8. Temperance Lecture
Yes, we met at a nicer restaurant, sat down and had a decent conversation.
We started to look over the menu and the wine list. I asked if she had a preference regarding the wine. She said no. I ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio since I didn’t know her preferences or what she might order: kind of a nice middle-of-the-road selection.
When it came, the waitress brought two glasses, and did the usual tasting and, when she went to pour my date a glass, she quickly declined. The waitress poured me a glass and left. I asked her if she’d prefer another drink.
She launched into what I can only describe as a Temperance Lecture. She was stridently anti-alcohol and my ordering wine had clearly upset her.
This was a first date, so I had no way of knowing any of this and had she let me know her thoughts ahead of time, say, when I asked her preference or when I was ordering, I’d have gotten something acceptable to her. Instead, I was getting a lecture that would. not. stop. I got called a drunk and rude and insensitive repeatedly by someone I just met in the course of about 5 minutes.
After a few minutes, the waitress came over and asked if everything was OK. I told her “No”. Told my date that our date was over, and asked the waitress if I could be re-seated at the bar.
The waitress and my date both looked shocked. My date picked up her sweater and purse and stalked out. I picked up my glass. The waitress picked up the bottle and led me to the bar.
(In the bar, I met a very nice young lady with different ideas and we shared the bottle and a very nice evening.)