Odontophobia

I apologize for taking such a long break from blogging, but fear not my little readers...I have much to tell! So settle yourself in for a long one here. I did not leave you much hope for my dating life in the last blog, hell I didn't even feel much hope for myself. I had a planned trip to visit my lovely sisters in South Carolina for a week beginning Sept 17th. The week before the trip I decided to give one last ditch effort to online dating. Since I had bought a three month membership sometime in June I knew I only had a few weeks left. I thought I would do a little browsing and if there was someone on there that interested me I would bite the bullet, unhide my profile and send a wink and give it one week. Well, there was one profile. I winked. He ignored it. I thought I'd give it a few more days and of course, because I am super fabulous, received emails and winks from others on the site. None of them interested me...except one. His profile was interesting enough, yet didn't tout his achievements nor did he state how much he loved all outdoor activities and wanted to find a girl who loved being outside and dirty, but could also be just as comfortable all dressed up. I hate those men. I believe there are only like 2% of the female population that is actually like that - me not being one of them. He had only two pictures and he appeared to not be hideous. He lived about 25 miles away, no children and has a job. Well he meets my standards. His job - dentist. This actually was not initially a yippee moment for me. I wondered if he was going to be a cocky bastard, would he judge me based on my slightly imperfect teeth? I have an irrational fear of going to the dentist. I sit with my hands clenched and my eyes squinted shut during the entire ordeal in the dentist chair. On the other hand, he was Catholic. Catholic Dentist...hmmm. I decided to wink back to see what would happen. I received an email and it was funny. We exchanged several get to know you messages before I left for my trip. I eventually gave him my number while I was in South Carolina and he texted me to see how my visit was going. We made plans to meet the day of my return since I would be getting home at the reasonable hour of 5:30. A few days before I was to return home I started to feel a sore throat coming on. I took naps. I thought I would be getting a cold any minute since I always tend to get sore throats before a cold. I did not let my slightly under the weather condition affect my good times with my sisters and as always it was so great to spend time with them. I left for home on Sept 27th, popped a couple of DayQuil and actually looked forward to my prospective date that night. I texted him at my Chicago layover to confirm plans...I even dared to get a little excited, which I think thwarted off my sickness a bit. I landed. I waited for my luggage. I waited some more. It never arrived! How the hell am I supposed to get ready for a date if I have no makeup?! No hair products?! No clothes?! Okay I probably could have found something in my closet to wear. I texted Catholic Dentist to apprise him of the situation and told him I needed to reschedule. I don't think he believed me. We decided to meet up the next day after football. On Sunday I literally laid around all day. I was not feeling great. My throat hurt, but I was going to rally. Then I got a text from him around 4:30 saying he wasn't feeling good - ate some bad food. We decided to just reschedule for the next Friday, Sept 30th. I found out the next day I had strep throat. Awesome. I also ended up with a cold. Super awesome.

Catholic Dentist and I stayed in touch throughout the week. I consulted with my coworkers on what I should wear/style my hair. The last few dates I have gone on I have curled my hair and it has turned into nothing. Coincidence? Probably, but they like my hair straight and suggested I straighten it since I would be wearing an outfit that might look overdone with curled hair.

Friday night finally arrives and we are going to my favorite sushi place. I am nearly ready when a friend texts me to say that she and her fiance are down at said sushi spot if I want to join them. I literally laughed and said that I was meeting a date there in 20 minutes! oh no, what if we are seated near them, I won't be able to be myself - I know they would be watching, I would be! We decide to just play it by ear on whether we acknowledge each other or not. So with a bit of extra nerves I am putting on my necklace and earrings. I go to grab my black chunky ring and it is broken! Agh. But then I remember seeing my sister's snake ring in my downstairs bathroom. I will wear that! If anything maybe I can pull a little bit of my sister's flirtiness from the ring! My outfit is complete. I am wearing a new pair of Lucky brand jeans that I got in a much smaller size when I was in South Carolina, a black and gray leopard print tank with a gray three-quarter sleeve cardigan and my black Steve Madden heels. I have on dangly black earrings, long black necklace, snake ring with straightened hair and a modest smokey eye. I feel like I look good even thought I am probably functioning at around 90% due to my sickness and have a lovely dry hacky cough.

I make the five minute drive to the restaurant chanting my mantra, SCW, almost the entire way. I park and I see him walking into restaurant. He has on a gray long sleeved button down shirt, jeans and one of those cabbie hats, gray. We match. I walk towards the front door and I see my friend and her fiance sitting at a table near the window, I gave a quick wave. Nervous. I open the door and he is standing there talking to hostess. He says hi and that there is a 15 minute wait or so. We will wait at the bar. He gives me a little hug. He has a goatee, which he didn't have in his pictures. I like it. We sit at bar. My mouth is dry. I don't know what to say. He's cute. I'm nervous. He's 6'2" with broad shoulders and no butt. Oh no our kids would have the worst butts on the playground! He is friendly and I'm trying to put together a coherent sentence without sputtering over my words. I need a drink STAT! I try and occupy myself by looking at drink list. They do not have my standard chardonnay order. They have a really good one - Rombauer
, but it is $14 a glass. I order that one. That's right I am the bitch who orders the most expensive wine on the menu. I will only have one...maybe. We get our drinks and after we are seated at the table I start to relax a bit. He is very friendly and we have an easy conversation over our fabulous sushi. We are at the restaurant about 2.5 hours. We are getting to know each other and so far I'm enjoying this a lot. He's 37, from the area, but only recently moved back one month ago. He has been a dentist since 2007 and is in the process of buying a practice. We are getting along great and seem to have a lot in common. He asked if I wanted to continue the date after he paid for the check (which could not have been cheap since I did end up getting another glass of wine :-). Of course! We decided to head up the street just a bit to a sports bar that has pool. We get a drink at the bar and head over to the pool tables, which are occupied, but being the friendly guy that he is, Catholic Dentist talks to them and we decide to play in teams. The people we are playing against are a woman, in her 50's, her ex-husband and their 20 something year old son. She is quite chatty. She asks how long we have been together...haha, its our first date. She says we look good together. I think so too. She tells him, "She's gorgeous," and his response was, "and she's smart." My heart smiled. We played two games and had quite a good time. He is talkative and not even remotely cocky, pompous or any of those other conceited words I was worried about. He seems genuine. He touches me when he talks, but it is in such a casual manner that you know that is just his mannerism, its not creepy and I'm surprisingly okay with it. After two games of pool we grab a table and talk until 1 a.m. This has been a six hour date! We decide to head out. Instead of him driving the 30 minutes home he is staying with his good friend who lives not far from me. He gave me a good long full body hug, probably 30 seconds worth. I think I would have kissed him! I don't usually feel comfortable enough to kiss on a first date. It didn't happen though. He said he would call me the next day. I drove home with a smile on my face. I'm excited about this guy! Yay!! But did he feel the same...I got a text message after I had climbed into bed that said "What a great night. Cheers to many more. Sleep well." I swoon. He did have a good time!!

I heard from him the next day just like he said! It's a miracle. He is going to a movie with his mom and asks if I want to watch the Niners game the next day at a sports bar. Whoo hoo! Of course I do! The next morning I wasn't feeling the best and the idea of going to a sports bar didn't appeal to me so I suggested I make brunch and he come over for the game. This way I will be more comfortable at home and be able to show off my cooking prowess. I am sporty cute in my denim capris and pink 49ers jersey. I curled my hair and pulled my bangs back. He came over around 10:30 and I was making a fritatta. We had mimosas while I cooked. He said he told his mom about me and that I was worth the $30 something the one month membership to online dating cost him. He makes me smile :) My fritatta is a big success, even though I slightly burned the bottom. He was very impressed. Watched the game sitting on the couch, talked and I think overall just had another good get to know you session. Then he curled up and fell asleep for almost two hours. He woke up and said his throat felt scratchy. Uh oh. There is no way I could have given this to him?! We shared a cue stick Friday night - that was it. I was on antibiotics, no way I'm contagious. He ended up leaving close to 5, another very long date. He hugged me. No kiss. I was confused. I thought we had a good time and it was a second date, totally appropriate for a kiss. Well no. Is it because my hair was curled? I of course start thinking it is me because that is how us women think. The next day he texted me to say he was sick. I felt bad. He asked me to call him when I got home from work. When I talked to him that night he asked if I wanted to do dinner and movie for Friday. He does like me! I am very optimistic about Catholic Dentist at this point. We talked or texted every day that week.

Friday night arrives. I'm a little giddy. I decide to wear black tight pants with my knee high boots and a v-neck splatter paint appearing shirt. I curled my hair - I can't control myself haha. We went to BJs restaurant and ordered their date night special, which was a pizza, two soups or salads and two movie tickets. Only $39, such a deal. The waitress actually put the check in front of me. So I decided to pay. Catholic Dentist put up a fuss, but I did it anyway and this scored points. He was impressed. We again had a great dinner conversation. Definitely starting to like this guy. We go see a movie he picked because he had been sick this week. So we saw Real Steel. Real dumb in my opinion BUT he held my hand during the movie or had his hand on my knee. All good signs. No goodnight kiss though! The next day he had friends and his brother and sister in law coming into town for a football game and then Sunday he would be flying to Vegas for a dental conference the next week and would be returning home on Wednesday. I did hear from him the next day and when he was at the airport. Then I don't hear from him for two days. I admit little paranoid Aimee is starting to peak her head out of the box. I'm never going to hear from him again is what I'm thinking, why? because that is what always happens to me! I'm trying really hard not to be paranoid. I know he liked me and we were having a good time. My friend tried to reassure me that he was just busy at the conference and it would be reasonable for me to contact him at this point. I figured I would call him Wednesday when I figured he was on his way home (he was driving). I called him Wednesday after my dentist appointment (good God I hate going there) and left him a message. He texted me right back and said that he was still in the conference and would be leaving that afternoon. I got a few texts from him on his drive home and he said he left later than planned and he wouldn't be home until 11, too late to call since I would be well on my way to dreamland by then. The following day I was having some delightful wine and food with a friend and I had not heard from Catholic Dentist that day. I knew that I definitely wanted to see him that weekend if I could, although I would be out of town Saturday night heading down to Sacramento to see my dad and pick up Lola who had spent an extensive vacation with grandma and grandpa. So empowered by my wine I went ahead and texted CD to ask if he would like to do something the next night since I would be out of town Saturday. He said yes! Huge relief rushed over me and I was giddy again like a little school girl. This is kind of pathetic. For those of you who know me, know that I am not one of those girls. He didn't feel like going out since he had such a crazy weekend/week before with friends and Vegas. So I suggested I would make dinner. I would make lasagna - his favorite. I am bound to score some points with this, right?!

The next night I of course dressed cute with jeans and knee high boots and a gray/white striped shirt with straightened hair! I was just finishing the layering of the lasagna when he came over. I was so excited to see him. He is just so easy to be around. We were talking about what my dentist had said on Wednesday and he suggested I just see him for dental work. I don't know if I'm ready for that! He called his assistant to ask if they took my insurance and I heard him say "Yeah she just put the lasagna in the oven." The office knows about me! This is a good sign. We talk and have an adult beverage while the lasagna is in the oven. Dinner ready - more points for me! He loves it! And finally in the kitchen upon pouring another drink...he kisses me! Sweet kisses. Hello butterflies. I like him.

So instead of giving you all the boring details of our next dates I will just give a synopsis. We met that Sunday for more football watching at a sports bar after I had gotten back from Sacramento and he was done with golf. He's so cute. I like him more. Kisses. Following Friday he hears from a friend who wants to treat us to dinner at one of the local casinos. We park at the casino, but go to a movie first...we held hands as we walked the few blocks to the theater. Ahhhh I like him. We had a comped dinner after movie courtesy of his friend and then met his friend at the casino bar. CD stood with his arm around me while talking to his friend. He told his friend that we work because he is such an outgoing guy and I am more of an introvert. He later told his friend that I was pretty awesome and he was a lucky guy. It was at that point that I felt a little piece of my wall fall down. I didn't realize I had been holding back, but clearly I had. I am so afraid of liking a guy and him disappearing because that truly seems to be my history here in Reno.

Last week I went to see his place for the first time and saw his dental office. We ordered a pizza and watched a movie. I think we are going to have a good time no matter what we do. So far just enjoying being around him and letting this develop at its own pace. Now that I have met someone I like and who likes me back I am just finally enjoying this. I don't want to put pressure on the situation and thinking, where is this going?? and all that because I know eventually this will go the direction it is supposed to go, whether that is a relationship or down the drain. My hope is relationship. I see myself with this guy, but I really am in no hurry either. We talk or text daily at this point. This Friday will be five weeks since the day we met. Are we officially a couple, no...but I am really optimistic about this one. I'm happy. I always thought of myself as a happy person, just with a really jaded bitter side when it came to dating. I don't want to be that girl. I want to be the happy girl who looks at everything throughout the day with a smile rather than a scowl. Will it happen...only time will tell. Trying not to be afraid of the dentist breaking my heart...

Keep thinking happy dating thoughts...