He reaches out to me after I post a picture of myself at the Edwardian ball.

Steampunk hat and goggles. Cleavage and a roaring smile caught in mid laugh.

A couple of notes and we agree to meet for coffee. I pick my favorite place because it is very public and I know someone who works there, just in case.

This is my first real life date from this online dating site.

I decide to wear the beige sweater with peter pan collar and brass buttons down the front, with my pleated black skirt. The skirt will become a stable in the dating outfit. Tights and oxfords. The sweater, while having a higher front, does makes my chest look bigger and robust.

The bus is as good a way to get there as any and allows me the freedom to come and go with out having to deal with parking.

I leave the house and try to get there a little early. Damn he is there already. I really like to be the one to be early so I can see them coming.

He looks much smaller than in the pictures. A little nerdy, with pants belted up high but wearing a nice leather jacket. We introduce ourselves and get in line for coffee. A little small talk and then coffee in hand and we go back to the table he had snagged.

We sit and drink coffee and chat. He is a lawyer but working primarily doing research and reviewing cases for others, not litigating anymore. He spends all day reading alone. We discover we like bluegrass music in common.

I am feeling nothing from this man. It feels like a job interview. He is separated and in the process of getting divorced. While he claims to be ready to be out there, there are many entanglements he is describing that keep me on my guard. He is fairly soft spoken and quiet. I don’t get how he was a lawyer but then again my understanding of lawyers is from the big personalities portrayed on the television.

An hour passes and we say goodbye.

A meek little hug, a half-hearted maybe we’ll get together for some music sometime and I head out on my way back to the bus, secure in the knowledge I will never see him again and that’s ok.