When the Rain Stopped

Time for another male voice in The Diary of the Vixen Divorcee, don’t you think? My divorced friend, Mick, is here to provide it for us, with his tale of online dating. The brave man has gone where I haven’t dared to tread, yet.

After two years I’d moved on. I’d survived a public divorce, in which I had played a costarring role, the person who didn’t want it in the first place. I’d been the cuckolded husband, the last one in town to know, apparently the very last one. But that had been two years ago, and from what I’d eventually learned the extracurricular activities had maybe gone on two or three years before that.

I made a conscious decision not to date within my existing social network. That decision, and the intervening twenty-four months, had taught me bars and clubs weren’t the place to meet women, at least not for me. Maybe it was the sort of bars or clubs I went to, maybe it was the type of woman I was attracted to. I really don’t know, I only knew it wasn’t working.

Enter unsolicited advice from my friend, Wendy. “Give the online dating thingy a shot. You get to see what they look like, they get to check you out. You can explore mutual interests, see if you’d actually enjoy each other’s company beyond a glass of wine. Besides, if she thinks you’re a creep, she can just block your emails and move on. Look on the bright side, you can save whatever money you were spending trying to get women drunk on dollar shots.”

“I’m usually buying a glass of wine, it’s running about seven bucks a toss,” I replied.

“Whatever.”

The seven bucks drove home the wisdom of Wendy’s argument. I went on to tell her that I wasn’t cheap, but lately I’d found myself ordering someone a beverage, then three minutes after the drink arrived I was hearing a voice that screamed ‘flee the scene’. The next thing I knew I’d said something like, “Look, nice to meet you, enjoy your drink, but I’d better get going,” then I ran to my car.

“I’d like to hear their side,” Wendy said, unconvinced. “Just give the online thingy a try, okay?”

She wrote down three sites for me on the back of my business card and gave me a time frame. “We’ll meet here for monthly updates and I’ll want details, Mister. Oh, thanks for buying the drinks,” she said, then ran out the door.

I’d met a number of women over the following months, all different, all very nice and just now, all off my radar screen. Which was why, tonight found me sitting at the corner table of a trendy, little, Italian restaurant. I was waiting for my latest internet friend, Cindy, to appear. We’d actually been chatting back and forth for a number of months, but it seemed when Cindy was available I was not, or vice-versa. Still, online friends and all, we continued to chat back and forth three or four times a week, occasionally for just a sentence, more often for twenty or thirty minutes.

Two weeks ago, Cindy took the plunge and typed; “For God sake, this is insane. Send me your cell number and I’ll call, God knows you’re not getting the hint.”

Okay, I was dragged kicking, if not screaming, because I’m a guy and sometimes we just don’t get it. It has to be right out in front of us and then beating us over the head just to make sure. Anyway, the stage was set. I was here ten minutes early, Cindy was approaching the ten minutes stylishly late mark. I was watching out the window, waiting for her to appear. More than a little excited, a bit anxious, frightened, all of the above.

It had already been hot a week, then about three in the afternoon it began raining. Not hard, but enough so there were umbrellas, people hurrying with heads down. Windshield wipers were going and puddles had formed along the curbside. Despite the rain it was still hot.

I watched her crossing the street quickly, or at least as quickly as she dared wearing heels on wet pavement. She was wrapped in a black raincoat, blond hair shining, gorgeous skin, sparkling eyes. Her online pictures looked great, but she looked even better in the flesh. She walked past the window, glanced in as she went by, but didn’t see me. It wasn’t the sort of place where one jumped up and pounded on the glass at people outside.

A minute or twoNaked under the trench coat later she was led to my table by the young hostess.

“May I take your coat, ma’am?”

“No, I think I’ll just keep it, thanks.”

“Thinking of making a fast get away?” I said. I was standing, pulling out her chair.

She smiled, gave me a polite kiss on the cheek. Her eyes flashed as she gave the slightest shake of her hair just before she sat down.

“You want to toss that coat over the chair?” I indicated the empty chair wedged in the corner.

“No, I think I’ll keep it on if you don’t mind, at least for the moment,” she said

“Cindy, nice to finally meet you. I feel like we’re old friends. Wine?” I asked, sitting down and reaching for the bottle.

She nodded, looked around like she was sizing up the place and casually undid the top two buttons of her coat. She stared at me for a second then reached for her wine glass. I let my eyes linger for a brief moment at the gold crucifix dangling just above the top of her cleavage, no wonder he was looking down. I couldn’t recall us ever discussing anything religious.

We chatted, like two old friends finally seizing the chance to catch up. We drank some wine, then drank more wine and nibbled on an appetizer. I was enthralled, to be honest. Cindy was ever the lady, interesting, engaging, funny, gorgeous and apparently still cold because she kept the raincoat on.

“You sure you don’t want to throw that thing over the chair. It must be warm,” I said, and reached for the wine bottle.

The rain had stopped and the sun was out. The street was actually steaming with vapor, the air humid, everything suddenly felt hot.

Cindy smiled, her eyes seemed to flash, like she was in on some private joke, or, did she just find me exceedingly clever? We finished the bottle of wine, ordered two more glasses. By this point the late dinner crowd was coming in, short sleeve shirts, summer dresses, sandals. We continued chatting. I’d lost the exact count, but we were somewhere north of our fourth glass of wine.

“Your home isn’t all that far from here, is it?” she asked.

“No, as a matter of fact you can see it from the front door of this place. It’s just up the street.”

“I’d like to see it,” Cindy said, and began to push her chair out and stand.

I quickly threw some cash on the table, then held the shoulders of her coat to help slip it off since it was so hot and humid outside.

“Here, you’re going to roast, let me carry this,” I said.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she laughed.

“It’s really hot out there,” I replied, stepping round to face her.

She stood with her back to the restaurant, her eyes sparkled as she untied the belt from around her waist then slowly pulled her coat open. She flashed another smile, along with her perfect figure.

“Like?”

“Jesus Christ,” I blurted. My eyes raced up and down her naked figure, bugging out of my head. I was suddenly on severe sensual overload.
“Everything all right sir? Would you like anything else?” our server asked as she approached from a few tables behind Cindy.

Cindy continued to flash a smile along with herself, holding her raincoat wide open.

“Anything else?” Cindy whispered.

“Everything’s great,” I said, breathing heavily.

We left, quickly covering the distance to my house.

“Okay give me the full report on your latest online dating, Mister, and don’t tell me some woman showed up naked,” Wendy said the following week.

“Okay, I won’t, ” I replied, and kept the secret.

Amusingly provocative, don’t you think?

Sexually provocative, but also thought provoking. Ladies, would you do this on a first date? Gentleman, beyond the obvious, what would you think if a first date showed up like Cindy did?

18 thoughts on “When the Rain Stopped

  1. I guessed at the very least Cindy was dressed only in lingerie what with not taking her coat off. She either felt very comfortable and attracted to Mick or was very sex starved and needed some. I don’t think I could be that bold and frankly wreckless. You never really know who’s on the other side of a purely online relationship. But more interesting to know…what did Mick think and do or any other gentlemen who choose to respond here?

    • Hi Maryl: I echo your question in asking what the gentleman think. We’ve heard from Big Fan. How about hearing from some more of you? Mick, are you reading the comments? Would you care to add anything else about your thoughts?

  2. Hubby and I met on one of the top on-line sites 4 years ago … I think I was more of the keep the coat on to make a fast getaway if necessary thought … there are definitely loonies out there!

    It was Hubby who actually wore the trench coat and dark glasses … we met in the lounge at the hotel I worked at (safety in people I knew who would “look out for me” if there was an issue). He did have clothes on under the coat .. and the little ruse was actually pretty funny … a story for another time. We hit it off immediately – and here we are married after 4 years of dating.

    • Hi Itty Bitty: I look forward to the story that you’re saving for another time – maybe on your blog, boomer adventures?

  3. Hi Georgia,
    In the words of David Mathews

    Oh I watch you there
    through the window
    And I stare at you
    You wear nothing but you
    wear it so well
    tied up and twisted
    the way I’d like to be
    For you, for me, come crash
    into me Baby

    This is definitely a boys dream. First, Cindy was in complete control, a plus for many a male. She could have left at any time. The several months of internet talks would not provide much of a ” this person is a weirdo” screen but would help weed out the obvious pervert. The one on one time at the restaurant was the clincher for them both. After that much time, even “Mr. Goodbar” would have shown his true colors. In this oh so short journey we are on, there are times when adventure is the exact action needed. I can only imagine a good time was had by all.

    Fun read Georgia!

    BF

  4. Georgia,

    OK. I will admit that I picked my lover up from work one Spring Friday afternoon with nothing on but a coat. After exposing a little flesh to let him know I was toute nue, he begged me to get us home as soon and as safe as possible. In spite of my feeling oh so sexy, I was plagued by the worry of being stopped by the police or having the car break down. In spite of that, our finale destination was made and the outcome was… oh, you figure that out!!

    Fun story Georgia. Something tells me you have played the tart at least once in your life!! Could this be true??

    Andrea

  5. Hmmm. Guess I’m not ready for online dating. I am seriously interested in starting
    a new relationship but can’t imagine this scenario. Wearing a trench coat with
    nothing underneath? Doesn’t appear she is interested in a multl-dimensional
    connection. Me? I want more.

    • Hi Caryl: Thanks for your thoughts. Right now, I’m more interested in reading what others have to say, than I am in expressing my opinion. So far, it seems like opinion is weighing more on the side of this type of fun in the context of an established relationship.

  6. Well Georgia. It certainly makes for an entertaining story. And I’m guessing her mode of dress would have been an effective “stimulus package” for taking things in a sexual direction. But my question would be whether it was an enduring relationship. And if taking it so sexual so soon compromised that.

    Would love to know what she was thinking as she went into this meeting. And how the relationship developed from there.

    Perhaps Mick might be induced to spill a few more beans.

    • Hi Karl Friedrich: Mick seems to be maintaining his silence, doesn’t he? I’m stll hoping he’ll weigh in on some of these questions.

  7. Well. Has me currious. (My character does not have opinions, just questions.) Might this approach be more effective in spicing up a long time relationship than in establishing one?

    • Hi Currious: Check out my response to Caryl – for now, I’m most interested in what other readers have to say

    • Hi Maxwell: Come back in a day or two. Maybe I’ll answer you and Andrea then.

  8. …on-line dating after divorce, first must be fun, if nothing else than to prove to self that it is still OK. Speaking from experience, the first steps in this direction were totally exploratory, not at all certain where it would take me. So the idea of a long overdue fling from the trench coat is definitely exiting and a boy’s fantasy. After a year or so of exploring, then one can get down to searching out a relationship for long term. And then the trench coat might scare me off, maybe…
    Just too many other things to count to say for certain. Cindy clearly had a plan and was assertive which I treasure. Was nice to see she hadn’t played that naked card first off and then get up to exit after teasing her way through 4 glasses of wine!
    Funny how well I could imagine this entire story just form your writing.