Billed as an alternative to the nightclub scene for busy, single professionals looking for a more upscale and efficient way to meet other singles, Pre-Dating has its true believers.
I have to admit, though, that I was more than a little skeptical. In fact, when I was asked whether I'd be interested in speed dating, my first response was: "No way. I'm not that desperate."
Visions of social castaways and faces only a mother could love flashed before my eyes.
Despite my reservations, I decided to give it a shot.
I looked at it as an adventure rather than as a way to meet my soul mate. My expectations were low, but I admit I was excited about this new opportunity.
I prepared for my pre-dates in much the same way as for a real date: making sure my clothes were ironed and my hair was perfect, and of course, brushing my pearly whites at least three times before the event.
After a splash or two of cologne, I was ready to go.
I arrived at Scott's 15 minutes early -- a rarity for me -- and there was already a handful of people there. I was given a name tag with an identification number on it and told to sit at the table with my number on it.
An attractive twentysomething woman was sitting at my table. "Great," I thought. "I already have to make small talk, and the game hasn't even begun."
So, I sat across from this slender beauty and nervously paged through the instructions for pre-dating. She glanced over at me, and something funny happened: Conversation flowed.
"I've never done this before," she said.
It was all I needed. From that, we chatted about single life and the pitfalls of meeting people in bars. She's a lobbyist in Harrisburg with a master's degree.
"This is too good," I thought. "She's pretty, intelligent and knowledgeable about political issues. My kind of girl."
Then came the surprise: "I have a kid, and I'm divorced," she said.
As I ended our six-minute conversation, I took my pen and regretfully circled "no."
At 27, I have many friends who are married with children. I, however, have no interest in playing the father figure -- at least not yet.
Turns out, that was my biggest hurdle of the night.
One after the other, these single women gave me the same story: divorced with a kid, or divorced with two kids. One woman said she's been divorced twice.
Heck, only once have I even come close to asking someone to marry me. One trip to the jewelry store looking for rings is as far as I've gone.
After my first four pre-dates, I was sure I was going to end the evening without circling "yes" for possible dates with any of these women. Most were in their mid- to late-30s, and many had children.
On to the next one. Whoa! Hot!
This bachelorette, named Sue, was more my age, mid-20s, and was a striking brunette.
She told me she's a teacher who grew up in suburban Philadelphia. Bingo! I'm from suburban Philly, too. Instant conversation piece.
Sue noticed I didn't have a drink in hand, and I told her I had finished my beer a few pre-dates back.
Then, she really impressed me as she insisted that Yuengling Light beer is superior to Yuengling Lager Light. Although I disagreed, it was fun debating the finer points of beer tasting.
Ding, dong. The bell rang, and it was time to move on.
"It couldn't have been six minutes already," I thought.
I got up, shook Sue's hand, and moved on to Bachelorette No. 6. This time, though, I circled "yes," next to Sue's number.
The rest of the night was like a blur. Six-minute flashes of chit-chat and eye-contact. After awhile, the conversations began to blend together.
There was a gorgeous, tall blonde who lit up the room when she walked in. I had high hopes for her, but alas, she was divorced with two children -- ages 9 and 11. Not for me.
Then there was Kathy, a bubbly thirtysomething teacher, who made me laugh our entire six minutes. She was great, but the connection wasn't there.
A couple of other women impressed me enough to circle "yes" next to their numbers. Neither was a perfect fit for me, but they were driven professionals and both were attractive. I decided I'd take a chance.
By the end of the night, I had chosen three women as potential dates. Not, bad, I thought.
Then, something unexpected happened. My first encounter of the evening, the lobbyist and divorced mother of one, came back to chat with me a little longer.
As we parted ways, I smiled, looked down at my pre-dating itinerary and changed my "no" to a "yes" next to her number.
"What the heck," I thought. "I'm single. Why not give it a shot?"
As I checked my e-mail the next morning, I wondered whether any of my four potential dates found me interesting enough to warrant a match between us.
Turns out, the evening was a success. I matched with all four women. A perfect four-for-four rate. Even if it doesn't work out with any of them, it was a worthwhile adventure.
Now, it's time for my next adventure -- the actual date.
Wish me luck. BRETT MARCY: 255-8454 or bmarcy@patriot-news.com
