All Things Fanny
Things with Benoît didn't quite follow through and it was completely because of me. He felt my resistance and naturally his patience wore out. It was a tough call because under normal circumstances he would have been just my type. He was kind, smart, content with his life and had a striking resemblance to my French teacher in New York who I embarrassingly used to cream over.
Because of my current state of not being emotionally available, I came across to Benoît as something a super Virgo like myself would never want to be perceived as; weird and flighty. I understand his decision to ignore my last attempt at communication. Pas de souci.
Lately, Phil has been insisting that I should at least go out on dates, nothing serious but just get out of the house and meet new people. He clearly had someone in mind; one of his students whose thesis he lately was going bananas for. Just to preface, I hate getting set up. I hate internet dates. I prefer meeting and mating to be a bit more organic but in effort to be more adventurous, I agreed. At this point, why not?
After a few exchanged e-mails facilitated by Phil, his student and I scheduled to meet at Au Chat Noir, a funky bohemian hangout in the Oberkampf district for a drink. Innocuous enough. I wore a cute and flirty little black Marc by Marc Jacobs cocktail dress, nude Repetto ballet flats and my signature Audrey Hepburn bun I wear when I don't want to wash my thick mop of hair. Which is often, hence the 'signature'. Him on the other hand, showed up wearing a turquoise printed Orca Whales t-shirt tucked into high waisted jeans and a fanny pack that read 'Israel'. Silence.
Ok so, yes I worked in Fashion for many years in New York but I am certainly not a fashion snob especially when it comes to guys. In fact, I'd prefer my man to be on less fashionable end of the spectrum but a fanny pack? Allez! He was like the French real-life version of Napoleon Dynamite. I exaggerate not. Fucking Phil.
When telling Phil about the fanny pack later that evening, Phil breezingly said 'Oh yeah, that? So that's what that's called. Yeah he always wears that.' Phil!!!
In all fairness to 'Napoleon', it wasn't the fanny pack; I generally like quirks. He was actually a nice guy and we had some interesting conversation. For someone I love or am interested in, he could wear a velour J.Lo Jumpsuit and I would think he was just adorably funny. This just reminds me that I am not quite ready to 'get out there. Better luck next time.
Au Chat Noir 76, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud Paris 75011
© 2011 Ella Coquine
