Un Petit Rendez-Vous

I adore delicious dinners at dimly lit French cafes with crusty bread, peppy ragtime, and two fabulous friends. Undoubtedly, coziness and hilarity will ensue. Mark and Katie are good examples of people who like me, don't much care for BS. They often cut through the crap and jump to the heart of an issue before the appetizers have even gotten to the table. Whether it is a question like, "So are you going to Germany or what?" or "When are you gonna ask him out?", it's out there and I love it.

The utter honesty between us is especially interesting when the conversation turns to relationships. And when the three of us haven't sat down together and talked in nearly four months, the topic inevitably goes in that direction. We generally try to convince one another of what we apparently deem to be the necessary tenets of a romantic relationship. How important is physical attraction? How misleading can it be? What is the likelihood of finding love with someone who is a total stranger versus a friend, someone you've known through similar circles and slowly transitioned with from friend to lover? How long does someone date before marriage is discussed? How important is it for your mate and your friends to get along? Which annoying qualities can be overlooked and which must be dealt with? Are we just too picky? Are we afraid? When does logic trump emotion? Does it ever? And how does one even appropriately meet people and date these days? Online? The safer route of friends (or friends or friends)? Or do we just lock ourselves up in monasteries and be done with it all?

We go through it all and we lay it all out for one another. This usually entails a whole lot of emphatic nodding, then furrowed brows, the occasional screech here and there ("You can't be serious!") and a whole lot of laughter. And at the end of the night when the wine is gone, our bellies are full, and hugs are passed around, we go our separate ways and I go home and think about some of these things that were said so nonchalantly. And I wonder what it is I really am looking for. Am I ready for much of anything these days? Hmm....I've got to chew on all of this a bit more, perhaps at another little cozy cafe. Interested in joining? Toss me some more bread and meet me next week.