(If you haven’t read Part One, click here)
As we’re seated in the fancy lounge area on a comfy couch made of velvet, a waitress approaches us and leaves us the cocktail menu.
The room is occupied by tourists speaking other languages, families that look like they just walked off of a Ralph Lauren Ad, a group of friends, another group of older, wealthy couples, and people on dates.
Several times I catch people sitting nearby staring at us, and I can’t figure out if they’re trying to figure out who we are or what. Celebrities frequent this hotel, so perhaps the out-of-towners are curious. This does happen frequently to me, however, and just the other night at a charity event someone asked if I was on TV. Hmmm. Anyways…
It’s definitely “First Date Jitters” happening, and we’re both a bit nervous, as expected. We make small talk, and he orders us both some wine when she returns.
He asks great questions and we continue to find out that we have even more in common. Some quite interesting things pop up.
He asks, “Where’s the #1 place you want to travel to in the world?”
Without hesitation, I respond with confidence, “Dubai! I’ve been obsessed for years.”
He’s SHOCKED because he admits that’s the #1 place he has on his list! Weird.
We learn that he we both play piano, and played percussion in band during high school.
I learn that he was very involved in mentoring kids in schools back home in Alabama, that he was a season ticket holder to the Atlanta Hawks, and that he has three older sisters who he’s very close to.
He was married for 12 years, but divorced back in 2010. I learn that she had a small town mentality, which is fine, but not when she knew he was meant for bigger things and therefore tried to hold him back.
We can definitely relate on this one.
He tells me he thinks I’m amazing, and up until that moment, didn’t think I was real.
“Real??” I ask. “I’m real and sitting right here in front of you!”
He admits to deleting his OkCupid profile earlier that morning, and hoped that meeting me tonight would actually happen. I guess something about my profile and pics was “too good to be true.” 🙂
We chat for a long time about life and his move to Los Angeles and why this all happened for him.
Typically, everyone who moves here has a dream they’re pursuing. This guy has quite the story already.
He’s an engineer who works remotely from home. He has two major clients (think big govt contracts) which pay him very well, however his heart is in being a writer.
He decided to give it a shot awhile ago and ended up being hired by a magazine to write for them. They loved his stuff and that lead to him being put in contact with CAA – one of the world’s largest agent/manager companies that represents top talent in the entertainment industry.
Apparently, he had written two screenplays (aka – movie scripts) that these guys really loved and made him an offer to come work for them.
They flew HIM out to Los Angeles and put him up until he finds a place to live. As of that day we met, he had just signed on with an Agent at CAA. Amazing! He’s already off to a great start, and has accomplished something most people in LA work towards their whole life and never see come to fruition.
I’m totally impressed, and loving how ambitious this guy is.
We talk about our families and other things we like to do for fun, and then it’s getting late for him because he’s still on CST and hasn’t adjusted.
He pays for the bill and we head towards valet to pick up my/his car.
As I pull up to his hotel to drop him off, he mentions I should come hang out with him some more. A bit surprised because I thought he was tired, I agree and am happy because I really didn’t want the night to end so soon.
He’s still quite the gentleman and kind of distant physically, so I’m feeling comfortable with that. Definitely not affectionate. I get the sense he’d still like to continue the great conversation.
We take the elevators up to his room.
We enter and after I set my purse down on the desk, make my way over to the balcony outside. He opens the door and we step out onto his balcony, with the most amazing view! We’re right in the middle of the hotel and can view beautiful fountains across the way, and the glorious CAA glass office building right across the street where hours earlier he shook hands with several gentlemen and struck a deal with his future.
We both love nice cars and he points out this ridiculous Range Rover parked outside, below the hotel in valet. He had told me he heard it earlier and that it must have a custom V12 engine in it – it sounded like a Lamborghini, he said! Crazy. And definitely a sick car.
We stay out on the balcony for awhile longer. The conversation is so easy and comfortable.
We come back inside and since there’s no couch, we both make our way to the bed. I see a magazine he’s picked up that says, “The Top 25 Things to Do in Los Angeles” and instantly get excited. Since I’ve told him I’d be happy to be his tour guide, I start flipping through it.
He’s laying on the very farrrrr edge of the bed, away from me. It’s cute. We’re like in Junior High, afraid to get too close to each other…lol.
He turns on the TV and we continue to talk, watch the show, flip through the magazine, etc. We’re laughing and flirting a bit, and he’s still asking great questions here and there.
It’s super comfortable. And the tension just melts away.
All of a sudden we hear a loud car engine start up outside the window. We BOTH immediately jump off the bed and run to the balcony, saying, “THAT’S IT!!!!”
We laugh as we quickly open the patio door and sure enough, look down to see that new Range Rover with the V12 engine started up in valet. We watch (and listen) as the guy who owns it drives off down the street below us. The sound is ridiculous! (and one that I absolutely love)…
We both laugh at the fact that we immediately both jumped up and went to go look at the same time….lol. Two peas in a pod.
The bed beckons again and we resume our positions, but this time a bit closer.
I’m finding awesome things we can go do in this magazine, and he’s excited about future plans I name off that sound interesting to him.
He’s back to watching TV and at one point I look at him and he’s watching me.
He asks, “If you could be anywhere, where would it be?”
I hesitate for a second, but only because the answer that immediately came to my head sounded so cheesy that I didn’t want to share it. But heck, I’m never one to lie and always believe in being authentic so I say,
“Right here, actually.”
He smiles. I smile and look back down at my magazine, a little nervous.
“Really?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “And I only say that because I believe there’s no other place I’m supposed to be other than right here right now.”
He agrees that this feels nice and definitely comfortable, and I wonder if all this time of being single and dating I’ve just been waiting for a guy from Birmingham, Alabama to finally get to Los Angeles…
Single Girl Shenanigans 