No Job, No Car, No Problem!

When Jenny Met Sally

Have you ever met a guy named Sal?  Possibly thought it was short for Sally? 

It’s been six months since Dick dumped me for reasons unknown.  I want to continue dating but just how am I going to meet more guys?  Obviously I’m going to stay away from Craigs List and the newspaper.  I dedicate a fair amount of “looking” time everywhere I go, even at the gas station.  Hell I’ve been known to fling a box of sugar out of my cart when passing a single guy in the grocery isle, but nothing seems to work.  I guess I’ll try match again.  I can’t continue to sit in my house, waiting for Mr. Right to come knock on my over secured complex door.  Match is the easiest option for me to meet a variety of all ages and backgrounds. 

After reviewing the available bachelors on the .com site I officially agree to give it another shot.  Just one month.  How bad can it be?  I learned my lesson since the last time I tried match, hence meet the person outside of their home.  I need to date and I need to date a lot.  I am convinced that $39.95 will be worth my every penny by the end of this month.

Sal is the first guy to “wink” at me on match.  Winking, for those of you that don’t know, is a chicken shit way of showing someone you maybe…could possibly…perhaps someday…only if you like them back…be interested.  It reduces the chance of being rejected via email.  Unless of course, you are actually heartless enough to click on the, (as Match states), newly updated ‘Not Interested’ button.   But who is heartless enough to do that?

Sal’s profile is intriguing.  He is quite good looking in his pictures.  Not in a hunky sort of way, but more of a baseball player fashion.  He has a nice smile, is average height/build and wears a baseball cap, which I am always a sucker for.  His description reads that he is looking for the ‘real deal’.  He’s tired of games and women that are only in it for the booty call.  This is definitely refreshing to hear from a man.  Sal is self employed and earns $50,000 to $75,000 a year.  Earnings do not make a difference to me, but this will certainly be a perk since I don’t remember the last time I dated a guy with an actual job.  Sal owns his own condo and enjoys going out to do anything, from movies to strolls on the beach.  He is looking for an active woman, not for perfection, just someone loving and fun.  And it says here that he loves Disneyland and Ice Cream?  Uh oh, this could be a match made in Heaven!

Sal and I start with the standard emails back and forth, followed by chatting on the phone a couple times.  He definitely gives good phone.  (This is a term a friend of mine uses when a guy is actually willing to talk as well as listen over the phone).  Good phone is a rarity but a man that gives it is a gem.  I of course have my reservations about Sal.  He wants to meet in person almost immediately.  “I really don’t want to waste time Jenny.  Girls always put off meeting until they feel they have learned more about you on the phone.  We just need to meet in person, I’m over the phone.  What I have agreed to in the past isn’t working, so it’s time to change that.”  I can certainly respect his need for change, especially if he has found that the way he’s been doing things isn’t successful.  But his need for immediate physical connection makes me hesitant.  In the end I write it off to me just being nervous about dating altogether.  We agree to my recommendation of meeting at a local Sports bar the following Sunday (pre-season NFL is coming into effect after all).  We will grab a bite to eat and drink there.

I have butterflies while driving there.  It is nice to feel nervous about a first date.  Lately I haven’t exactly been looking forward to first dates, but this time I actually am.  As soon as I walk into the bar I catch Sal’s eye.  He gives a big friendly wave and smile, which I can barely see under his, what I presume to be a recently grown ’Yosemite Sam’ style mustache.  That or his pictures on his profile were very old.  He is dressed quite casual in blue jeans and a white t-shirt.  I fear he may be going for that sexy tight white shirt look but sadly the shirt is very worn and thin enough to see through.  Thankfully, he showed up wearing a baseball cap and I am immediately suckered over.