Recap: Our First Date

It was a friday evening in October 2008. Having met recently at a poetry reading, Warren called me a week or so ago to set up our first actual date.

I asked him to pick the restaurant, and he narrowed it down to Matamoros over by UTSA. Having never been there, I secretly went to check out the place two days before the big night. I wanted to make sure that I could find the place and see what the atmosphere was.

When I walked into Matamoros a few members of the waitstaff approached me and asked me if I was there for lunch. Since I couldn't exactly say that I was there to scope out the place for a date on friday, I made up a little lie and said, "I just wanted to see your private banquet room. My family's planning a birthday party..."

The nice folks at Matamoros were more than willing to show me the banquet room. And ask me a hundred questions about the event we were planning. I was stuck there for a half hour, talking about a non-existent birthday party. But, I got to see the restaurant at least.

The next night I went shopping because I had absolutely nothing to wear to the date. I went to lots of places, and finally found some cute jeans from Kolhs and a flowery, satin top from Ann Taylor Loft. I was set.

Friday night I drove to Matamoros early (about a half hour). I don't know I wanted to be that early. I have issues with time. I waited in my car until it was five minutes 'till 7pm (when we were supposed to meet), got out, and walked in to look for him. Of course he still wasn't there so I waited in the front (hoping the waitstaff wouldn't remember me from our little impromtu meeting a few days back).

Warren walked in finally, looking all spiffed-up in a nice black collard shirt and jeans. He looked great. For some reason my confidence dissipated upon seeing him again, and I completely lost my bearing.

Our date from that point on would have made a nice sitcom episode. He talked, and talked...and tried to get me to talk. I fiddled with my glass of ice-tea and couldn't make direct eye contact with him. He was indimidating and I was (apparently) shy. It was a long, unusal dinner.

When the bill finally came and Warren took care of it (the gentleman that he is), I expected him to make a run for it. Much to my surprise, he said- "So, do you want to go get a drink? There's a bar around the corner?"

After a little rum and coke, I started opening up a little. But, just when I thought I was coming out of my shell, Warren looked at me and asked, "are you always this quiet?" I said no and returned to my drink.

We played some pool and decided to leave afterwards. As he walked me toward my car in the parking lot of Fox and the Hound, Warren jingled his keys and asked, "So, do you think you'd like to do this again sometime?"

I stopped, caught off-guard. Was he asking me out again? Or was he just trying to be polite after what must have been his worst date ever? I said "yeah, that'd be fun" not knowing if he was being genuine or not.

That night he sent me a quick e-mail saying he had a nice time.

And that was the beginning (although rocky). Our first date!

I had no idea that one year later we would return to that restaurant for our engagement party...