Tao's

I went to Tao's for the first time with some friends from work. A real snazzy place with very strong SD/SB undertones however, I am not sure if I saw any obvious SD/SB couples. There were too many tourists and families. I really enjoyed the giant Buddha statue and the dessert was just great, rice pudding with ginger flavored ice cream on top. Supposedly, Sex in the City filmed a couple of scenes here.

Great time was had by all.

I will keep this place in mind for future liaisons, if any.

This memory of Malone came to me while riding the subway. The mind was just ramblin' all over the place as I do lead a very exciting life, you know?

I had already gotten a table for us at the Four Seasons and started drinking a Shiner when I get a phone call from Malone saying she was taking the bus from somewhere and she was running a few minutes late. Okay, no harm done. I will just keep reading my newspaper and have a few sips; trying to not to feel self-conscious sitting in the middle of the restaurant all by myself. Incidentally, this is why I prefer to wait outside until the SB arrives and enter together. Just going in there and sitting by myself makes me uncomfortable.

Forty-five minutes later and fuming mad, I get up to leave. As I am walking into the hotel lobby I get another call. It was her saying, "I am here. I will meet you in just a minute.” Right at that moment I see her walking or rather rushing past me heading to the restaurant. At the same time I’m walking in the opposite direction and I was going to blow her off and hang up on her after a few choice words. Instead, I cooled down and said, “Why, of course sweetie. I am right behind you” and she turns around and smiles really big at me.

We started talking and she explained that she was visiting her incarcerated father as it was Father’s Day. I was shocked as I had never met anyone who had imprisoned family members before but I took it in stride, smiled and asked if she had studied criminal justice in law school. She did not, instead she did contract law. Sounds pretty dry.

Having talked for half an hour she remarked at how easily and naturally we were conversing and how tempting it all was. I offered to book us a little suite at the hotel just to put her on the horns of a dilemma. Malone got really pensive and half heartedly declined.

Not to worry, this was only the start of a beautiful friendship.