There were six of us gals, from Milton and Quincy, ranging in age from the 24-year-old daughter of a friend to us middle-aged moms.
A couple of us are married and just along for the theater. I was there as a lookout for a friend who had described a prior First Friday as “a good time, but I am not dancing with Humpty Dumpty again.’’
In a sea of tasteful, understated blacks, browns, and beiges, one guy stood out. Sweater Man was resplendent in a neon-striped sweater of multiple hues. I could not take my eyes off him. He nearly lit up the room.
Note to guy wearing dad jeans and a baseball cap, with a sweater and a jacket tied around your waist: Don’t.
But he wasn’t as bad as the man who was walking around with jumbo-sized cotton balls sticking out of his ears. The better to tune you out, my dear?
My friend Mary - the names have been changed to protect the embarrassed - saw one man and whispered: “He’s a regular. I met him last time. He has absolutely horrible breath.’’
The women at the mixer were dressed for the occasion, in nice pants or mini-skirts. Those in (designer) jeans wore dressy tops. Naturally, I saw some geezers trying to chat up young women. One portly gentleman sporting a salt-and-pepper beard came up to our group and went straight for the 24-year-old who was 30 years his junior.
Here’s a tip for young women who are either too polite or too intimidated to just bolt when an old guy hits on her. Use Mom as an excuse, as in, “Excuse me, sir, I told my mother I’d call and check in with her.’’ Don’t forget the “sir.’’
One of my friends, Susan, met a nice guy, a graduate student from India, and enjoyed their conversation. But Susan had been in a recent class taught by a dating coach, so she knew what to do, and what not to do.
“There are conversation patterns to avoid,’’ she told us on the way over. “The monopolizer, the interrupter, the conversation killer … ’’
