a watched phone doesn't ring

I was sure Barman BT would call by now. I thought if he was direct enough to send me a text, message asking me out within hours of meeting me (to which I replied the next morning, affirmitavely), he'd call by the end of the weekend to plan the date. At the very least, he should have called by tonight.

This is what I hate about dating more than anything else: the waiting for a guy to call. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I can survive catastrophes on all different levels, but make me wait a little too long for a guy I like to call and it's only a matter of time before I'm ready to be fitted for a straitjacket.

I pick my battles. The cute sculptor I met on Saturday at Cozy Bar after yelling at him for sending text messages in the ladies room and holding up the line, but who took a fancy to me anyway, asked me out and got my number? I don't expect to hear from him, and I am okay with that. In fact, I am pretty much that way with any man I meet in a bar; I know it's not an atmosphere that caters to fostering serious relationships.

With BT, I thought it was different. I thought he was a contender. After talking to Podcast Penny about me, he said,

"Did you just make a love connection? I think you just made a love connection." (In reference to him and me; this was shortly after referring to me as his future wife.)

Maybe I'm a sucker, maybe he talks about women like this all the time. After the emotional hallucination that was Barman Ben, I clearly need to refine my instincts a bit. Nevertheless, I did sense a connection with BT and, to my utter dismay, found myself urging my phone to ring from Sunday afternoon onwards. I glared at it, I checked to make I had reception and the battery was charged, I read and reread BT's text, which sure made it seem like he was interested in me.

"Ring, damn you! Ring!" That's right, I yelled at my cell phone. Not my proudest moment.

Roommate Rachel, bless her innocent soul, thinks he is waiting to call because he's thinking of ideas for our first date. Somehow I had doubt there is a hot air balloon ride and picnic lunch in my near future. BT did mention that his lease is up soon, so he might be caught up in apartment hunting stress, but still. I can't make excuses for guy. He seemed so keen, I didn't think I'd have to wait this long.

Then, tonight, the phone rang. A number I didn't recognize.

"Hello?"

"Is this Dolly D?" Male voice, British accent.

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"You don't remember me, Dolly D?" His repeated use of my full name cracked me up.

Magazine Mitch.

Now this was a surprise.

"I haven't seen you around Cozy Bar," I said. "I thought I'd run into you by now."

"I was there last Friday," Mitch replied.

"See, I asked Ben if he'd seen you recently and he said, 'Not for a while. But he did come to my show.' I had to remind him that we saw his show together. He can be such a jerk."

"Well, I saw him last week, but don't worry, I didn't spill the beans."

I laughed. "Oh, I'm over him now, anyway. So there's nothing to spill."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's a cool guy, but let's call it temporary insanity."

Mitch said he wanted to hear all about my trip, but when I started to talk about it, he interrupted:

"No, no, I want you to tell me properly. In person."

He mentioned his own recent vacation and an amazing mushroom trip he had.

"It does sound like we have a lot to catch up on," I said.

He suggested meeting up for drinks this week and promised he wouldn't keep me out too late on a school night. He also said he's been doing various searches online to find my blog, but still hasn't been able to locate it (uh-oh, only a matter of time now).

I told him I'd call him tomorrow.

I don't want to have a rotation, I don't want to have a bunch of guys on the go simultaneously. I can't do flings without getting emotionally involved, it's no good.

I want BT to call. I got the feeling he could sweep me off my feet. Now, I have the feeling I won't be returning to Random Bar any time soon.

Magazine Mitch's reappearance is an unexpected twist. I do have a great time with him and I did promise to keep myself open to new experiences, so I might as well see where that will lead.