Tonight during my third date with Guy #3, the cutie paid me a wonderful compliment, he said I have a youthful spirit. It was a nice change of pace from the usual, you're so pretty, cute whatnot (he did tell me he thinks I am cute- which made me smile ear to ear) but the point being is, his remark was about my character. He also told me he could see that I was a good person and really care about other people. I liked that he looked beyond the superficial paid attention to my soul. I didn't reply back that I thought he was an old soul because I don't think he is, he is however a deep thinker and choses his time wisely on how and who he spends it with. I like that he is picky and clearly I am further along than other women he has dated in the past year and a half. Originally my first impression of him based on photos alone at the beginning of last August was that he was brooding type or moody. But I see now on our third date its a mixture of seriousness, shyness and reservations. It was nice how much he opened up tonight compared to the first two date. It was also great when he told me several times he likes me, thinks I am cute which as I type just makes me smile. We sure did smile a lot tonight. It was a nice change of smiling out of nerves to smiling out of enjoyment. Also he is easy to make laugh, I think sometimes he even surprised himself when he erupts in a laugh or two by some witty retort I dished out.
Some other perks that we bonded over was our love for astronomy and it turns out both of our favorite planet is Jupiter, that was really cool. I have never met anyone else who enjoyed astronomy or star gaze in a romantic fashion. I felt like we could actively share some similar interests such as camping, astronomy, day or weekend trips and so forth. We talked some of politics and while we both have somewhat similar beliefs, neither of us are gung ho, ranting and foaming at the mouth to talk politics. At one point he mentioned how I like to party and I said something to the effect of maybe you need a little more fun in your life and I need a little more of chill in mine? That's what a friend of mine told me the other night when I was feeling like maybe Guy #3 wasn't into me and showed him some of the most recent texts and he told me that Guy #3 seems easy going and I was like yeah and then my friend said "maybe you need more of that in your life" which stopped me in my track and yeah maybe I do? I kind of am looking for an anchor in some ways.
I was pleased too again based on my friend's suggestion because the last three dates have all been dinner which is great in a way but at the same time anyone who knows me will tell you I am an activity person. I thrive on DOing. Since coming back from Maine, I have been itching to paint. I went to groupon.com and found a one time painting class for two people later this month and bought it. During dinner as we ate salmon made at a place called
French Roast I asked him what he was doing on the 18th, if he was free cuz you never know we are busy people, its NY after all. He asked me why so I just blurted out how I know he is an artist and skilled one at that, if he would want to take a painting class with me and gave him the details. I told him how he has been so generous with me I wanted to do something nice and treat him back, that day is on me. I am all for guys paying for dates but somehow it feels right to turn around and treat him for a change. I also let him pick one of the three ILY ASL pins that I bought earlier today at the Big Apple Deaf Expo down by south seaport. I think he appreciated it, even though its nothing he knows I was thinking of him. So now I have a fourth date for sure on the 18th (I got to call that studio tmw and get my rsvp for us because when I went to use the voucher online it didn't work). But maybe we will have a date next weekend before the 18th but if we don't I am not going to stress it out. I left tonight's date feeling surely things are unfolding well and honestly a a healthier pace than the last two real long term relationships I had where I dated both of my exes less than a month before we basically lived with each other. I can see neither of us are in a rush and that is fantastic. I did think it was funny where we discuss if things down the road did not lead to a love connection he would want to be friends and I was like I wouldn't. I told him frankly I got plenty of friends, I am looking for someone to be with my uno numero. That while he is a great guy he is, we were never friends and certainly not long term acquaintances. That from the git go this has been about whether we connect on a romantic level or not. If we don't then I would just go my separate ways. I think he was somewhat surprised by my honesty and firmness on that. I think its also good because I told him should he think things aren't going anywhere to just tell me, not string me along and he said he wouldn't knowing if he did tell me it wasn't working out. I would of course wish him well and go on with my life without maintaining a friendship with him. Apparently a lot of short term dating he has done with other women have resulted in lots of friendships but I am not going to be one of those consolation token friends. Nope. That's another thing he mentioned at one point earlier tonight how I can be somewhat 'black and white' and there are many shades of gray. He's right about that, I can be but it serves a purpose when you know what you will or won't put up with. I guess while it may come off as narrow minded, I kind of view it as boundaries and I dunno, if a guy isn't into me 100% then why is he even there?
All in all, I am starting to actually feel a little spark for the first time in ages. Sure I have had a lot of chemistry and fun the last few years but this is different. This is good :)
