the men of rock

Shortly after the Seth adventure, two men entered my life.  I must say, two men is the perfect number to be dating at any given time for several reasons:  A) you feel especially confident and desirable with not one but TWO fellas vying for your attention, B) you’re not too caught up in either one, as girls can sometimes be, C) you’re not always available, which makes you more interesting, and D) if one doesn’t work out, the other one is there to ease your pain!  (More than two, however, is just a logistical nightmare.) 

This situation was especially entertaining because of the uncanny parallels between them.  They both took me rock climbing in the same spot within a few days of each other (something I had never previously done as a date) and to the same off-the-beaten-track bar afterward (so grateful the waitress didn’t call me out).  They were both in the mining industry and both were pretty damn financially secure.

But in one other important factor, they were worlds apart.  One approached things with creeping, casual caution, and the other was ready to dive full-speed-ahead into romance.  Allow me to elaborate.

the tortoise

I was starting to feel like things with Seth (the Country Boy) were fizzling when I went back to the coffee shop/bar where I had met Jeremy (the Perfect Guy) to get some work done.  I sat up at the bar so I could take occasional brain breaks chatting with the barista/bartender and the neighboring barflies.  A friendly-looking guy (short, stalky, slightly receding hairline, glasses, nice smile) probably in his mid-to-late thirties at one point sat beside me to work on his computer, and gradually we started to chat.  In between bouts of work, we talked about the Boston area (where he is from and where I had spent a couple years), skiing (he was a former ski patrol) and rock-climbing (something I had been thinking about getting into).  It turned out that a coworker of mine that I adored was a close friend of his.  I wasn’t overwhelmed by his attractiveness, but there was something inviting and interesting about him. He was friendly yet restrained.  He did not seem overly eager, but I was pleased when he casually suggested we go rock climbing some time and got my number.  His name was Mark.

Almost a week went by before he called and left me a message on a Friday, inviting me to rock climb with him.  I forced myself to break ties with Seth before calling him back.  We planned to meet up that Saturday afternoon.

It was a beautiful, sun-filled autumn day with a cool breeze.  He took me to some isolated cliffs surrounded by open wilderness areas.  No one else was around.  His competence, and cautiousness, as he patiently taught me how to belay and all the protocol of rock-climbing, was admittedly sexy.  When we were both felt ready to wrap things up, we sat in the bed of his truck and had a beer.  We chatted and joked as the sun lowered.  Then we headed to the nearest bar, an isolated hick-joint dear to my heart, and had another drink and easy conversation.  When he dropped me off, I felt pleased with the afternoon.

the hare

Around the same time, my good friend Amy brought up one of her closest high school friends to me.  She told me he had casually mentioned to her that he was getting tired of the bachelor lifestyle and was interested in meeting a good girl, in case she might know anyone.  She told me he was an intelligent, outdoorsy, kind person that was one of her closest friends.  Problem was, he lived in Idaho and worked in Alaska (neither very close to where I live).  He worked as a modern-day gold miner (no joke), but much of his job he managed remotely.  She had told him about me, and also that he was interested in coming down to visit.  He was looking forward to meeting me.  His name was Colton.

I met him the day after hanging out with Mark.  He, Amy, Amy’s boyfriend and I went for a hike and then got a beer after.  He was muscularly built, with very fair skin and almost-white curly blond hair that he kept back in a ponytail.  During the hike, he mostly chatted with Amy, getting caught up.  When we got to the top, I stepped apart from the rest to admire the view, and Colton followed me.  For the first time he and talked on our own, and I found him somewhat charming.  After the hike and getting a drink, we all headed back to Amy’s house to hang out for a bit more.  At one point he asked me what time I got off work the next day and if I would like to try bouldering with him and then get dinner, the last evening of his visit.  I was impressed by his boldness and agreed. 

If you’re not familiar with bouldering, it involves finding some boulders and using rock-climbing skills to hoist yourself up them without ropes.  You place a large cushion on the ground in case of falls.  I was familiar with the idea but had never tried it myself.  I also have NO upper-body strength and wondered if he would be unimpressed.  We went to an area near where I had gone rock-climbing with Mark.  Our conversation flowed, and I enjoyed his company.  He was incredibly strong and was able to hoist himself up the boulders on routes that seemed impossible, sometimes hanging nearly upside-down by the force of his grip.  I, on the other hand, was only able to go up the easiest boulders.  He was very positive about my willingness to give it a try.  When the sun had gone down, he asked where I would like to go for dinner.  Amy had hinted that I suggest a nice place since he had the money and was more than willing to pay. But of course as we know I am a beer-and-pizza first date kind of girl, so I suggested the nearby bar that Mark and I had just gone to.  The conversation kept up during the dinner, and when he dropped me off, he expressed what a great time he had had and his hopes that he could keep in touch and see me again soon.  I agreed.

This is where the two stories diverge.