Chapter 16
Dan then sent a message to Calvin saying he was interested in a meeting. He attached a picture of himself and the dogs, figuring that since Calvin was into animals, a photo like that couldn’t hurt.
* * * *
Friday found Dan sitting in a coffee shop in Foster. Calvin had enthusiastically responded to Dan’s note, suggesting they meet at his place. He could fix dinner for them and Dan could meet Rufus, Calvin’s dog and Andy, his cat. Dan countered with the suggestion that they meet for coffee. It seemed to Dan that meeting Calvin’s “family” and having a meal prepared for him was jumping the gun a bit.
Dan had arrived five minutes late on purpose. He scanned the shop but saw no one that looked like Calvin. He ordered a coffee and sat at a table facing the door. Dan checked his watch. Another ten minutes had gone by. He wondered how long he should wait. Calvin was fifteen minutes late already. When a half hour had elapsed, Dan decided Calvin was a no-show. He was surprised to find that far from being disappointed at being stood up, he was actually relieved.
However, just as he took the last sip of coffee and prepared to stand up, an older, slightly overweight man came in. He stood inside the door, looking around as if trying to find someone. Dan felt himself tense.
The man spotted Dan. His face broke into a broad smile and he walked toward where Dan was sitting. While the man wasn’t exactly unattractive, it was obvious, if this was Calvin, he had posted pictures from his past—long past.
Dan took a steadying breath. When the man reached the table he stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Calvin. I sure hope you’re Dan.”
Dan stood and took the man’s hand. The grip was a little weak. “Yeah, I am. Nice to meet you, Calvin.” Dan needed time to think. “Can I get you something?” he asked.
“A venti mocha with extra chocolate and extra whipped cream would be nice. Thanks,” Calvin said as he sat down.
Dan got up, went to the counter, and ordered. As he waited for the order to be filled, he glanced back at Calvin. The man was still staring at him, an “I can’t believe my good luck” expression on his face. What had he gotten himself into? Dan was too sensitive a man to just flat out say this was a mistake. He couldn’t bring himself to just walk out on Calvin. Yet, Dan knew this wasn’t going to work.
It was true Calvin had misrepresented himself. Dan supposed he could say something like, “You’re not what I had expected from your profile.” But somehow, Dan figured the man’s motivation for posting an old picture of himself stemmed from some sort of low self-esteem. Dan had to find a way of saying this wouldn’t work out without crushing him.
Dan brought the coffees back to the table. “Here you go, one venti mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream,” he said with a smile as he handed Calvin his beverage.
“Thanks,” Calvin said. He took a sip of his coffee and without bothering to explain why he was late, continued, “So, Dan, tell me about yourself.”
“Not much to tell. I’m a vet…uh…veterinarian that is, recently divorced, and exploring my options.”
“I figured you must be an animal lover with that picture of those two adorable pups you sent me.”
Dan nodded. “Yeah, I like animals a lot. I actually specialize in horses.”
“Fascinating,” Calvin said, an elbow on the table, leaning with palm on his chin, and staring into Dan’s eyes.
Their conversation continued haltingly for about an hour. They had very little in common. Calvin was an avid sports fan; Dan barely knew the difference between basketball and hockey- they both had nets, right? Calvin was into show tunes; Dan preferred pop-rock. The only television Calvin watched was The Food Network or Home & Garden; Dan didn’t watch much TV—when he did, it was mystery shows or sit coms. Calvin loved to read; about the only reading Dan could fit into his busy schedule was professional journals to keep up with the latest developments in his field.
Dan was getting increasingly more uncomfortable. He knew with the minimum of sexual attraction he felt for Calvin and the only thing they had in common, their love of animals, nothing was going to come of this. But what to do about it, he wasn’t sure. Dan’s lack of heterosexual dating experience and his na?veté regarding the workings of the gay world left him without a clue as to how to extricate himself from the situation without hurting Calvin.