I’ve had this problem before. Something’s on my mind, and I can’t really put it in such a public space as this one. I do feel the need to write this though. Screw it!
I think I just went on a date.
It wasn’t planned or anything remotely closed to that degree, and it was really more of a lunch date than an actual date. It just happened. Here’s the set up. I went to this restaurant around the corner from my work place. Normally I go there when Sam decided to visit Lemon and I during our lunch. Today, however, I had the cravings for some Yuca flour. I have no idea why I liked it so much. It’s got something to do with the texture and it’s unique taste, but anyways I’m getting off topic. So I went there, but I was a little late and had to wait behind another group for a table. About 5 minutes later, Brenda walked in.
Brenda works one floor below mine in the building where I work. I walk down there every so often usually for official work reasons or if I needed to look at something other than my computer monitor. Ever since she started working there about 2 or 3 weeks ago, I’ve always looked forward passing by her desk while I’m down there. I never talked to her unless I have an actual work related reason to do so. It’s not from a lack of desire more so than an overwhelming fear of…well….talking to people. I figured that she and I would be like two ships passing in the night never making any contact as we go on about our lives. Today, I hope, might just change that.
We said hi to each other when she walked in. Believe it or not, at first I didn’t recognize her. I think it was because I was incredibly hungry at the time, but it wasn’t until I looked the second time that I realized that it was Brenda from the office. “Sweet,” I said to myself feeling that my luck might have changed for the better for today. After about 2 minutes of waiting, she noticed that there was an empty table and asked the hostess if she could sit there. She got the table, which stunned me for moment because I was in front of her. I should’ve said something, but I was still shocked at just how lucky I was with having her in the same restaurant. That’s when Brenda invited me to sit with her. Without hesitation I said yes.
Apparently the hostess mistook me for being a part of the group in front of me, which was why she never offered me a table. At any other time, I would’ve been somewhat irritated, especially on an empty stomach, but at that moment, I couldn’t care less. It got me a moment of company with Brenda.
Our conversations were pretty standard stuff, things that two complete strangers would ask each other like school, hobbies, work, birthplace, etc, etc, with the occasional bouts of uncomfortable silences. How I hate those silences. It always feels like it’s my fault! Fortunately they were far and few in between. We learned a good deal about each other’s current situations. For example, she and I graduated from SF State. She was born and raised in SF. She has a Political Science degree, and other oodles of stuff. Amazing how uncomfortable I was telling her about my current situations. The worst of which was telling her how I got my current “job” which was through my mother. To make matters even worse, I ordered chicken for lunch. How’s that a bad thing? Try fishing out chicken bone particles and those white inedible thingies out of your mouth in front of someone you hoped to impress. Did she noticed? Oh yeah. She did. I’m sure I didn’t repulsed her with my hopelessly loser like situations or that whole chicken ordeal, but it couldn’t have made me look good. I did have some success though. When we finished our lunch, she looked at the time and said “Oh good I have enough time to get a Rockstar (an energy drink like Red Bull),” to which I replied with “And feel like one too!” At first she just smiled which then led to the laughing. “That,” she exclaimed “was an incredible bad joke!” I realized how bad it was and started laughing too. Oddly enough, that’s the moment that sticks out the most for me.
After we were done with lunch and were about to part ways, I mentioned that I blog kinda regularly on Friendster and told her to check it out. I do hope that she does. I could always use more readers for my blog. Unfortunately if she does, than that means she’s reading this one too. First of all, I don’t think anything more than that lunch is going to happen. Someone like Brenda couldn’t possibly be single for long, unless of course I’m really that lucky. Second, I have a feeling that she didn’t enjoy my company that much to warrant a second outing. I don’t make very good impressions with complete strangers even when I try. No matter what happens later, I think she’s a wonderful person who was kind enough to invite me, a relative stranger, to sit down and eat lunch with her. If you’re reading this, thank you. You just made my week.
