Thursday, April 14, 2011

341. I ACCEPT YOUR FORK


I push open the restaurant door. The air smells like garlic and roasted tomatoes. Possible-Mate-from-Chicago sits on a lobby bench just to my right. He stands up and other than his height (he did say was tall, he left out that he towers over 6’-0”) he looks EXACTLY like his photos, which is VERY refreshing. He’s very fair, black hair, no grey and balding on the top. I don’t know what word I would use to describe his body. He’s slim, but not skinny, trim, but not hulky, lean, but not like a runner. And has hazel eyes.

“Hey, I’m impressed that you made it here on time. Did you leave at noon?” he asks and jokes. Also, refreshing, a desi who can tell time. “Just about,” I tease back. “Are you ready to be seated?” the hostess asks. We nod; she leads us through the very full restaurant. This is the thing about Minnesotans and Wisconsinites – we/they are not bothered by a lynching of snow. I guess we can't be, otherwise we'd never leave our homes from October to May.

We sit down and Possible-Mate-from-Chicago puts a plastic bag on the seat to his left before he completely settles in. “How is your niece?” he asks. “She looks like desi Pebbles. But she is 157% personality. Very feisty for someone who is barely one years old,” I say and sip my water. I am debating if I will order a glass of wine. I have a drive that can last anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours, and I think it would be better to be sober. But I am sure dinner will take a few hours – so I can have one drink.

“How are your cousin’s kids?” I ask. He sips his water, nods and smiles. “They are great. Eight and four, very cute. We have been very busy today making art and watching their father shovel snow,” he says. “My sister has three kids, too,” he adds. “You didn’t help your cousin?” I tease. Possible-Mate-from-Chicago shrugs. “He has a really long driveway and uses a small bobcat,” he says. I have no idea if he is serious about the bobcat and I don’t ask. I decide Possible-Mate-from-Chicago is funny and leave it at that.

When the waitress returns and we order drinks, a beer for him, red wine for me. We talk about him mostly because I am a little drained from working all day and dealing with Dad’s health. The commute to Hudson is not helping as it takes concentration to drive in a blizzard. I learn that he’s an alum of the Big Ten, plays volleyball and softball, is an engineer, works in technology and was born and raised in Chicago. And most importantly he is just nice.

After we finish eating dinner the waitress removes our plates and asks if we want dessert. I decline as does he. “So,” he says. “Yes,” I reply. “You don’t want dessert, right?” he asks. I nod. “I don’t love tiramisu,” I explain. He grins, reaches to his side and pulls up the plastic bag. He fishes inside for the Tupperware container, pops it open and voila, cheesecake. “In addition to making art and watching the snow fall, my nieces and I made cheesecake,” he says. He picks up a fork and offers it me. And I accept.


14 comments:

Sara said...

Wait...he busts out Tupperware in the middle of the restaurant?!?? That takes some spunk! I have vicarious butterflies!

Anonymous said...

hahhahaa very cute..I just laughed out loud at my work desk :-)

Milly

Anonymous said...

The man makes cheesecake?! Marry him now!! :)

Adventurous Ammena said...

I know I said I liked him already when you introduced him to us.. but I love him now!! I agree with loveinldn.. marry him now!! before he gets away!!

Suny said...

I have the best ever pun for you. How about start calling him Cheesecake! Because, you know, he is trim but not hulky ..! :-) Please don't let me pull out my unabridged Urban dictionary now.
But honestly, I think pulling out a tupperware from a plastic bag with a cheese cake in a restaurant, ON A FIRST date, with a chick from NY..umm.. I think that is kind of cheesy..
But looks like he is cute and cute people get 3 passes in my book. May be he was trying to be charming and not cheap, so let's give him a break.
I like the fact that he likes cheese cake; (was it NY type or Chicago type?), it is a complex taste that not all desis like. But making cheese cake and declaring that on the first date... I just don't want him to be turn out to be gay, like the other friend that you wasted time with.

Anonymous said...

awwwwwww... I am smitten... :-D

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Sara -

Yes, he does - he just breaks it out. I wonder if he asked first, bc he is a really nice and decent person that I cannot see him doing anything unorthodox.

But yes spunk and who doesn't like the a little planning? I do!

xo,
Desi Girl

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Milly -

:) - so glad you LOL-ed :) it is nice to just bust out sometimes :)

xo,
Desi Girl

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Love in London -

You crack me up - he needs to ask first! Tee hee ....

xo,
Desi Girl

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Adventurous Ammena -

You are TOOO funny, so glad you and Miss Love in London agree. He is nice and quite a refreshing and lovely change, let's see what happens next!

xo,
Desi Girl

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Sunny -

OMG I dont want him to be gay either! And I agree with you completely abt it being a little "cheesy" I wrote abt that just now. I do think it was very endearing and he gets a pass def for that, for being proactive and thinking and planning.

And what I find most interesting about making the cheese cake (I have no idea what style it was def not NY) was that he just did and didn't think or worry that I might find it unsophisticated (I am not at all like that but I know what you mean about there are many snotty foodies in NY).

I think he is very secure with who he is and he is very Midwestern, he is nice, polite, considerate, and just down to earth. Good for him! And I dont think there will be any games here - good for me!

And I def dont think he is cheap. But I can see how you might think that :)

More soon!
xo
Ms. 101

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear Anonymous -

Smitten - so nice :)!!!!

xo,
Desi Girl

Anonymous said...

Back after some time - and this one sounds a keeper!

No, I'm not entirely serious - just a quick skim of two posts on him, but he certainly sounds like he has better potential than Dr.F.

M

101 Bad Desi Dates said...

Dear M -

Welcome back and not to worry, I will keep writing so you read when you can!

And agreed, sounds like he has more personality that Dr. F!

xo,
Desi Girl