Attentiveness

You know it's bad when people at the wine tasting who don't even know the back story comment on you. My BFFs & I were enjoying the current selections & waiting to taste the wines in the back room when my Purgatory Buddy, SM walks into the shop. He waves at me when he enters & I continue to chat with my friends, knowing that eventually he'll come over--what I didn't realize was that he'd make a bee-line for me & begin to caress my back. Talk about a tell to the entire store. My BFF(A) said that he was quite obvious. She has always had a problem with SM--didn't think he & I should be involved, didn't trust him, etc., but she even said he earned points for his attentiveness. Needless to say, I was quite taken aback especially after Thursday night--I had come off of that evening with a bit of a sense of awkwardness; I had felt that I may have said a few things that bespoke attachments, etc. and wasn't sure if I'd said too much. Apparently I didn't need to worry.

My BFFs & I had been planning to make this a short visit because we had plans to go to another wine tasting where there was a big party--plus BFF(A) & I had 6:30 PM deadlines--her son had a game & I had to meet the rest of my family for dinner at a great restaurant called Cinghiale. (super food & a great Chianti--I highly recommend it). Ah--the best laid plans....

We all stand around waiting to go into the back room & chatting, drinking wine & it was so funny--both SM & I found as many opportunities as possible to touch each other in some way, and not in any overtly sexual way either--like I said, dating purgatory--it's just not public knowledge about us yet except for the folk who knew from the start; i.e., my BFFs. One of the other regulars pegged it--he looked at the both of us & said, "looks like you two need a room." I think we both must have blushed but we didn't move apart either.

Finally we all go into the back & sit & try several beautiful Cabernets as well as my most disliked varietal Merlot. The rep told me that "it would knock my panties off." My response was, "How do you know I don't go commando?" Anyway, I was very pleasantly surprised--it was good! In fact, I may buy it & add it to the only other Merlot in my cellar--one from South America. SM & I were sitting at one end of the row of chairs, then my BFFs & then unfortunately some dude who reeked of the 70's--Old Spice Redux! It killed our palates for the most part. SM & I were the most spared but it wafted our way & SM remarked to me that it was difficult to appreciate the red current & licorice of the Cab when a bad 70's movie was playing in the background.

As we are trying to leave, my BFFs made some purchases, SM & I talk about future plans--dinner Thursday & Eric Lindell in a few weeks. Again, I wish things weren't so complicated with him right now--I know things will change very soon but it's getting harder to be patient.

On my way down to meet my family, late of course, with a pissed-off mother, I stop to text SM (no texting while driving--I was in a parking lot). I said that I hoped I wasn't too silly. Instead of texting back he called me--my music was way too loud & I didn't feel the vibrate either. So eventually I checked my phone & saw he'd called--another level of familiarity. He said he liked that I could be silly & told me about the other wines that were offered after we'd left. I told him I was trying to find the restaurant, which he knew of course, & how late I was. We said good-bye and I just had to stop for a moment & enjoy the fact that maybe finally I had found someone with the right level of sophistication again--with the added plus of being a oenophile. The Bull was not a wine-lover, but he did appreciate world foods & had that level of sophistication that I crave. The last guy I went out with--the one who felt that I could drop by whenever I wanted, truly was lacking in world-sophistication--I knew I'd run circles around him & get awfully bored. This is not being snobby, just that I need to have a convo with a man who knows the difference between curry & galangal. SM gets it & I am cautiously optimistic again....