Thursday Night Date

The longer you’re immersed in the world of online dating, the more your expectations tend to shift. During this latest go round, I’ve gone from hoping for chemistry with my online candidate du jour to praying he doesn’t go off on a tangent about sex with his ex.

Thankfully, a pleasant Match.com date on Thursday offered good, appropriate conversation -- albeit only 60 minutes of it.

The Bar at Boqueria: It was much more crowded than this while CB and I sat here

I met 35-year-old finance guy and Philly native CB at Boqueria, the hip Spanish eatery where I celebrated my ex’s wedding day back in September. CB was much cuter than his profile picture, and there’s definitely something about a guy in a suit.

As we enjoyed a selection of divine tapas (ham and potato croquettes, manchego cheese), CB impressed me with his knowledge of wine and art. An art buff myself, it was fun to compare notes on favorite masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance and post-Impressionist periods.

Despite our engaging dialogue, though, there were more than a few awkward pauses so I wasn’t entirely surprised when CB brought the evening to an end. Why linger on a work night when the chemistry isn’t necessarily there?

Still, I found myself feeling very hopeful after we parted company. CB reminded me there are some normal guys left in cyberspace. And, now that I’ve joined JDate.com too, I might be even closer to clicking with one of them.