Sometimes Lunch in the Park is Priceless

I had meetings near MacPherson Square the other day and was walking to an office early in the morning down K Street. Up from the bowels of DC, or at least a Metro exit, came a jewel of a guy, dressed in business casual attire, walking briskly, and carrying a cylindrical container. What was he carrying? A tube of Quaker oatmeal?

I quickened my pace to keep up with him. I walked nearly side by side with him for half a block, and saw that it was not oatmeal, but tinker toys that he carried. How could I stroke up a conversation (Freudian slip, I mean strike one up)? Perhaps they were toys for his children?

“Do you get to play at work?” I asked him as I strode alongside him, shoulder to shoulder.


He turned to look at me as we maintained the same pace. “No, I am working on a team building exercise at work,” her replied. Cute guy, nice voice, I observed. We continued walking, hip to hip, and wanted to ask, “Could I come and play as well?” But I didn’t. Instead I asked him more about his team and creativity and how I wished my colleagues would learn to play nicely together. We talked for another block, and I reached my destination. “This is where I get off,” I told him. Of course, I was hoping he would pick up on my double meanings, but he did not. “Have a nice day,” he said.

“Yes, yes,… see you in my dreams of next lifetime..,” I thought in my head. He continued down K Street and I watched him for a block, wondering home much further he had to walk and how much sweat would glisten down his cheeks.

So, not all my conversations result in a date.

At lunch, I decided to walk to Franklin Square and experience the Sun for a quarter of an hour. Heading down Eye Street I was passed by a hot guy. He passed Au Bon Pain and I caught up to him at the corner waiting to the traffic light. Standing behind him, I took note of his stylish leather shoes, probably Italian and square toed, his jet black gelled hair, his very thick rimmed eyeglasses, and his large bubble butt that his gray glen plaid suit barely could contain.



We crossed the street and my mind freely wandered and I quickly forgot him (he looked sort of like this person, but with stylish glasses). But it turned out that he was standing behind me at a takeout sandwich shop and ordered a nearly identical pork sandwich and bottled water. He was this cute man with the intense eyes? I couldn’t be sure. He looked like a cross between a law associate or oil lobbyist. Or neither.

I headed to Franklin Square park and picked out a bench near a lonely duck that was smartly hesitant about begging for crumbs. And who sat at the next bench? This mystery man.

“Hey,” I said, “great minds order alike. We both got a similar sandwich.” So we began to chat, mostly about this peculiar duck. Now I know what you are thinking. Did I proposition him, etc. Read on. I am not as slutty as I may seem.

It turns out that he was neither a lobbyist or lawyer. He was staying at a hotel on the corner and in DC for Aidswatch, a day of Congressional lobbying, specifically for earlier Medicaid funding for ill people. It made sense to me. But then why wasn’t he on Capitol Hill? Hmmmm.. Well he was taking a break to check out of his hotel. We exchanged cards, and I told him I would check out his group’s webpage and learn more about the issue. And if he needed a tour to give me a call.

So. Some days just end in chats and cerebral connections. But the quests for companionship and unbridled pleasure continue.