The RN: Two First Dates

I went on my first two first-dates this week. I can't say that I was impressed by either date. I told The Peach a few weeks ago that I wasn't any good at dating. She assured me that I was full of crap, but I'm not sure. After talking about my dates with The Window Shopper, she said she wasn't sure how I ended up going on two dates and neither of them had any real spark.

The first first-date I went on was on Wednesday. He was actually really nice, but there was definitely no spark. I don't think I'm super picky, but his teeth didn't touch each other on the top row. I just kept wondering all night "Why does he still have baby teeth?". I couldn't get past the teeth; they were a little distracting.

We a had a nice dinner and then walked to get ice cream afterwards. I felt a lot of the conversation was forced and the topics seemed odd. He's a photographer and I'm an engineer; maybe we just don't talk about the same things. I'm still not sure how we got on the topic of exes on a first date; that seems like the last thing we should have been talking about. Needless to say, I was not really comfortable with the conversation, but I wasn't sure how to change the topic without being awkward. Oddly, somehow I think that was still the better date - at least he paid for dinner.

The second-first date was on Friday. I'd been advised I shouldn't be going on first dates on Fridays, but with only being home for four days between trips, there weren't a lot of options. First, it was near his place, so I had to rush to get there after work. Second, I had to drive on 66 and then, since I HATE driving in the city, I had to take the Metro. Third, I somehow still beat him to the restaurant. And, to top it all off, he expressed surprise that I showed up on time. Really? Just because I'm a girl, I'm supposed to be late? I must have missed the memo (eye rolling). Then he wasn't sure if we should eat dinner or not. Um, it's 6:30pm and I've just rushed from work to meet you. Yes, I would like some food; it's dinner time.

The place we went was packed, which didn't really bother me ... until he said, "I've never seen it this busy before." Wait, have you not been here on Friday night before? You picked the place. It's Friday and we're near a college: Of course it's busy! At least the conversation was far less forced. We talked about nerd stuff most of the night and he understood what I was talking about. Then, near the end of the evening, when the check came, I offered to help pay - my mom taught me that it was polite to always offer - and he took me up on it. It's not like I care that much about the cost (dinner and dessert was only $26 with tip - yeah, it was that nice of a place), but if you ask me out shouldn't you pay? The Window Shopper said I shouldn't have even offered, but I usually do since that's what my mom taught me.

Not that it has been that long, but neither of them have messaged or texted since. I'm pretty much okay with that. With the awkwardness and the no spark, I'm not interested in really seeing either of them again. 

Maybe I am bad at this whole dating thing.