Citrine

Thursday night, Citrine held PRE, their after work happy hour launch party. They were serving complimentary specialty cocktails from 6-8pm so I invited Reba and Cate to join me for some girlie free drinking.

My date, who had yet to touch my elbow, two dates in was meeting me there post work.
While the girls were getting refills, a group of three guys with suspiciously fake names sidled up to me and make conversation. Forbes, the cutest and friendliest of the group, complimented my smile while Basil and Davien mostly mocked me--perhaps a negging attempt?

Over the course of the evening Forbes and I made faces at each other across the bar and found excuses to bump into one another. My date's arrival altered nothing.

As I craftily walked over to the edge of the bar where Forbes stood to get my last refill, my date close behind me, Forbes put his arm around my waist and asked if he could give me his number. I pointed to his charging blackberry and said I was amenable to giving him mine. My date, at this point, feigned ignorance and went back to stand far from the bar and chat with Cate.

F came by to say bye before he left the place. Shortly thereafter my date and I headed to Slate for a few drinks he paid for--surprising since shortly thereafter he explained to me that he was cheap citing as an example his frequent arguments with his roomie/older bro for purchasing groceries that go bad. I frowned but tried to keep a judgement free face. Next up he name dropped his mom half a dozen times. I had long begun ignoring his similarities to Shiv (except Shiv is NOT cheap) but his mannerisms and expressions in conjunction with Mommy Love pushed it over the edge. I knew then and there I couldn't see him again.

As I was about to lament this reality, I was the happy recipient of texts from Forbes. His persistence and flirtexting were a pleasant salve to the death of this non-relationship. Took two dates but best to know it's not going anywhere before he actually tried to touch my elbow. Sigh.