The Foxista: A Reunion

I was driving home last night from my friend's house and listening to John Tesh on the radio (cheesy, I know). Just as I was passing the street I used to turn on to get to Starbucks to see the Foxista, he started talking about the effects of drinking coffee on your health. I haven't been to that Starbucks since the last time I talked to him (aka morning after he stayed over, basically) and the thought of going in there hasn't even crossed my mind since.

So it was kind of weird when all of a sudden I hear this random fact about coffee as I'm passing the street he works on, and I got the feeling I should go in there. I figured he didn't work there anymore, but something was calling me to go get a cup of coffee.

So I went in, and lo and behold, he was the only one working. The look of shock on his face was impossible to miss. He kept asking me what was new, and what I'd been up to. I finally told him I wanted some coffee. As he was making it, he kept doing his really intense staring thing, which I called him out on.

I asked what was new with him, and he told me about work and skateboarding, and then walked all the way to the end of the counter and said he'd met a really nice girl, at Starbucks, and that she was sitting over in the corner. He said it in a way that implied that he didn't want her to see me talking to him. Ah. So I told him congratulations, grabbed my Splenda, and traded farewells.

So strange. I almost expected to get a weird text message from him about it. Nothing yet.

My brief vacay: A vague overview

Since starting my job in October, I've been asking for 3-4 days off to celebrate Christmas with my family up north (about 8 hours from where I live). I was finally given a few days off: February 24th, 25th, and 26th. Knowing I only had three nights and two and a half days, I had to make the most of it.

After working all day on Saturday, I jumped in my car and drove straight from my job to the hometown of the Ex, where I stayed for the evening. We hadn't seen each other in 6 months, and the last visit was a little strange because it was a short meeting in the lobby of the hotel he was staying in. I think we were both concerned that this visit could be as awkward as the last, but we had high hopes. In an effort to maintain the privacy and sweetness of the situation, I will just say this: it was really nice, really sweet, really innocent, and went at least as well as I had hoped for. And also reminded me of why I miss him, and reinforced the fact that I do. Very much. The only disappointing part was the fact that I'd lost 9 lbs since I saw him last, which I don't think he noticed. (Come to think of it, no one in my family did either. Fabulous.)

Sunday, after lunch and a little shopping, we said goodbye and I drove up to my own hometown where I met up with my mom and went to an Oscar party. After a few Bloody Marys with her former work friends (who haven't seen me since I was 15) I started telling them some of my most recent dating stories (including, of course, the toolshed plastic surgeon and the persian fashion mogul, among others). Within 15 minutes, I had 15-20 generously middle-aged women crowded around me, enthralled and asking question upon question, which eventually turned into a live advice column for all their own dating dilemmas. Love the ladies... but I have to say I never thought I'd be giving 55 year old women dating advice. C'est la vie!

The drive home got ugly when the conversation between my mom and I turned to her relationship with the World's Biggest Scumbag, ie her boyfriend of the past 12 years. The same Scumbag she's been vowing to break up with and kick out of her house for the past 10. Also, the same Scumbag that was the eventual cause of my moving out at the age of 16. Not my favorite subject, as I'm sure you can understand, but I'm sure I'll divulge you more in the future. But for the purpose of this story, let's just say she left my (former) stepdad (one of the most intelligent, kind-hearted, successful, worldly, sweet people ever) for the World's Biggest Scumbag, which I will never understand. Not even under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs! Long story short, my stepdad and I keep in touch because he's awesome.

Monday I woke up to an email from my stepdad, and we got together for the best sushi I think I have ever had. We talked about all different kinds of things, and he asked me some different things about how things are with the Ex, who I can tell he liked a lot. He reaffirmed my thoughts on the subject. (I wish I could say more about this, but better to say too little than too much.)

I spent the rest of the evening with my mom (and more messy conversations). I woke up this morning (Tuesday), and showered and got ready so I could leave by 11. On the way back down south, I stopped at the Ex's office and we had lunch across the street, which was still comfortable and nice and definitely a great note to end my visit on.

We texted pretty much the whole time I was driving back, and I may be wrong but I do believe we are at least somewhat in the same mindset.

I guess we'll see.

Stopped shortly at Starbucks when I got back into town to say hello to the Foxista. He was in the middle of a staff meeting and couldn't talk, but called me later and we had an unusually awkward conversation. He texted me after to tell me how there is no way he could explain how much he missed me, how he thinks about me frequently, and seeing my sweet face was "spectacular." Weird. Maybe we'll go on a second date after all.

.... MAYBE.

The Foxista: A Rundown

So we hung out last night.

Firstly, I picked him up from his house, which is only a few minutes from me which is nice, but because he doesn't have a car, which is not nice.

When I got him I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said, "Honestly I'm so stoked to be hanging out with you, I don't care what we do." (Awwww..... so nice.) I gave him the choice of either A. going to the fun brewery down the street or B. going to my house and drinking bloody marys, and he opted for the second, due to a lack of funds in his account. (Not so nice.)

We got to my house and I made us some drinks and we dove into getting to know each other. He's 26, from Upstate NY, has two older sisters, and is passionate about skateboarding and music. His goal is to submit some video footage of his skating to skate companies and get a sponsorship. To be perfectly honest with you guys, I have no problem with skateboarding, and I actually think skaters are sexy (a feeling that dates back to 7th grade and my complete and utter enfatuation with pretty much any boy at my middle school who wore baggy pants and airwalks and flipped ollies in the front parking lot during lunch), but unfortunately those kinds of goals/dreams aren't a turn on anymore when they're coming from a grown man, who, in his words, wants to settle down in the next few years. How?

I'm sorry if I sound like a total picky, wishy-washing snotty bitch, and maybe I am (I hope not), but other than the whole lacking ambition/a car/a well-paying career, he's really an amazing guy. Like I'm sure I've made clear already, he's super attractive, and he's extremely sweet, open, and affectionate. We spent the whole night talking, and he kept telling me how I was so gorgeous and he just couldn't believe I would choose him to do something like that for. After a few Bloody Marys I admitted that the primary reason I go to that Starbucks is because he works there, which he was completely surprised by, as he has spent every shift since the first night I came in hoping I'll be coming in for a coffee.

At some point in the night, we were in the kitchen talking while I was making another drink for him and was in the middle of a sentence, stopped talking, put his hands behind my head, and kissed me for what seemed like 10 minutes (but was realistically probably 10 seconds). As it turns out, he is a fantastic kisser, which he said about me as well.

From then on, we split our time between getting to know each other, and a passionate makeout sesh. Eventually we decided he was going to stay over (since I was about 4 drinks deep) and I made it clear that staying over meant sleeping, and not.... staying over (wink wink). I told him I move slowly with physical stuff, and I told him it would be no different than exactly what was going on already, except in a different room. He told me a few times that he understood, and we went upstairs.

I was very pleasantly surprised when he stripped down to boxers and I found that he has an absolutely perfect body. Think slim hips, strong V-lines and 0% body fat.... just completely toned everything. Right. (Sorry for the stockphoto, just needed an example.)

So we get in bed, and get back to making out. Its more sweet and passionate than hot and heavy (to be graphic, there isn't any intense grinding or groping or moving or anything else that would lead a person to believe this was a segway to other activities), and goes on for about 15 minutes before, ALL OF A SUDDEN, there's a hand in my pants. Literally, like a flash of lightning.

And in a similar fashion I yanked it out and asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. He apologized profusely and said it was because he was drunk. We kissed for another minute, until he pulled away, and (get this) asked me if I had a condom.

I asked him if he was kidding. No. I asked him what exactly he needed a condom for. He said, with the most sincere look on his face, that it was really important to him to be "safe."

"Were you not listening?? Did I not tell you before that nothing more was going to happen? That 'staying over' didn't entail anything?? Did I not just get mad a second ago when you put your hand down my pants?!"

Again, he apologized profusely, blamed it on all the drinks that I had made him (hesitantly.... that he had kept asking for) and then apologized some more and said I was "lucky" that it was him (a nice guy) instead of some drunk jerk that would try to take advantage of the situation (he has a point, but a weird time to bring up threatening situations with strangers). We kissed for a little bit longer and went to sleep.

So I awoke this morning to a very sexy, quietly snoring bedmate who had stolen all the covers. I managed to weasel some out of his grasp and rolled the opposite way to go back to sleep. The snoring stopped and he rolled over towards me, and said "awwww" while he wrapped his arms and legs around me and buried his face in my hair and told me how nice it was to wake up and see me next to him. And then he apologized profusely for last night and told me how embarrassed he was for being like that, and understood if I never wanted to see him again but that he really wasn't that kind of guy and it was really just the alcohol talking, and that he just feels so bad about it.

From then we rolled around and laughed and kissed and talked and snuggled and tickled each other (and were consistently turned on the whole time, though not in the aggressive way like the night before, but more in a cute funny way that we kept giggling about) 'til I realized suddenly that I had exactly an hour before I had to leave for work and get there exactly on time, and I hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, so I jumped up and got ready while he hung out with me, and drove him home on my way to work. He sent me a few really sweet texts during the day, telling me that he was thinking about me and how beautiful he thinks I am.... I could really get used to that.

I secretly hope that he can pull together some ambition and a car in the next few weeks so that he can be my boyfriend. But that might be somewhat of a miracle.

He likes me a LATTE too!

Omg. GREAT news.

So I guess the Foxista wasn't working until today, so when he got to work at 5:30pm and was handed a pink takeout box with his name on it he was a bit surprised.

5:36pm: I get a phone call from a number I don't know, so I don't answer. I get a voicemail from him, telling me how cute the puzzle was and how "stoked" he is, and how he's working and really wants me to come by.

5:40pm: I'm totally surprised and not sure how to respond so I call all my friends to tell them the message word for word and they are all about as excited as I am.

6:10pm: I get a text from him, telling me how stoked he is, and he thanks me again for the puzzle, telling me I made his night. I ask him what time he gets off.

6:20-8:00pm: We write back and forth every few minutes, and he keeps telling me to come by the store. He tells me how awesome that was, and how much he loved it, and that I'm beautiful. (aww)

8:15pm: I walk into Starbucks and his coworker goes to get him from the back. He has a huge smile on his face. He makes me my favorite drink and doesn't charge me for it; his Valentine's present to me. He tells me how good it made him feel again, and how awesome and beautiful I am (I could really get used to that, let me tell ya) and that he was all bummed because he didn't think I was going to come in. I basically blushed hardcore through the entire visit and felt beyond shy, but hopefully it didn't show too bad. Then he said (which I thought was really weird) that he was working the next night so I should come in (doesn't he want to hang out outside of Starbucks maybe?) and I say I'm working too. He asks if he can text me later. Duh.

9:00pm: I ask him what he's doing after work. He says nothing. I ask if he wants to hang out. He says he'd love to and that he misses me already. (For reals?)

So now I sit here, (im)patiently waiting for him to get off of work so we can go get a drink, which I think is totally necessary to make sure I'm not a nervous wreck the whole time.

Ahh!!! Wish me luck!

I like you a LATTE!

Let's play a little catch-up about my new favorite Starbucks barista, aka the cute, tall, shaggy haired, blue eyed one, aka.... the Foxista. (cue sigh)

Ever since the day I got stood up at my new Starbucks and discovered the plethora of hotties working behind the counter, I haven't seen Hottie McFirecrotch again, but I'm ok with that, because he has been totally overshadowed by a very attractive and very flirty coworker of his.

So basically.... I've become a full-fledged regular at this location over the course of the past few weeks because I'm totally crushing on this guy. The funny part (and the part that luckily the Foxista doesn't realize) is that A. there are 25 Starbucks far closer to either my home or where I work and B. I really don't even like Starbucks coffee that much. I'm definitely a Coffee Bean girl. But that is besides the point, because my love of Coffee Bean doesn't compare to my enfatuation right now. Love is all about compromise, so they say, right? Ha.

Over the past 20 or so days, my visits have become increasingly interesting. First he read my name off my cup and promised to remember it. The next time, he shouted it excitedly across the store when I walked in, and winked when I left. Ever since then, he not only greets me excitedly every time I come in, but introduces me to whoever he happens to be working with that night as "B*******, the most awesome girl ever." What would even make him think that (considering our conversations have all been under 5 minutes) I don't know, but I'm not complaining. At one point, while making my drink, he reached in his pocket and withdrew his cell phone which he handed me. I took it, confused. "I got a new phone." I handed it back and realized he probably wanted me to put my number in it. (Am I way off base?)

The last time I was in was two nights ago. He said hello in the usual fashion (shouting my name with a huge smile before I'm fully in the door) and took my order. After he rang me up, he said, "I have to tell you, you look really, really nice tonight." I blushed. The woman behind me in line (possibly a little off, but looked normal) said, "Ya you better tell her that after yelling at her." Obviously, we were both totally confused. She insisted that she had 'witnessed' it, and he explained that the volume of his voice had just been elevated because he was so excited to see me, because (like I said) I'm just "so awesome."

As I walked to the end of the counter where he usually makes my drink and chats with me, I found the woman wasn't done. "What you really mean to say is that you think she's GORGEOUS, isn't it?" He told her, unfortunately, he wasn't able to tell customers they're gorgeous while he was at work. She swung around to me and professed, "See??? He thinks you're gorgeous!!!"

So I stood there feeling sufficiently sheepish while he made my coffee. We chatted a bit, and when he handed me my drink (on which he had written a cute nickname version of my name, along with some happy faces) he said, "it was such a pleasure seeing you tonight. I really hope I get to see you again soon." I told him I was sure he would, and he said "no really... I hope you come back again really soon." I blushed my way through the two splendas I still had to mix in and left.


Now here's the thing. On a normal basis, I am any or all of the following: extroverted, flirty, ballsy, seductive, outgoing, forward, or brave. I'm used to being the one that flirts and winks. For whatever reason, this guy makes me feel totally shy and I never know what to say. I try to flirt back, but since he's so forward, I end up totally embarrassed and I end up playing it cool as though I'm not interested. (Which apparently hasn't really worked against me. So that's good.)

Fast forward to tomorrow: VALENTINE'S DAY.
Every girl wants a Valentine. And me, of all girls, thinks its heresy to not celebrate the holiday of my patron saint. And since Cupid (real cupid, not OKCupid this time) hit me right in the venti cup, I figured it was time to be ballsy.

My crafty impulses got the best of me. I went to Michael's to get Valentine supplies, but the idea I came up with was so much better. I stupidly didn't take a picture of it before I packaged it all up and had my friend drop it off at Starbucks tonight, so I'll have to show you the pieces.

Basically, I took a blank puzzle and I wrote with black sticky letters "I like you a LATTE.... Be my Valentine?" on the front, and wrote "Love, B******* (and my phone number)" on the back of it, and then decorated it with lipstick stickers and hearts and puff paint.

Then I broke it apart and I stuffed the takeout box with the red squiggly shredded paper and the confetti and the puzzle pieces.

So yes, I'm a big craft nerd, but I had some friends over while I was making it, and though they made fun of me for putting so much effort into it for someone I don't even know, they were all totally impressed with the final product.

I called Starbucks yesterday and asked who was working Valentine's night, and he wasn't. So I met up with my friend C today and she dropped it off for him... though I guess he wasn't there tonight either, but the girl working said she'd give it to him, and I took extra care to seal it all up so no one can open it without it being totally obvious its been tampered with.



So..... now comes the hard part. I just have to wait and see if he calls me. I've run through a few different possible scenarios:

• He calls, he loves it, he loves me, and we end up dating. Some day, we tell this story at our wedding reception. (I'm a girl.... we all have these little daydreams, even if I'm the only one that admits it.)
• He calls, says thank you, but that he's seeing someone. Or he's not interested. Or he's gay. I smile through the embarrassment, and get really hammered that night and tell the story to everyone I meet.
• He calls, he's flattered, we go out, and he A. turns out to be a total weirdo or B. we have no chemistry. We go our separate ways, and I never go to that Starbucks again.
  
• He doesn't call.

If he doesn't.... c'est la vie. I can go to one of the other 150 coffee places that are closer to my house anyway.

..... But I'm not going to say I wouldn't be just a little disappointed.