Tapenga's Tales
Part 4 - Meeting Bob

I met my second husband on the Internet. I had been Internet dating for awhile and had met a fair amount of men but none of them the right one.

I met Bob online on my 40th birthday, July 2. I had gone to Put-in-Bay with my youngest daughter and a friend of hers for my birthday. I love the water, and especially Lake Erie and it somehow seemed fitting that I spend the day there.

I had a profile and an introduction letter on one of the popular Internet dating sites. When I got home I checked the replies and found Bob's letter waiting. It was comical in a cynical kind of way and I found myself laughing out loud.

It turned out that he happened to be online at the time so I began chatting with him. I told him that it was my birthday and about my adventures of the day and he told me that his birthday was the next day, July 3rd.

I remember thinking " yeah sure buddy, what a pick up line!"

We chatted online several times and each time he appealed to my sense of humor. Then he suggested that we meet. The last couple guys I had met online had not had any chemistry and I had not seen them more than once. I was a bit tired and beginning to feel that I would never find Mr. Right.

I had also recently decided not to date men who did not have children because they just didn't understand the priorities of a parent. Bob did not have children. I was to call him one particular evening when he got home from work and make arrangements to see a movie. I told him I would call, but inside I was thinking that I was not sure I wanted to try this again.

To make matters more difficult my kids were out of town with their father and my sister had called to see if I wanted to go to the Winking Lizard that night with her and her family. I picked up the phone 3 times before Bob got home with the intent of leaving a message and telling him that I could not meet him that night.

I had not given him my phone number because as a single mom I was very cautious of who I gave my number to. Each time I got his answering machine I was not able to say that I was calling to cancel and quickly hung up. Thank God that he did not have caller ID!

The last time I dialed I got him instead of his machine. Still unable to back out I made arrangements to meet him at a movie theater that was about 2 miles from my house. It turned out that it was about 1 1/2 miles from his house. He let me pick the movie and of course I picked a chick flick.

I have come to find out that he really does not like these and about the only way we get to watch one now is if he loses a bet. He is a big Science Fiction fan.

We met outside the theater. He told me to look for the guy that had full facial hair. Once we were inside he told me that he was going to pay 50 Amish men, all with full facial hair, to be standing outside the theater with him when I arrived. I thought that was one of the funniest things I have ever heard!

After the movie he sat in the theater until the full credits had run and the screen was dark. I thought that was peculiar, but have since learned that he really pays attention to that stuff and could probably tell you in most movies who the second aid to the third hair dresser was! He is a very smart man!

We then went to a local coffee shop where it was open mic night. Now he doesn't like coffee, but the place had been my idea. When I asked him if he wanted to sit inside or out he said outside where it was quiet.

We ended up sitting on the curb in the handicap parking space. Again he had me laughing! I remember he got quiet and said he was wondering what it would be like to kiss me. I told him he would never know unless he tried......and he did. Must have liked it because he is still doing it!