Bad Dates...

No, I'm not talking about Friday the 13th, although for me that was involved.

I'm talking about going out with a guy/girl and expecting a good time, only to wish you were going through Chinese torture instead.

I've been happily married for 11 years, but before I met "the man sleeping in my bed" (LOL. See Jane's post to get that one. Sounds sort of Goldilockish.) I had a few dates that never got off on the right foot.

Here's one...

First of all, PLEASE, don't post or email me hate mail regarding this post, it's about the date, not where I worked, it was just a job, not a cause for me.

The summer after my freshman year of college I moved back to my home town and got a job at a research lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia hospital. I had/have no medical background, my Mom knew the office manager. My job was general office stuff, as well as to take the orders from the researchers/interns/doctors for test animals, mainly mice. (see, please no hate mail)

For the first month, nothing exciting happened, it was a pretty boring job, but one day, a cute guy came in and placed an order. Now being 19 and single, I did a little "workplace" flirting. This guy continued to come in and order and each time he began to flirt more and more with me. One day he asked me out on a date. Now, despite the harmless flirting, I balked at this. He was older than me, I didn't know by how much, but I'd never really been on a "date" before either, so I was a little wary. I joked and said he didn't really want to go out on a date with me. This went on for a few weeks, he kept asking and I kept jokingly declining. After a bit I got a little tired of saying no to the guy so finally I said yes. We set a date and time.

When he came to pick me up at my house, he wasn't dressed very nice and I had. That should have been my first clue. He walked me to his car, which was a very dirty Jeep that had junk everywhere inside and on the seat I was supposed to sit on. (clue #2) Determined to make the best of it, I got in and we went on our way. Now Columbia wasn't a huge town, but there are quite a few choices of places to go eat. And since TG (The Guy - after this much time, I've forgotten his name!) had asked me out, I figured he'd had the evening scheduled out. I was wrong.

He asked me where I wanted to eat. I told him I didn't care, I thought he'd choose. We drove around for thirty minutes before I finally told him a Chinese restaurant to go to that was close and good. Once we were seated he proceeded to talk entirely about himself. Except when it came to tell me how old he was, he skirted around that issue all night long. (clue #3,4,5) I could barely make it through dinner and hoped that dinner was all he had not-planned for the evening. I was wrong.

We got back into his Jeep and he pulled out from a pile of junk in the back seat a newspaper and handed me the movie section, asking me to read what was out in the theatre so he could pick a show to go to. (clue #6) He decided going to see Friday the 13th in 3-D was the perfect movie.(clue#7) I am not joking. If I'd been older and more experienced at dating I would have claimed a headache way before now, but alas, I was young and naive.

Note-notice the movie's tag line, how fitting is that?

The movie was horrible, not only do I hate scary/creepy movies, I can't stand the whole 3-D thing. He, of course, loved it. Finally the movie was over and he wanted to go someplace else, but I told him I had to work early the next morning (not a lie, see, wasn't smart enough yet) so thankfully he took me home.

We sat in the Jeep in my driveway for a bit, again, I think just so he could hear himself talk. But I finally got him to tell me how old he was. 39! Now to some people that might not be a big deal, but that was the same age as my stepdad! I totally freaked and seriously had to hold back my Chinese dinner from coming back up. And despite the fact that I'd probably said 10 words all night long and looked a little green around the gills, he asked for a second date! I don't even know what excuse I gave, something about having to look at my schedule with school and all, and high-tailed it out of there as fast as possible.

Thankfully, I only saw him a few more times in the office after that, each time telling him I didn't have time due to work and school to reschedule another date, before he moved on to a different department.

Whew! That was painful to write!

So spill...

I have to work a bit in the morning, but I'll be back to chat with you! At the end of the day I'll pick a winner for a sur-prize!

Paige
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