Okay, really. This was about the worst date I've ever been on and I've had someone accidentally spit on me while they were chewing their food. I'm not even sure where to begin....
When I got the restaurant, the table was not ready and the hostess informed me that my date was already in the bar. The only man I saw standing alone in the bar was an old guy, so I explained that I had never met the man and asked if she could show me who he was. She seemed too busy to help me, but her colleague said, "oh sure, I'll introduce you". Yes, it was the "old" guy. The agency said he was 47, and while that may be true, he looked to be about 55. He had a creepy smile and was just creepy in general. It was like he was leering at me. He seemed to have trouble conversing, period.
Let's see, he's a beekeeper, runs his family's farm and has been since he took over from his father in the early 90's. He just got back from Belize, literally, like this morning. Now, you might think "oooh, world traveler". But no, he's never been anywhere else outside the US. I was starting to think that he never left the Iron Range (it certainly didn't sound like it, his Iron Range accent was quite thick). But then he mentioned that he'd been to and worked in Alaska and had also been to Arizona and California. When I asked why he had gone to Belize he said that he heard a lot of nice things about it and was wondering if there were any beekeepers down there he could talk with about their practices. Which were the other reasons for his travel, excluding Alaska.
Everything was about beekeeping. When he got around to asking me what I did for a living, the conversation very quickly jumped back to beekeeping. There are no bees in my business, nor honey, sometime molasses, corn syrup, or sugar. I don't even remember how the conversation steered back that direction.
When I decided it was time to end the misery, I paid my bill (everything arrives on separate checks, which is great) and put on my scarf and coat. I then stood up and said it was nice to have met him. He didn't get up. He just stayed seated at the table. I talked a little bit more to see if was leaving too, but he wasn't; he just stayed put. I ended up walking out alone (which is fine, but weird). Another socially awkward moment.
Mind you, I do feel like an un-nice person for leaving him sit there alone in the restaurant. However, the meal was finished, the bills were paid, and the evening was just over. It was one of the most awkward situations I've experienced. Even the bad date with the doctor (date #2) didn't go that poorly or end that strangely. He was just a guy with no direction.
What I'm still trying to figure out is why the matchmaking agency even set me up with him in first place. Was this some kind of test? I'm not really sure. Although, I'm sure it will be an interesting conversation on Monday when I provide my feedback to them.
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