It's about time

C is a random male acquaintance, the friend of my former roommate Rick and his husband Phil. Some years ago we met at one of their frequent house parties in Somerville.

C is in his late 30s and works in insurance, an Italian-American who talks like it and lives in the North End. We were introduced that night while getting ready to leave, finishing beer from bottles while standing on the curb. I can't remember our conversation, other than it was pleasant. C himself was pleasant. He would give a date's mother warm fuzzies by dint of his sheer gentlemanliness. And he was single.

A-ha! (You surely say.)

But we're talking a Rick and Phil party. I expect to meet other gay men, other single women, and couples. If I have been at a party hosted by gay men and single straight men were in attendance, I don't recall having met them.

So I automatically assumed C fit the typical profile and thought no further of it. Years passed.

Fast-forward to 2007, to Rick and Phil's wedding at the Somerville Holiday Inn. I re-met C in the cocktail line, non-alcoholic tonic in hand. Our circle of gay men and straight women welcomed him to eat with us, and he quickly became a focal point: collectively, we couldn't figure out why this well-dressed, social man in his late-30s was single. Was he gay and not sharing....or just shy? A workaholic with no time for dates? Or still just figuring things out?

So what else for all of us to do, but spend the entire dinner, dance, and after-dance---really, 7 hours fueled by vodka cocktails---making bets about and efforts toward who he might snag: the single men or the single ladies.

Turns out C snagged neither. After charming us all, he drank his tonic, shunned the dancing and was the first to leave. But was still a really nice guy.....just a nice guy who gave no clue.

However, in my efforts to get him on the dance floor, I did procure a business card, and since then we have had sporadic, non-commital contact. I was once in a Fourth of July crowd at his decidely bachelor apartment. Last year he chipped in towards my Boston Marathon charity-team fundraiser.

So here we are in the present. And C's address showed up unexpectedly in my inbox 2 days ago, sparking the following back-and-forth:

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From: C
Sent: Sunday, February 1, 2009, 4:48 PM
To: Karin
Subject: RE: Karin running the Boston Marathon

Hey, wonderful to hear from you! Of course I will sponsor you! And remember my advice from last year: play to your strengths!

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From: Karin
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 11:39 AM
To: C

C__! That's awfully kind of you. Yes, you need to start harassing Rick/Phil to throw another party so we have an excuse to hang out. I was set to go to their place on New Year's and had some snafus that prevented it.

I hope you are well, and thanks again!

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From: C
Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009, 10:02 PM
To: Karin

Sounds good. I made my donation already. I didn't make their NYE party either. But maybe if you have some free time, we could meet up for coffee somewhere. I mean really, do two heterosexuals need two gay men to bring them together?

Good point, C.

So......he answered one question without being asked. The second question....single or not?.....is up for discussion if and when he follows through. And if he does, the third question....would this be a date? And then what?

No matter then what. What fun! My friends will be so jealous....

(And, it's about time!)