the story of dr. yummy and how he stole my heart

On our second date (which I had convinced myself was NOT a date) we went to a cool retro candy store to buy me assorted gummi things. While there, I spied one of those old "love tester" machines where you squeeze the handle and a red light flashes up and down then lands on what your *love rating* is--anything from Gooey to Spicy.  I put a quarter in and made him try it, joking "let's see if your superior education and medical training can save you now?!" And he scored a...Yummy. Thus, I started referring to him as Dr. Yummy. But let's rewind a little bit. This is our story so far:

A little over a month ago I got a message from a friend telling me that she had a friend who had a friend who would be moving to my city from Seattle and would I please show him around? Did you catch all that?

I was fresh off the heartbreak of Mr. Perfect and not looking to date anyone for a long, long time. But, what I was being asked to do was not to date but to show a stranger around, right? And I love to show off all the great places my city has to offer, so I said ok.


And he arrived with a week to kill before starting work finishing up his last few years of medical residency. Yes, he's a doctor. A psychiatrist. (Don't laugh :) ).We decided to meet for lunch and I made a mental list of entertaining stuff to tell him about. I didn't anticpate him showing up at my work looking all adorable in his Decemberists t-shirt and curly hair and smile that lit up a room.

In fact, I didn't look at him much at all that first date. I didn't want to like him. I listened to him talk, trying to edit out all the stuff he was saying that I agreed with, or that we had in common, and all his fabulous stories of adventures in the medical field and traveling abroad. I repeat--I did NOT want to like him. Things don't go well when I like someone. So, lunch ended and I paid, just to make sure it wasn't a date. Afterwards, I texted him a list of all the restaurants, concert houses, bike trails, and entertainment spots we'd talked about. Thanked him. And I thought my duty was done.

Two days later, he asked if he could take me to lunch to return the favor. Dang!....I hadn't considered that whole "reciprocate the favor" thing. I was going to say no, but he also threw in the fact that he had a '68 International Scout that needed driving...I am a sucker for vintage cars. And a vintage car that could also run over stuff? Um, yes.

I agreed to go.

I also made the mistake of looking at his Facebook page and noting that yes, he was as cute as I remembered. And yes, we did have a lot in common. And oh. my. heck!, he has a picture of himself playing with AIDS orphans in Thailand? Seriously?! How does willpower compete against this?...

Then he showed up for our second lunch "NOT DATE" in a quirky hat. And I love quirky hats. But I was not going to like him. I was certain of this.



By our third lunch date my stomach did this roller-coastery thing when I saw him, and I was getting very angry at myself for liking him. So, I started saying yes to all these other guys who had been asking me out for months trying to run away from what I was sure was another case of unrequited love in the making. I was going out on some form of a date almost daily. It didn't work very well. I would be with them...thinking about him.

He went to a costume-themed, all white party with me. He didn't laugh at my dorky dancing. He toasted a marshmallow for me. He drove me home and talked with me till 2 am.

I was still just showing him around. I wasn't going to like him.


We went to a movie together. Super 8. It had scary parts. He thought maybe I needed someone to hold my hand. I let him. But it didn't mean I liked him. Not even afterwards when he put me behind the wheel of his gorgeous Lexus and told me I could drive it. Fast. (Did this man know that my heart and cars were attached?!) He gave me a big, warm, lingering hug goodnight. He told me his childhood nickname and told me, if it was necessary, I could call him by it. I went to bed thinking about him that night. I woke up thinking about him. I think I liked him.

He asked me to teach him how to longboard and show him how to make gingersnap cookies. He came to the grocery store at 11 pm to keep me company while I bought cat food and hair color. He listened to rambling stories about my pioneer ancestors. He subjected himself to the barage of questions when he met my favorite like-a-mother-to-me sister-in-law. He brought me purple tulips. I think he liked me back.

But I've been wrong about these things before.

**Part 2 to come...at some later date**