Pleasantly Surprised

I read an article in the morning Express (love the new look, by the way!) about the road to happiness and how it is all about surprises. According to a new model of happiness...we're happier when satisfied unexpectedly than when we're certain about a positive outcome in advance.

With that said...

There's nothing more charming and surprising than a suitor who lives in another state casually asking the woman he has his eyes set on out to lunch the night before the requested date. Talk about spontaneous ambition! The man with the "E" tattoo is working hard to make a notable comeback in the front row of my life. As he should.

Our brunch date began at Locale 16 on U street around 1pm. When I saw him...the first thing that came to mind was, "Yummy!" But of course my demeanor remained stoic. We embraced and sat down. Both smiling and quiet as if we couldn't believe that we were actually sitting across from one another. We caught up, we laughed and carried on like the past had never happened. He even apologized for his actions. It was surreal. I would've never imagined this reunion happening let alone going well. The mimosas helped.

Speaking of which....the brunch and setting at Locale 16 left very little to be desired. Our waiter was green - he brought me regular eggs instead of egg whites and forgot my sausage links. The kitchen staff congregated in the dinning area as if they were the customers. And the food was mediocre at best. I will not be back.

After brunch, we mosied down to Darnell's Bar & Lounge. Best keep secret in DC. They'd just opened the doors at 5pm so we were the first customers. Immediately upon our arrival, Biggie starts playing in the background. The mood is set. Our conversation is moving along. Never a dull moment. I remember lots of laughter. That's always a great sign. My shoes were off and my feet were kicked up...on his lap. He's always had a thing for my feet. I did take notice of how at ease I felt in his presence. He expressed the same. He looked happy. The bar staff was amazed at how tall he was and kept asking if he played ball. He loves the warranted attention. What I loved...was his undivided attention and interest in all things I did and said. Good times were had. The date ended at 9pm. We bid each other adieu and I returned home and he returned back to his state.

I was and still am pleasantly surprised.

EJW