Friday, May 23, 2008

Is it hot in here?

I posted last week that I’d joined a new online dating service in hopes of finding a guy that isn’t on the FBI’s most wanted list. Well, I actually ended up joining not one service, but 5. Yep, 5. Hey, I figured I might as well go big. And, being the new girl on these sites, I got a blitz of emails from guys. Generally, I prefer to talk to one at a time, but knowing that once that new-girl smell wears off I won’t get nearly as many emails, I decided to take full advantage of the phenomenon this week. I’ve been emailing myself silly. I actually had to organize my messages this week into three categories – guys I might like to meet, guys that I really wish would lose my number now, and guys that I can’t remember who they are.

With the buffet of boys to choose from this week, a select few even made it past the requisite number of emails to the phone interview stage. They were:

1. Bachelor Number One
His profile seemed very nice. But, I totally melted when I saw the picture of his two little girls. They were adorable! I like kids anyway, but these two could be on cereal commercials, they were just that cute. So, had to write to him. When we talked on the phone he seemed really nice, so I kind of let it slip that I’d been on a few bad dates before. Like, super weird you-wouldn’t-believe-me-if-I-told-you dates. Then I made the mistake of wondering allowed, “Aren’t there any just nice normal guys out there.”
“Well, I’m normal,” he says.
“Thank God.”
“I’ve got a normal job, two great kids, I even have a picket fence.”
“Seriously? A real picket fence?” I start picturing myself in a June Cleaver apron…
“Yep. Normal. Well, except... there is one thing.”
Uh oh. I'm almost afraid to ask... “What?”
“There’s one thing I wasn’t totally truthful about online. My marital status.”
I knew it was too good to be true. He’s already got a June!
“See,” he says, “They didn’t have a box to check for my status.”
I’m thinking back. “They had single, separated, divorced, widowed… what else is there.”
“Coma.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m still married, but my wife’s in a coma.”
Only me. I swear this stuff only happens to me.

(P.S. No, I didn’t hold that against him. Very sad story really, and I admire how well he’s coped… but not totally normal either.)


2. Bachelor Number Two
A bit younger than I am, but very cute and I see chemistry happening right away. Nice to talk to on the phone. But… he kept asking about my books so he could go buy them. K, normally, I’m all for making a sale. But I’ve learned over the past few months that giving a guy my book and web info isn’t always wise. I won’t go into how many inappropriate myspace comments I’ve had to delete from my professional page due to boys I’ve been out with not taking a polite hint to hit the road. But it’s a lot. So, I generally keep that info to myself. But, Young Dude was persistent. So persistent that after I said, “No, I’ll tell you all about it when I know you better,” he apparently took it upon himself to do some investigating online. I have no freaking idea how he did it given the limited info I gave him about myself (probably many hours of googling late into the night), but he did, indeed, find me. Then proceeded to text me little hints that he knew who I “really” was. Maybe it was supposed to be cute… but it felt a little creepy bordering on stalkerish.

3. Bachelor Number Three
I may have mentioned this guy last week. The firefighter I wrote to? Well, he wrote back. (yay!) We talked to him on the phone and he sounded nice, could hold down his end of a conversation, no skeletons popping out of his closet (yet). A good decade older than I am, so I was a little wary, but sounded decent enough. He suggested meeting for coffee the next morning. Cool, I’m in. So, I direct him to my fav Starbucks (the one where they know me by name and order. Yes, I’m a total addict.) and hope for the best. I walk in the door and…
Oh. Wow.
Pardon the pun, but firefighters are HOT! Seriously hawt. Totally cut, great tan, nice chiseled features, beautiful hazel eyes. What started as a quick cup of coffee ended up with me pretty much playing hooky from writing all day (sorry Leah!). Though, after I told him I was a romance writer, he said I could easily write off our day together as “research”. ;)

Sadly, it will probably be a few days before I see him again, as a massive wildfire broke out in hills above our town the next morning. As I’m writing this, over 3200 acres of redwood forest and 10 homes have already burned. This is upsetting not only because of my newfound appreciation for firefighters, but because I grew up in those hills, just miles from the fire. I’ve been glued to the news all day, hoping my firefighter man gets it under control soon!
(Notice how I called him "mine" already? Yep, I can tell this guy is so gonna be trouble…)

~Trigger Happy Halliday

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I love the dating blogs! (How horrible of me is it that I love hearing about your bad dates? lol.)

The fireman sounds gorgeous; best of luck with him!

Faye

Terri Osburn said...

Coma? Come on, you're kidding on that one, right? Tell me you're kidding.

Now I don't know THAT much about you - read: I haven't googled late into the night to learn your age - but I'm thinking a decade older than you would put the dude at my age. You make it very hard to like you, Gemma. LOL!

First the lifeguards and now this. Sure hope that fire gets taken care of soon. Any rain in the forecast? Are the temps still soaring?

Anonymous said...

I'll forgive you. He sounds way hot indeed. And don't let the age thing bother you. A decade is nothin'. ;-)

Keri Ford said...

Sorry, Gemma. At least he was up front (fairly upfront, anyway) about the coma thing. Such a sad situation to be in with lots of hard choices.

I'll have to check-in to the news today to get an update up on the fires. Best of luck to your fireman!

Gemma Halliday said...

Faye, if I didn't laugh at my own bad dates, too, I'd be crying. So chuckle away! :)

~Gemma

Gemma Halliday said...

I so wish I was kidding, Terrio. Seriously, I think I was some playboy in a past life and this is karma's payback. Lol!

Okay, I'll be honest - Firefighter Man is exactly 14 years older than me. Based on his age alone, I probably would have passed. But I'm telling you I've seen 20 year olds that aren't as cut as this guy. *fanning self*

~Gemma

Wendy said...

Oooh, the firefighter sounds great! Good luck! ;)

Gemma Halliday said...

No rain in the forecast, but the temps are cooler and the wind has died down some today. (Thankfully!) It's tough to breath though, as the air is just filled with smoke. They're advising people stay indoors today. Even with all the windows closed, I swear it smells like I'm barbecuing in my bedroom. Will keep you posted...

~Gemma

Beth said...

Coma. Good Lord. How does he explain to his girls that he's shopping for a new mommy while theirs is sleeping? What if she wakes up? I feel for the guy and all but I'm pretty sure it's 'until death do you part' not 'until one of you becomes unaware of what's happening around you'.
Hot hunky hero guy sounds promising. I'm not that into older guys myself (14 yrs older than me would be 54) but if he's that cute and fit maybe he's worth a shot. Good luck. I hope he doesn't turn out to have a fetish for licking strangers, being stalked by his ex-girlfriend or liking you because you look just like his mother (you haven't run across those guys yet have you? Just me, huh?)

Gemma Halliday said...

Lol, Beth! Nope, I haven't met those guys yet. Fetish for licking strangers? Ha! I love it!

~Gemma

Anonymous said...

Oh, the firefighter sounds deliciously dishy!

But the guy with a wife in a coma? Holy cow.

Christie Craig said...

I agree with most everyone else, Gemma. Got with the firemen.

Love these posts girl.

Crime Scene Christie

Minna said...

Good luck with the fireman! And hey, 10 years older isn't all THAT much. My uncle who passed away few months ago was married to a woman who was 20 years younger than he.

Minna said...

Just wondering... Isn't there a possibility on these services to write comments about your dates or potential dates, like if someone is a (dangerous) weirdo so that others might be able to avoid them?