Is is worth being a gentleman...

...when he won't remember it anyway.

I've managed to meet some people in San Diego, but no one who wanted to watch the Superbowl. So I went to Flick's, and ended up sitting on the bar next to some nice folks. They took me to Baja Betty's for margaritas, carnitas, and the end of the Colts victory. Then we went to Urban Mo's.

I was there about five minutes when I saw a gorgeous guy -- too cute, probably Filipino, and probably too young. Having decided the latter, I looked away, but it was too late. He had seen me, grabbed my arm, then started feeling my chest.

"I'm Jeff," he said. "What's your name?"

"I'm Joel." Since I was buying drinks for my friend and I, I got him one. It took all of 5 minutes. When I gave him his drink, he said "What's your name?"

"Joel."

"What's my name?"

"Jeff."

"You're good," he said.

I told him I had to go give my friend his drink. He asked me to come back. I found my new friend from Flick's, dropped of the drink, and went to find Jeff. When I did, he said "What's your name, again?"

"Still, Joel." Then he moved to kissed me. I met his lips, but avoided the tongue.

He was pissed. "What was that?"

"Your very cute, and very drunk. I'd like to run into you earlier some night, and see if you still think I'm cute," I explained. At that moment, I really wished I were drunk beyond my morality so I could take him home. Unfortunately, he seemed to take my comment take it as a slap. After convincing him that I did think he was gorgeous, he said "Well I want a real kiss."

I'm not that strong, so I kissed him. I enjoyed it.


Apparently, it was supposed to make him irresistable. When I segued it to good-bye, he got upset again. "What's wrong with you? I thought you liked me!"

"I do like you, but you're drunk, and I'm trying to be a gentleman. Seven years in Atlanta will do that to you." In the end, he looked less upset, more confused, and left.

I know I'll run into him again, and he won't remember me, much less that I tried to do right by him. I wonder, though, if it wouldn't have been better to take him home with me -- I'm actually afraid of what might happen to him tonight. (He didn't seem to have any friends looking after him.) I'd add that sleeping with him would be more fun than watching "Rent" On Demand and blogging, but I've been here before, and it wouldn't happen. I end up tucking them into my bed and sleeping on the couch, at least until their heads clear. Then it's up to them.

So I'm just going to feel a little good about myself, and hope that no one takes advantage of him tonight. And perhaps it will make up for whatever I did to the guy who flipped me off tonight and said I was "trouble". I haven't been here that long, so I'm sure it had to do with the champagne induced haze from last Sunday (lest you haven't read much of my blog and think that this "gentleman" stuff is a way of life). I can't have been too objectionable, though, since his friend, who looked suspiciously like the guy who was in my apartment as the haze cleared, winked at me.

Fireworks pictures from my deck in San Diego tonight (I have no idea what they commemorated) and my old deck in SF (Fleet Week).