The First Date

March 26, 2025 – Michael was my 3rd out of the six dates that I had signed up for with a professional matchmaking company. While they didn’t give refunds, I was able to gift my remaining three dates to a friend of a friend who, buoyed by my success story, was ready to give dating a shot after being divorced for 5 years. On our first date, set for 1 pm on a Saturday, I walked through the wide open doors into A’s, a sexy restaurant in Crystal Cove, at exactly 1:03 pm (on time but not too eager :)) and approached the hostess stand. I knew the drill: go to the hostess and tell them you have a reservation under the name Regina. This was my matchmaker who chose the location for the date and the man I was about to meet. I had been here once before but it was at night filled with beautiful people and the cocktails were flowing. It was still beautiful and sexy in the daytime with the big wide doors open to let in the sunshine, the ocean breeze and the ocean view, but it was quiet and relatively empty.

Walking through the doors, the big beautiful round bar is an architectural piece of art that fills the whole center of the restaurant. The bar rises up high to the ceiling, fanning out so it feels like you are sitting under a giant lighted lily pad. When I gave the hostess the name, she smiled at me in a way that made me suspect that she knew that this was a blind date (I cringed inside just a bit). As she walked me slowly away from the hostess stand and into the restaurant I was scanning the room, looking for a man seated alone at a table, hoping to catch a glimpse before I actually met him, but I only saw a few couples and a group of women. Confusion was beginning to come over me. Where was he? Had I arrived before him (a definite red flag)? What if I was being stood up (oh God how embarrassing)?

When she headed toward the bar a good-looking man with a full head of gray hair and gray scruff on his face stood up, threw his shoulders back, puffed up his chest and stood grinning at me. It hadn’t even occurred to me that he might be at the bar. I had only received a summary of his interests before I agreed to go out with him, and then only his 1st name 2 hours before the date. No chance of Googling. I basically knew nothing about this man but I couldn’t help but give him a big smile back – he was so….happy. 

He later told me that he saw me the minute I walked through the door and fell in love with me before I even reached him at the bar. I used to make him tell me the story of the first time we met over and over again. You can see how I was like a ridiculous teenager falling in love. Whatever, I still swoon over our first date story and knowing that he was so sure of me so soon. 

After about an hour and a half of getting to know each other, he declared that he could spend the rest of the day with me, but my introverted side had only allotted 2 hours for our first date (that seemed like plenty of time to sit with a perfect stranger, right?!). I told him that I had to go pick up my daughter from dance but that I could meet up again after that. 

Two hours talking to him had gone by really quickly, he talked a lot but I enjoyed his company and I really wanted to kiss him. I hadn’t been properly kissed in a very long time and he seemed really kissable. Plus he smelled really good. We exchanged numbers and I said I would call when I was back home. 

When I called Michael to figure out where we were going to meet for the 2nd part of our 1st date, Michael was clear that he didn’t want to meet at a restaurant again. He was highly skilled at the dating game and later explained that he didn’t want alcohol to distract us from getting to know one another. I suggested we meet at Big Corona Beach – my favorite place to watch a sunset.  We took off our shoes, crossed the sand and walked out to the end of the jetty to watch the sunset. We sat on the concrete wall and snuggled our bare feet together under his jacket to keep warm. I don’t remember anything about the sunset. I just kept wondering when was he going to kiss me?? As we were walking back down the jetty after the sunset he did kiss me.

At the end of what I call our “2nd-1st date” I had no idea where this was going to lead but I did know that I really like kissing him and that I wanted to see him again.

Walked in expecting you’d be late
But you got here early and you stand and wave
I walk to you

You pull my chair out and help me in
And you don’t now how nice that is
But I do
— Taylor Swift

xo,

Renee