a rare date with John

I met John over five years ago.  I guess you could say we date, though I see him so infrequently I'm not really sure if dating is the right word.  In fact, the last time we went out was in March 2012.

Here are the usual events that lead up to our getting together.

He calls me or I call him.

I suggest getting together.

He always says he misses me and would love to see me.

Sometimes we make a plan; if we don’t, it could be months before I hear from him again.

So this week I get an email after not hearing from John in months.  He is very concise.  The subject line reads, “What's up, miss you.”  That's it.  No email content; just a subject line.

I write back: 

ya, ya, ya….

just got back from Cape about an hour ago…so, when are we having dinner?  ever?

Two days go by before I hear back from him.  It’s good I don’t freak out over this.  Can you imagine if I did?  I’d be a mess.

So tonight we go out.  John always lets me pick the restaurant, “Anywhere you want to go,” and he means it.  I almost always pick a steakhouse, and tonight is no exception.  I choose Strip House on East 12^th Street.

It’s summer so the place is fairly empty.  That’s a good thing, because now we’ll be able to talk in normal voices.  We are given a cozy corner table.  

The waiter obliges us (rather, me) by taking our picture, though I am sure to point out (as if he cares), "I'm not a tourist."

I love the steak here.  And everything else, starting with a Cosmopolitan and followed by a spicy tuna tartare appetizer, to-die for fries, creamed spinach, a very large rare boneless strip steak, and a caramelized banana tart thing for dessert. We split the tuna and dessert and I still bring home half my steak.

We walk for awhile, stopping at Otto’s for a drink, where we, the heavy drinkers that we are, both order water. 

On the ride home through Manhattan, John points out all the buildings where he’s done work; he owns his own company designing and installing window shades and blinds.  In fact, that’s how we met.

He's a very nice man.  I'm glad he's in my life.