Kismet

I'm still reeling from the last 24 hours. I met a guy. I went on a date with him. And then, I had the most amazing morning waking up next to this person and experiencing the thrill of meeting someone you feel like you've known for a whole lot longer than just a few hours.

I don't want to jump to conclusions. I have in the past... In fact, I've jumped to such extremes with certain people I've met that I begin to plan my wedding day with them in mind after only knowing them for a few weeks. I'm trying to keep a level head. I don't want to label anything, I don't want to get any hopes up (especially mine!) about this guy and then be horribly disappointed.

We met at the opening of one of my best friend's play. I dropped my coat off in the auditorium and turned around to go use the bathroom when I saw what I thought was a familiar looking face in the light booth of the theatre, so I waved hello. He waved back. Then, on second thought, I realized I didn't actually know him and felt a bit embarrassed. The second time I walked past the booth during intermission I smiled so I looked like all was intentional. He smiled back.

I waited for my friend to come out of the stage door so I could congratulate him. He came out all smiles and I wished him well. Then in slo-mo: there was the stranger who smiled at me in the light booth coming across the lobby. I saw this third potential interaction as a huge opportunity! "Hi. I'm Natalie." I said, reaching out my hand. He took my hand and replied. "Hi, I'm Kismet." (Ok, so Kismet is super duper not his name, but I think you all get the idea here with the name changes.)

Kismet has blue eyes (surprised?), he's European (another one!!), speaks 3 languages ("What's the word for boobies in french?") and is pursuing a masters in Theatre Directing (Oh! I just died a little from a nerdy meltdown over the potential ideas we could hypothetically bounce back and forth in late night idea exchanges).

Our first date was a pretty sloppy snog-fest. We each had a couple beers and then wound up making out in the 2nd bar we were in before deciding to take the show on the road and make-out more while walking down and then up Amsterdam avenue while splitting a large can of BudLight and ogling the brownstones that lead to the Museum of Natural History. Winning!

I guess what really got me most about Kismet was the sheer comfort I felt being around him when I woke up in his room the next morning and felt no embarrassment or awkwardness. It was a truly wonderful change. We spent the entire morning, and a small chunk of the afternoon, making breakfast together, listening to music and locked in an epic cuddle-fest. Cutie was not the most comfortable experience, it was a fun time, but I never felt particularly warm about him. Kismet, however, walked me to the subway this morning and full on kissed me outside the entrance before shyly asking if I wanted to "...do this again sometime, or something?" I died. Melted right to the floor. Except, in real time I tried to keep a straight face. "Yeah, sure. I'd really like that."

Oh! Kismet! I'm such a romantic! I'm such a sucker for public displays of affection! And plus, any guy who gives me a wink and a thumbs up when I put on Beethoven's 9th Symphony as a breakfast background noise is a major winner in my book. That symphony's, like, super nerdy and over an hour. And then, he put on Beethoven's 5th Symphony as a followup. Hot.

The Holy Kiss

I got caught staring at a large black man clearly enjoying the jazz that was being played at my job last night. He was nodding his head and shutting his eyes and muttering "Damn!"under his breath. At each key change he'd nod his head in affirmation, like he had just taken a swallow of something really yummy. I couldn't stop staring at his utter enjoyment.

He looked over at the bar I was standing behind and caught my eye. I smiled, beckoning him to the bar. I felt I needed to explain myself further. The song ended and the man got up and walked over. I leaned in over the bar toward his face and he leaned in over the bar toward my face. I moved to whisper in his ear and he moved in to kiss me on the cheek. I felt his warm soft lips brush my face and could feel myself blush a deep crimson. 

What? Wait. No! That's not why I called you over!! Oh... awkward. 

I tried to rescue to the pause after I pulled away from him with a huge smile. "I like to watch people enjoy the music." I whispered as the next song vamped up. "Do you want a beer?" He pointed to an IPA and I jumped away, eager to get out of his circle. I smiled as I handed him the beer and waved away his money. "It's on us." I said. He put the money in the tip jar and moved back to his seat. 

I tried to focus on the music, but my mind started buzzing. That stranger, that worshipper of music just kissed my cheek. I don't know him from Adam and he just ambled over and as soon as I leaned in he planted one right on my face. I smiled, unsure of how to really feel about the occurrence. I guess I liked that. I didn't feel threatened by it, or anything. I looked out over the other heads of the nodding patrons, all there to experience the jazz and to drink in the sounds. I moved to make my way up the aisle that parts the small room I work in and did it more for the purpose of feeling the reverence of the listeners than to take drink orders. It's like walking through a church sermon in a church full of very dedicated converts. 

As I collected a few empty glasses I wondered if the "Holy Spirit" of the room would cause someone else to kiss me one day. I didn't mind that idea. I got the sense that the kiss came from a place of bliss through worship than any sexual drive. I smiled. And who says the power of prayer is only for churches?

Hook-up Culture

I've never really understood the hook-up culture of New York, but now that I am a player in it I realize there is nothing to really understand, per se. I find that I was a pretty timid player in that game of monstrous proportions: "What? You want me to come back to your place? Um... I don't know. I'm a good girl, I don't normally do this! I had a boyfriend once for 4 years!"And here I am... still anxiety driven, but confronted with very simple reality that is before me which consists of hundreds of thousands of incredibly talented, good looking, single, art-oriented driven 20-somethings all operating and existing in one city! It's an unfathomable amount of people when I think about it, and then I realize I am right smack in the middle of them all (well, not quite, seeing as about 3/4 of them all live in and around Brooklyn and I'm in Queens.)

I had my first roll of the dice a couple weeks ago with the make-out in the bar and that turned into another evening this week with the Cutie and I in Brooklyn and ended with me taking the subway back to Queens the next morning with the rush-hour crowd, still wearing make-up, undies and clothes from the night before...

So, I'm still trying to put my thoughts in order about what it means to casually hook-up with someone. The Romantic side of my brain is screaming at me to make a move and call Cutie and ask if we should meet again and the practical side of my brain is saying "Mmm. That scratched an itch, and that was that. If he calls, he calls, but otherwise: let's see what else is out there, I like this game!"I'm letting the practical side win this argument for the time being. Although I feel my fingers itch to write a ridiculously happy blog post about waking up next to someone I am crazy about and describing what their hand feels like in mine, etc, etc etc... I already have another date lined up for tomorrow morning with a ridiculously hot looking guy who's European with a healthy dash of middle-eastern and looks like he packs a huge, um, camera in his facebook photo.

Jeesh, 25 is rip-roaring and I've only just started! September isn't even over yet! I remember last year when I was writing about how pretty the fluffy white clouds looked and Mr. Hazel shooting me a look in the cafe. Now, I've got Camera Man for brunch tomorrow and I'm still busy finishing up drooling over the Cutie I met in Williamsburg. Single is fun if in the right mind-set, right?