It wasn't in the stars

Date number two with the nervous guy (the one that almost tripped down the stairs from "Date 5: One spark lights a fire") didn't go so well. It started out swimmingly! I arrived almost five minutes early (hard for me to do), I was wearing my new favorite knee high boots - knock offs of my favorite Frye pair - and I was excited for his restaurant choice (Daniel's Broiler). That's about where everything started swimming down a sink hole.

I pulled into the perfect parking spot and was about to get out of the car when, WHAM, the person next to me hit my car door. As I approached the front door of Daniel's, the smell of perfectly cooked steaks and delicious martinis in the air, I could see that the other guests seriously upstaged my jeans and boots with fancy formal wear. As I sat in the foyer silently giving myself a jeans-and-boots-are-OK -at-Daniel's-ego-boost I glanced at my date's text confirming the date and realized I was at the wrong restaurant! His reservations were at the much older and much less popular Daniel's Broiler in Leschi (not the beautiful one on the Union Bay waterfront, but maybe he was going for quiet and romantic?!). I called to let him know the situation and that I would be a little late and he was very apologetic and still seemingly excited to see me.

Thirty minutes later I arrived at the Leschi Daniel's to be greeted by a slouched- over date already finishing his second beer. I felt bad for being late and his absent greeting made my arrival a little awkward - but maybe the two beer start would calm his nerves? The date had started on the wrong foot, but I was willing to push it aside to have a good time.

However, the conversation was lacking. It felt like I was trying too hard to keep it going and I could hear my fake-laugh more often than my real laugh - not a good sign. I thought I was being convincingly, genuinely interested until the waiters started giving me looks and standing behind my date pointing to martinis and mouthing "you need one of these!" Yikes! Apparently the date didn't catch on because he asked me out again. I declined.

The sad part is there is nothing horrible about this guy. He is smart, attractive, probably has a fun side somewhere, loves his family, enjoys his career and the list goes on and on. This seems to be a common theme with all of the guys I've recently dated. And some of them I can imagine being good friends with and possibly dating a friend. But is it socially acceptable to recommend your date to a friend? If so, let me know if you're interested, I'll send you his number!!