On Kissing in Parking Lots

I spent a certain amount of time getting kissed in parking lots yesterday.

Went to lunch at Misal with Bob – that's him at left. (He's the cute grown-up, not the cute boy). It was a mildly nervous, chatty hour. He looked very much the art professor, with his scruff of beard and suede jacket over a nubbly brown sweater. After lunch he walked me out to my car and kissed me in the parking lot. I think it's the first time I've been kissed, really kissed – sober and in broad daylight – in a public place, in about five years. I probably turned the color of a radish.

I came back to work and felt like everyone was looking at me. I have to laugh at myself. There's something about sobriety that makes the whole experience much more significant somehow. I mean, drunk, you'll kiss anyone, let anyone kiss you, and think nothing of it. Possibly not even remember it clearly. But sober, and in broad daylight, in front of God and everyone. And being kissed, not being the one doing the kissing.... it's a whole different deal. Aren't I learning lots of new things every day?

Then after work I went to the Jacobson House to "rehearse" for the theatrical performance Jin roped me into. I play, as I think I mentioned, the Shrieking Maid in this reinactment of an evening in the home of Oscar Jacobson with the Kiowa Five in 1930. I have not other responibilities, other than opening the door, seeing the Indians there in full regalia, and running screaming into the kitchen. The meeting took about an hour, and since I knew Gray was prepared to watch Grayson until 8, I met Bob for a drink at Louie's on the way home.

This is my third "date" with him in a week. But does it count as a date if it's just an hour long? Or do all three add up to one date? I don't know, but we had a couple of glasses of wine and then it was time for me to head back to the city. Again he walked me to my car, and again I got kissed in the parking lot. Is this where all women receive their first kisses in a new relationship? Much more of this and I'm going to become conditioned to expect to be smooched every time I go out to my car.

I was 16 minutes late picking up Grayson, and Gray was mad at me because he apparently had plans with Bethany. He didn't tell me that, though, to begin with, so I didn't feel too bad about running late. He gave me a line about how "For future reference, if we say a certain time, we mean a certain time." Whatever. It's so much easier for him to hook up with her – because he doesn't have G all week – that I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. He knew he had Grayson that evening, why did he make a plan for then? I'm actually a bit glad to give him the chance to experience the real challenges of single parenthood. Having Grayson every other weekend barely counts. He should try it for a couple of weeks in a row and see how creative he has to get. I bet he hasn't had any 1-hour dates.

I had a sitter arranged for this Friday, speaking of... so I could go to the Blue Door show again. But when I did the math I realized that the entire evening was going to cost me upward of $50. So I'm going to be obliged to cancel. I can't afford it. And I guess I'm not going to keep looking for new dates on Match. If I'm letting Bob smooch me in the parking lot, I guess I'll cancel the others for a while and see how this pans out.

So here I go again. Wish me luck.