So we ordered a second round of drinks and I looked across the table at her. When I had asked her out initially, I had thought she was pretty cute, but I hadn't really studied her closely. She had sort of an understated figure and didn't accentuate it much with the clothing she wore at the office. She had worn jeans and a tank top when she came to meet me, which was perfectly reasonable on this warm summer evening, but the outfit certainly brought out more of her feminine charms. Tonight she was actually better than merely cute. She was
damn
cute verging on hot. Anyway, the drinks arrived, a White Russian for her and an India Pale Ale for me.
She had been telling me about a guy she had dated that she had worked with at her previous job that she said had stalked her after she broke up with him for seeing another woman behind her back. "I don't get guys like that." She said. "Why do guys do that? He was the one who wanted to be exclusive and I agreed, but if we had decided not to be, I wouldn't have had anything to say about it if he dated other women."
I said. "I think a lot of guys can get possessive about women pretty quickly. Not fall in love, mind you, but want to stake a claim. I don't think a guy even has to like a woman to act like that."
She slapped the table making the liquid in our glasses shake. "Yes! What is
that
about?"
"Yeah, we all suck. A bunch of misogynists. But tell me, would you really have not been upset?"
She met my eyes. "Did you know that there is no male counterpart to that word?" I couldn't help but notice that she hadn't answered my question.
"What word?"
"Misogynist. It means woman-hater, but there is no word for man-hater."
"So what about it?"
"I'm just saying."
"Oh." A beat of silence. "Did you know that there is no neuter singular form of the word 'cattle'?"
"So what?"
"I'm just saying." I grinned mischievously.
She smirked at me. I had derailed her rhetorical gambit, but she still thought I was cute. With two drinks I was, but I would be pushing my luck with three.
"So," I said, "have I spent enough time being witty and charming?"
"Enough time for what?"
"For us to cut the crap and go to your place and fuck."
I'll give her credit, she didn't lose the smile. She was challenged, not offended. "It's only cute if
I
say something like that. It's creepy if the guy does."
"That hardly seems fair."
"Life's not fair."
"You're dodging the question."
"What question?"
"Are we going to fuck?"
"Do you really have to use that word? Most people say 'make love'."
"That seems kind of dishonest. We have only known each other for a few days. We know we are attracted to each other, but love has yet to blossom between us."
"How do you know I'm attracted to you?"
"Well, you agreed to go out with me for drinks and before that you had paid me all kinds of attention. You got me a cookie without me even asking.
"And a cookie equals attraction?"
"In the right context. You also touch my arm when we talk or my knee when we are sitting. That's a sign for sure. Look, you have said everything except 'yes' or 'no'."
"Kind of a lot of pressure there. I think I'm still undecided."
I shook my head. "No you're not. You're just enjoying playing with me. You knew the answer before you decided to go out with me."
"Well, what if I say yes? What happens then?"
"What do you think? Are you going to try to convince me you're a virgin?"
She laughed. "No, but what are your expectations? Are you going to get possessive and stalk me?"
"Wow, you are giving me credit for patience that I just don't have."
She smiled broadly. "I think that you have made the impatience pretty clear."
I had to laugh at that one. "I guess I have at that. I'm not one to waste a lot of time."
"So you think the game of mutual seduction is a waste of time? I think that for me it's one of the fun parts."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, it has its points and I enjoy it sometimes too...when the lady needs convincing. I don't think you do."
"Because I have already made up my mind."
"Exactly."
"You seem pretty sure of yourself."