Getting Phone Numbers

I think these stories both happened within a month of each other. Close enough that I began to think I was bringing people together as I moved through life. The first story happened at The Breadline, a sandwich and salad place in DC. The owner of the breadline will come out and chat with you, describing how much work went into the special. Turns out he's also married to Ann Tyler, the novelist.
Anyway, I was standing in line and turned around to see this short dark-haired beauty whom I'd run into just the week before. And, before that, I'd seen her at law school. Never talked to her, but I'd seen her. She'd seen me too, and we talked. I proposed lunch, she seemed happy with the idea, and gave me her number.
Next week I called her.

"Lunch?" I asked.
"Lunch? I can't do lunch," she said, sounding alarmed.
"No?"
"I'm engaged!" she said.

Leaving me to wonder, did this just happen? Or had it slipped her mind when we were standing in line?

Not long after, I was riding the shuttle bus to a campus where I played basketball regularly. No longer a student, I still got on with my old ID. This time, a tall brunette with soft brown eyes sat next to me. I had recently read somewhere that it was okay to start talking to people, even if they happen to be beautiful women. I used the super-secret technique of asking questions.
It only took about three before she was up and running, telling about this and that and we're having a good time. Then the bus stops and there is, like, no chance I'll ever see her again. Unless I ask for her phone number. Stunningly, she says yes. I have no pen. I ran to the driver, borrowed his pen, and wrote her digits down on a half a red post-it.
We talked, made plans for dinner on a Friday night. But then, a couple days before, I get a message:

"When I talked to you, I thought I was ending this relationship. But now I think I'm going to give it another try, and dinner with you might not be appropriate."

I told my friend, Andy: "I'm like a catalyst, bringing people together."

posted by dan @ 1:52 PM