Double Jeopardy?

Nine days on eH and I’ve already turned off matching … I think this is a good sign!

Mac and I had our first date on Sunday night after engaging in nearly two hours of hilarious pre-date banter via Gmail chat. We were supposed to meet for lunch on Tuesday, but with the conversation flowing so well, we decided to jump the gun and meet that night instead. Right off the bat, I found him attractive and very easy to talk to. I dig his very sharp, clever, sarcastic sense of humor and we really seem to match wits and have excellent banter together. Dinner was great, although our waiter kept hovering over me and presenting me with extra plates of rice (long story!) which led to a funny conversation about which one of us the waiter was hot for. (Jury’s still out on that one!) We were the last diners to leave the restaurant, and in the parking lot we talked about taking a walk in a nearby park before saying good night. But I’ll be honest, there was huge chemistry between Mac and I, and I really just wanted to be alone with him for a while. ;-) So when he mentioned that his place was about a five minute drive away, I threw caution to the wind and said yes.

Now, before you shake your head and say “BittenChick, what were you thinking?” — I know, it was a bold move. But I felt comfortable and at ease around him, and we’d previously discussed things like when sex is appropriate (in the scheme of a dating) so I knew that nothing naughty would be occurring. And true to both of our words, we spent the next three hours or so on his couch, progressively escalating kino until we were cuddled up pretty well together — and still, he hadn’t tried to make a move. Finally I saw the time (Sunday had become Monday, I’ll leave it at that!) and I said that I should get going. And then a wonderful first kiss, which led to, um, several more … Yes, I left with my “innocence” in tact (hehe) but you could say that his make out skills were tested thoroughly and earned two solid thumbs up! ;-)

However, the next day things started to get tricky, as both Ozzy and Mac wanted to spend more time together, and it was difficult to orchestrate things without seeming sketchy. So I saw Ozzy on Tuesday night, Mac on Wednesday night, and plans are in the works to see Ozzy tonight (Thursday) and Mac tomorrow. Yes, I realize this could be all kinds of trouble, and both of them have said enough to suggest that they’re interested in dating exclusively, so I know that the possibility is out there. In the middle of all this, Match guy (whom I’m now calling Toby, like the character from The Office, because he seems kinda dull and doesn’t laugh much), he called and asked me out for next Friday. I accepted, since the date was a little ways off, but I’m wondering if by next week I’ll even be interested in meeting someone new.

Now here’s my quandary when it comes to “choosing” whom I’d rather spend more time with … I like Mac and Ozzy a lot. They both have some awesome qualities. I have minor caveats in both directions (as we all do when first meeting someone). But on top of the personal comparisons comes the credo that I repeatedly told myself when I was signing up for these dating sites:

I don’t necessarily want to find “the one”, I just want to meet new people and have a great time!

I realize that might seem contradictory, especially since a site like eH is marketed more towards the “I’m looking to settle down” crowd. And now BittenChick, the idealist romantic (no matter how much I try to squelch those tendencies!), she’s got two dudes who are looking for relationships, and no amount of advice from Dr. Warren or Dr. Phil can help her now. ;-)

Yeah I know, throw a pity party, right? It’s hardly anything to complain about. I’m just a little confused. I could let them both go and be alone and sad about them (but still a “free spirit”), or I could pursue something that deep down I think I really do want. And in that case, I do feel a strong leaning towards Mac. Although Ozzy is a wonderful person, he’s almost too accommodating, too interested in being an “us”, too … nice! And I hate to use that word, because “nice guys finish last” and all. But there’s another lesson learned, fellas — girls respond better to being challenged and kept off balance a little! As much as we say we hate the games, the uncertainty, the ambiguity — I think the sense of being challenged is intoxicating and intriguing. Mac keeps me entertained and leaves me guessing just a bit, whereas Ozzy gives me the impression that he’d entertain my desires and tell me anything I wanted to know, without there being any mystery …

So I don’t know, we’ll see how the next few dates work out, but by next week I think a decision will need to be made. And in the meantime, the Match profile is hidden and eH matching is off. They say that good things come to those who wait, but I think sometimes a good thing can be right in front of your face. And if I blink, I don’t want to miss it. ;-)