DATE ON THURSDAY.

SQUEAL!!!!

I have no idea what we're going to do or what's going to happen, but I am SO EXCITED!!! He briefly (and jokingly) floated the idea of me coming over to watch a movie, but I'd never do that for a first date. We'll see....

Holiday Party

At work there had been a lot of talk about a potential Christmas party. But, unfortunately, with an unmotivated group of restaurant people, plans were moving at a snail's pace and the date ultimately set for the party was in late January, nearly a month after Christmas. The theme was Ugly Christmas Sweater, and the prize that went to the ugliest sweater were two plane tickets courtesy of Jet Blue to anywhere they fly out to. I was determined to win and went on the hunt for the ugliest sweater and then purchased a bunch of tacky decorations from a craft store to further tack it up.

Dandy wasn't motivated enough to make a sweater of his own but he made my heart skip a beat when one day we were hanging out at his house and he commented how nice it would be if I won and we could fly up to my home state together. He said he'd never been there before and he thought it would be fun. Proposing a trip together? If that didn't insinuate a desire to move forward in a relationship I don't know what did.

Finally the party rolled around and I had created a most fugly sweater. I thought I was a sure thing for the win.

I wasn't.

An older woman in her 50s was instead awarded the prize. As soon as I saw that she had dressed up, I knew she'd win. She was the mother figure of the workplace, so when I saw her, I said to Dandy, "Well, I'm fucked."

They announced the winner, it wasn't me, so I hit the bar.

Dandy and I got hammered. I proceeded to dance, and I don't dance. Then I pulled Dandy onto the dance floor. Now, I know that I said I don't dance, but Dandy? REALLY doesn't dance. Dandy proceeded to awkwardly gyrated his hips to the amusement of every single person we work with. Eventually we tired of making asses of ourselves on the dancefloor and after a few more beers/cocktails/shots, we cozied up in a booth and proceeded to passionately make out again to the amusement of all of our co-workers. We kissed and grabbed and whispered how we couldn't wait to rush home to bed. Drunken horny talk is sooooo sexy.

Our time at the place rented for the party drew to a close, but everyone wanted to keep the party going. Neither of us had drove, so our DD escorted us to a downtown bar where Dandy just barely made it inside. He ordered a double tall Jack and Coke and proceeded to down it and pass out sitting up in a chair. Countless people kept coming over and asking if he was alright. I knew that my night just got a whole lot more exciting. Now I got to baby-sit! Eventually the bar closed and we went outside to our DD's car. On the way, Dandy, who was wearing heavy soled shoes, managed to drunkenly stomp onto my foot, I was wearing flip flops. The full force of his body weight shattered my toe. My toenail split and a piece chipped off as it began bleeding. I limped to the car, dragging Dandy behind me, and we crawled into the backseat as I swallowed and hoped the immense amount of alcohol I'd consumed would numb the pain.

When the DD pulled up to Dandy's house, I practically threw out my back pulling Dandy to his feet. Thankfully he never locks his front door, so I pushed it open and then locked it behind me as I tried to guide his stumbling drunk ass to his bedroom. Somehow, he managed to disrobe down to his boxers and flopped facedown diagnally across the bed. I grabbed a t-shirt and shorts from his dresser drawer and crawled into bed, pushing his unconscious body aside.

One thing was for sure, as the pain in my foot came rushing back to me, as I watched Dandy sleep, snoring loudly with drool puddling around his mouth, I wasn't going to be having any sex tonight.

The next day, I woke up way before Dandy. This was typical. Even though I'm hardly what you'd call a morning person, I can't ever sleep in late when I'm away from my own bed. So I had previously located all of the books in Dandy's room, and would sit up and read until he got up. Currently I was making my way through "A Million Little Pieces" the partially-fabricated memoir of James Frey. Exaggerated or not, it was a good read. Dandy eventually woke up with a hellacious hangover and very little recollection of the tail end of the party. He didn't even remember that we had moved to a second location for an after party and was puzzled as to how we got home. Suffice it to say he didn't remember crushing my toe, and I showed him by damaged bloody toenail. He cringed.

We laughed it off and got into my car to go retrieve Dandy's vehicle from the parking lot of the bar that hosted our Holiday Party. I had already been given that night off of work thanks to the Gods of scheduling, and Dandy was in sorry shape, so he immediately was on the phone to the Bossman to beg for the cut. He sounded pathetic enough that he was given the night off, so we headed over to the local fried chicken chain down the road (Classy I know). Dandy was going to pay but naturally, he didn't have enough money and I ended up paying. Needless to say, this was not exactly Dandy's finest hour. At least the cashier totally called him out for not paying for his lady's lunch. I added an "Amen, sistah." We ate, made tentative plans for that evening (dinner, which he would actually pay for... for real) and a movie. We finished up our greasy lunches and each went home, ending the ordeal that was our work Holiday party.

I'm Weeded

Things with Dandy were going pretty well. Already I had surpassed whatever pseudo-relationship I had had with Rocky because not only did Dandy and I exchange phone numbers, he also called and texted me several times a day. I usually received a nightly, "I hope you had a good night at work, sleep well" text, and it was just one of those little gestures that girls love. It was just such a nice change of pace to have someone so interested who was open to showing that they cared.

We hung out whenever free time allowed, and he even brought me around to hang out with all of his friends. They seemed like a chill group of guys, fun and easy to get along with. Best of all, they all apparently took a liking to me because, frankly, [WARNING: NARCISSISM AHOY!] I'm awesome. I'm funny, smart, easy to get along with, and can definitely hang with the guys. I'm also pretty easy on the eyes. Apparently they had never been big fans of his ex-girlfriend, whom they deemed immature, selfish, bratty and idiotic. They actually pulled me aside to tell me how happy they were that I inspired Dandy to ditch her and thanked me profusely. I was feeling pretty good about my prospects because being "in" with the friends is definitely a major plus.

A lot of our time was spent socializing in a group, but Dandy and I did also get in some one on one time here and there. After a few beers, the conversation typically shifted towards us and our budding relationship, and Dandy asking where this was going. I was trying hard to break my pattern of being a strict monogamist, so I was still trying to play the cool, laid-back chick role. I didn't want to push for a relationship for fear of being deemed too needy and ruining the good thing that we had going. I actually never brought up the subject, it was always Dandy. This too, instilled me with hope, because if he had it on the brain, I thought it was only a matter of time before things did get serious. But, again I wanted to be seen as the "cool, badass chick" I'd already established prior to any romantic interests surfaced, so I usually shrugged off his questions with a "whatever."

I was pretty confident that I had chosen the right course of action, because Dandy responded with relief that I alleviated any pressure for commitment. He said that he liked me a lot and labelled us as "seeing each other" also known as "dating."

To me, "dating" still speaks of commitment to some degree. And in retrospect, it probably would have benefitted me to have the actual terms and conditions that pertained to "dating" Dandy, but being new to the whole dating game, I didn't.

Relationship Musings...

It's getting kind of late, and I've been feeling very introspective and very stream-of-consciousness lately. So I decided to jot down a few things I've learned over the years from my various relationships that I think are important for every young woman to know when approaching romantic relationships:

*Nobody wants to date Superman
When you're dating someone who has a problem, whether it be an affinity/addiction to drugs, a mental disorder like Depression, love isn't always enough. And you can never use your love to fix a problem. Sometimes caring isn't enough. You can't always be the hero and rescue someone from themselves and change them in order to fit them to the mold of the relationship. Saving someone is what great friends do, but most guys don't want to feel like they need to be taken care of by their woman.

*When a guy tells you that he has never told anyone that he loves them, and that he believes that he is "incapable of love," RUN.
Run far away. Don't convince yourself that you can be the one who will make him see the light and that one day he will be overcome by his emotions and profess his love for you. Much like dating a serial cheater and believing that you will somehow be the One who will change his philandering ways. By even admitting it, he's doing you a favor and giving you an out. Believe what he says, and end it there. If love is what you're looking for, a guy like this will never be able to give you what you need.

*Sexual attraction and a great friendship doesn't always translate into a solid relationship.
You can be friends and find each other attractive, but at the core, if there's no real compatibility in terms of what you want from a prospective partner, don't try to force something that's not there. Settle for a great friendship, and feel free to sprinkle in a little innocent flirtation here and there, just always make sure to set a boundary that you don't cross.

*Most guys DO want what they can't have.
How many times after you split from a guy do you just wish that one day he'll come to his senses and come back to you, begging for forgiveness and to give it another go? How many times do you attempt the tactic of being cold and distant and even pursuing casual relationships with other guys knowing it will get back to your ex? Realistically though, what do you expect to happen once he's overcome with jealously and starts chasing after you? Will all of the problems you had before suddenly melt away? Will you finally be able to keep him, after he came to see what he had lost?

Probably not. Which brings me to my next point.

*Break-ups happen for a reason.
They call them "break"-ups because the relationship is BROKEN. It's pretty much never worth giving it another go, because aside from a few extreme cases, whatever the roots of the problem that resulted in the initial break-up were, they will still be there. You can love someone with all your heart, but the only way to be fair to yourself and the other person, you need to recognize when a romantic relationship is impossible to maintain.

*Good things come to those who wait.
Every time a relationship ends, you feel utterly lost and hopeless. You feel like you'll never have another chance at love, and that feeling of desperation typically manifests into a desire for what was lost. Even if you got out of an unhealthy relationship, in retrospect, everything is romanticized in your sad and warped little mind, and you obsess over what you did wrong and how to get your Ex back. Let it go. There IS something better out there. And don't be afraid when it takes a little longer to find it. Despite what movies, television and magazines tell you, there is no definitive timeline of finding love. Don't pressure yourself to pursue dead-end relationships just to feel like you've found what everyone tells you you should be looking for. Never feel like you're the only single girl out there because you are not alone. And cherish your singledom and use it as an opportunity to realy get to know You, and what you really want out of life, love, relationships. Figure out what it is you want, what it is you need, and you'll find that when the next guy comes around, you won't have to waste your time and emotion on someone who isn't worth it.

*Never settle..
...for anything less than butterflies.

Ladies, I'm sure you have some other excellent personal philosophies you've cultivated for yourselves and your relationships over the years, so feel free to add your own musings to my list.

Waiting for the Call

I met a great guy on Friday night.

Is he tall, dark and skinny?

Well, he's definitely tall! He's over six feet. I wouldn't call him skinny, but he's thin. He's got some muscles, but I wouldn't call it an athletic build at all.

And he's blonde.

I've never gone for a blonde guy before.

But he's cute.

It was the perfect situation. I was out at the bar with two of my girlfriends, Blondie and Windy, and we met these two guys, Cute Guy and DJ. (I can't think of a decent nickname for Cute Guy yet -- time will tell -- but DJ is actually a DJ.)

Windy and DJ liked each other, so they spent much of the night together, culminating in kissing in the street as we waited for a cab. Cute Guy and I didn't so much as kiss, but it was rainy outside, so every now and then he would put his arms around me to shield me from the rain.

(Don't worry about Blondie -- a few weeks ago, she had met a guy of her own at the bar, so this worked out perfectly! We each met one guy!)

Windy had to get back to her place, so she got a cab first, and the rest of us got a separate cab. DJ was staying over with Cute Guy (unfortunately for Windy, DJ was visiting from out of state), and Blondie was staying over with me. In a twist of luck, Cute Guy lived pretty close to me! (He kept mentioning all night, "I can't believe you live so close to me.") Since Cute Guy was a shorter distance away, we decided to go to his place, and he'd drive us the rest of the way back.

Cute Guy has a dog.

I do not like animals, especially dogs.

I hope he didn't notice.

To be fair, the dog was friendly, and I guess one could say it was cute. Blondie thought so.

After a bit of time there, we headed back to my place and hung out for about an hour. We had to get up early the next day, so I apologized for being such a crappy host, and they left.

As I walked them out, I asked them if we were going to hang out again. They assured me that Windy had already invited them to her birthday celebration, set to take place this Saturday. Great. I don't remember if they asked for my number or if I offered it -- I wish I remembered!! -- but either way, Cute Guy put it in his phone.

That was Friday night.

It is now Monday night.

Is he going to call?!?!

The three-day waiting period has already passed!!

I thought that we got along great! He gave me a kiss on the cheek and hugged me before he left. When he was over, he sat next to me on the couch and leaned his head on my shoulder at one point. He held me in the rain. He seems to be into me.

Then why hasn't he called me yet?

I am so attracted to him. He's a manly man. He's not one of the usual dark, skinny, perfectly groomed guys that I usually like -- and I'm thrilled about it! Ooh, also, he used to be in the military. :-)

Okay. Back to waiting.

The World Series ended last night, and there were games on two of the past three nights since I've seen him. It was the Boston Red Sox vs. the Colorado Rockies, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe he's a Red Sox fan. Being a guy (and a manly man!) he must have watched them. That's probably a good reason why he didn't call me.

Now, here are a few other factors:

--Windy and DJ have each other's numbers
--Windy and DJ friended each other on Facebook
--Through Windy, I friended DJ on Facebook
--I found DJ's Myspace through Facebook
--I found Cute Guy's Facebook and Myspace profiles through DJ -- but they're both set to private

Since I don't have his number, I think I'm going to friend Cute Guy on Facebook tomorrow. I was going to yesterday, but Windy suggested waiting until tomorrow.

Thoughts???? What do I do now?!?!?!?! I really like this guy! I like him a lot more than most guys I meet!