the crush, pt. ii

Post, pt. II: Date?

When Xxxx got back, she emailed me right away. I suggested since I was coming back the following week, we should meet for drinks some night. I left the invitation kinda open ended; it could’ve been a date, it could’ve been the three of us again. But, she agreed and didn’t include Monica in the plans.

We emailed back and forth the whole week – she can write like the dickens, dropping words like ‘valkyrian’ and ‘petrichor’ (lookitup!) without a second thought. Eventually, we decided to go see Stereolab and Manitoba.

We were to meet at a hip Indie bar (aren’t they all) that’s got some weird Moroccan theme to distinguish it from a hip Indie dive bar. I can’t remember the name. In my eagerness for the maybe-date, I got there 5 minutes early. Sat at the bar and tried to exude an aura of calm and cool. Maintained it for about 10 minutes. Then started to frantically checking my phone for messages and reception.

Xxxx got there 2 sips into my second beer. She explained: As she really doesn’t know Seattle, she’d gone to the wrong bar. She realized her mistake only after she’d parked and walked in. She mentioned that she passed the Showbox on the way over, and they sold the show out.

After a drink and some discussion about the Moroccan interior, we agreed to go indie kid watching at a few Capitol Hill bars and just while the night away.

Since she’s a writer, and a people watcher and generally an observer of the human condition, we went to the next place, Linda’s, which might just have the best jukebox in the world. It was packed with the skinny boys and girls with ironic t-shirts, so we had to stand at the end of the bar, by the server/bartender interaction zone.

We got a couple of drinks and then proceeded to deconstruct, snark and admire the crowd from our corner vantage point. Wondered if they were doing the same to us. (Despite my long hair and skinniness, I don’t think that I have Indie Cred.)

At some point, nature called, so I turned, took 2 steps, and was in the john. Did my business. Checked my hair. When I came out of the bathroom, my possible date was talking to the guy next to her at the bar.