My First First Date in Utah

I had the date with Paul my second day in Utah. He worked half a day that day, so it worked out just fine. We met that afternoon after work. I was going to take the bus and meet him somewhere in public, Cindy told me to let him pick me up at the house. Lil one was home. I didn't want her exposed to all that. Plus, chances were very high nothing was going to come out of Paul and I. Cindy seemed eager to see Paul, so I was like, well alright! I'll have him pick me up here, which he did! I was still tired from the trip but I tried. I had a black dress on and not so high high heels on. I was the last one to see him. Cindy and the lil one were in the living room, peaking through the winders already #embarrassing. "Baba, is that your boyfriend, Baba?', asked Lil one. I was like, nope, he's not! #awkward

Paul got out of the car, oh my! He shook my hand and opened the door up for me. The smoke of cigarette! In all of my days, I had never smelt such an intense smell of cigarette in a closed space like that. And that for somebody who used to work in a bar and owned one before too! Yeah, my brother and I owned a bar aka tavern when we were teenagers, he had to quit drinking for us to make it work though, which he did. Story for another day!

He took me to a nice Mexican restaurant called Red Iguana. Apparently, it's so good, people come from all over the country to eat there. The food was divine! I had a little bit. and took the rest home. I didn't mean to do a Mae but I wasn't hungry. He sat across from me, his nose was running, the eyes are constantly tearing up, I think that's just his thing though, it had nothing to do with the spice in the food because, he was tearing up even when he picked me up, the mouth is watering, it was a hot mess of floods all over his face. I was ready to get outta there from the get go! It was packed too! He took his time and finished his food. While I was thinking of things to talk about. It was like pulling teeth. Nothing in common at all. That, by far, made my top three most awkward dates. And you know me, I go on a lot of first dates! The most awkward was with a man who used to message my sister online in Johannesburg. I finally agreed to meet up with him. He had been buying me juice for my phone (airtime) for months, I felt obliged to go out with him. Another story for another day!

Apparently, Paul knows the owner of the Iguana, in fact, everybody there knows him. They kept coming to say hi at the table. Really awkward, him and his teary eyes and running nose and all round wet face and me with my youth and my red lipstick. I did my best to channel the not a prostitute in me. I doubt that worked though. On our way out, the boss came in, he took me over to her and introduced me, Lawdy!

From the restaurant, he asked if I wanted to go anywhere in particular. I wish guys would plan the date before hand and not ask girls where they wanna go on a first date. What if I wanted to go to Vegas? You know! Anyway, He told me about a new mall in Salt Lake City, less than five years old, one of the most expensive malls in the country. Then he took me to the mall. Later on, when I got back home, I found out that's not the mall he told me about. He decided to take me to a small shopping centre and not to the one he was telling me about as we were driving to the mall. Anyway, I had a nice time there, besides all the times he was trying to hold my hand and  I kept keeping my hand occupied by either scratching where it wasn't itching or just fidgeting, anything not to hold hand with Paul. They have a Victoria's Secret store, right there in your face. I couldn't not go in, so I went! The last VS Store I went to was the first one I went to in Sand Diego with Perry. Paul was still trying to hold hands in the store, I was just like, oh heeeeyyyylll naw! As if it's not weird enough that I'm in here with you! I'm sure he needed a cigarette the entire time haha! Or a sniff in his car, which smelt stronger than one cigarette.

From the mall, he took me for a spin around Salt Lake City. It was very nice of him. Apparently, he was enjoying my company. Even though he hardly ever said anything the entire time we were together. I had to come up with things to talk about. He took me all the way to the Salt Lake, it's a huge lake, it reminded me of the salt dams or whatever as you enter Port Elizabeth from Grahamstown Direction. He took me home, thereafter. He dropped me in front of the house and gave me a hug. I made sure my mouth was as far away as possible. Just in case.

We exchanged a few texts thereafter but nothing could come of it. He was too serious on text but really had nothing to say to me in person and we had nothing in common. You can't be that old and have nothing to say. Tell me about your past, your life, your experiences, something, anything!