PSM#2, Part 2
After my first date with PSM#2, I found myself looking forward to our second meeting with entirely too much enthusiasm. My brief dalliance with Date #4 taught me that the more you look forward to seeing someone, the more they’re going to disappoint you. Time spent preparing for a date is inversely proportional to the enjoyment of said date and enthusiasm, therefore, ought to be avoided.
But I couldn’t help it.
Having spent the weekend witnessing the romantic interludes of my recently and not-so-recently coupled friends, I found myself thinking, “Well, Self, it would be nice to have a boyfriend again, wouldn’t it?” I’ve been single for over a year now and although I’ve been enjoying my Great Date Experiment, there’s something to be said for drowsy afternoons spent canoodling with a member of the opposite sex.
I thought I might reach this point with PSM#1, seeing as texted me on Christmas, accompanied me to Black Swan and subjected himself to an entire evening of my lackluster ice skating prowess… but he failed in a rather big way this past weekend. Ever since my ill-fated romance with Date #17, I’ve been overly sensitive about text messages. I wouldn’t say that I actually track response times, but I do start to prickle when it’s been several hours and I haven’t heard back from a Potential Soul Mate. As such, I was less than thrilled when PSM#1 took an entire afternoon to respond to my message concerning the annual Mummer’s Parade after party on Saturday night (don’t ask… some Sou’ Philly traditions, such as the city-wide, Mummerific debauchery, are best kept in Sou’ Philly).
Granted, PSM#1 may have been suffering from a hangover, or pre-gaming for the New Years Day bash, but I was forced to leave a voicemail concerning his ETA. (And subsequently forced to inform my so-called public He’s… not coming.)
This does not bode well for PSM#1. Seeing as the entire basis of my attraction stemmed from an acute appreciation of A) his promptness in returning my calls, B) his generally availability and C) his lack of resemblance to Date #17, I am rather pissed off at him right now.
Fortunately, the second half of this past weekend’s assignations went according to plan. I slipped into my purple polka dot dress, donned my coordinated but slightly-hot-chocolate-stained winter weather accessories and headed to South Street to meet PSM#2.
“I’m at Downey’s” flashed his message on my phone. “Come on in and pretend to like football with me.”
Points in his favor: He doesn’t like sports.
Points not in his favor: He didn’t bother getting up from his barstool to greet me.
Points in his favor: He agreed to go to my favorite Indian restaurant for dinner.
Points not in his favor: He would not have known to order naan bread if I hadn’t told him to.
Points in his favor: He convinced me to join him for another drink after dinner, this time at O’Neal’s, and raised his glass with a fairly genuine “Cheers, darling.”
Points not in his favor: My aspiring-philosopher “friend” (by which I mean friend-with-benefits for the better part of my undergraduate and graduate years) used to call me darling. I no longer trust men who call me darling.
Points in his favor: He pressed his lips to mine as we parted ways at the South Street Bridge. (Points in my favor: I’d had the forethought to pop a stick of spearmint gum just seconds earlier.)
Points not in his favor: He wished me a safe walk home but neither offered to accompany me nor messaged me afterwards to confirm my safe arrival. I could be lying in an alley for all he knows. But it’s 2011… I suppose I ought to get used to the idea of being an independent, self-sufficient post-millennium sort of woman.
(Or perhaps hedge my bets with PSM#3.)
Kat Echevarría Richter 
12 Responses to “PSM#2, Part 2”
Didn’t walk you home??? He is fired!!! What is wrong with guys these days?
… as for the naan thing, does every guy have to know about everything? I mean, from his side, maybe he went home and said to whomever (roommate/dog/cat/parakeet/mother), “Wow…I never thought much of Indian food, but I had this awesome time with Kat tonight; she showed me stuff I never would have thought to try on my own. It was great!” Maybe you made a memory & henceforth a fragrantly steaming piece of naan will make him wax poetic about the night you introduced him to it.
Just sayin’ …
True, there was a time when I myself didn’t know what naan bread was 😦
Canti I agree… Kat you didn’t know about those soy beans- eat your mommy beans or whatever they are called. Getting off the bar stool is being picky- however, if that’s what you are looking for then stick to your guns. Btw I thought mummering was just a Newfie thing- so cool that it happens elsewhere too!!!!
Okay, okay, point taken 🙂 I do rather like PSM#2 so maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on him. On another note, I’m intrigued by the prospect of Newfie mummers! “Our” mummers here in Philly claim to be descended from some sort of ancient Celtic tradition, but those in the parade basically just strap themselves into a sequin jumpsuit and amble through town drinking beer and urinating in public. Granted, the string bands and the fancy brigades are way cooler (costumes, choreographed routines, movable sets and the who nine yards)but I’d love to hear what “mummering” means in your neck of the woods.
I have only been a “victim” of mummering Newfie Style. Newfie’s (from Newfoundland Canada) are Celtic descendants. They dress up, drink and bring a kitchen party to your house without your permission. They make you drink Newfie Screech, kiss a codfish, the drag you to the next victims house. It’s a bit like a pub crawl without the pubs. Newfie’s are famous for kitchen parties. I must admit, it was a lot of fun 😀
is PSM 3 officially a PSM then??? can’t wait to hear about the tall one!!!
There is nothing sexier than a man with good manners… It just says a lot about their character, and makes them ever the more attractive in my eyes. Don’t settle for anything less! We’re shooting for Mr. Darcy reight? (But as I recall he had bad manners in the beginning but stepped up in the end…) Oh Well! Manners good!
I love the pros and cons… You should make a chart next time 🙂
I agree with the whole “darling” side of things but lets be honest here – at least he didnt call you “mate”. Oh yes, I caught up with the pilot in my blog on New Years Day, bonus for him is he’s english and I have a weak spot for Englishmen – negative for him – Calling me mate when this is clearly not going to be a mate relationship of us going down the local pub to watch the football drink beer and Fistpump when a goal is scored.
Also if you set your expectations too high continuously you will be guaranteed a bit of a let down.
Next time go in with no expectations, take it as it comes – AT LEAST you got a goodnight kiss goodbye.
Not to walk you home or even see if you made it home okay? Not cool.
I think the failure to see if you made it home and the lack of getting off his ass has him on the curb. 🙂