Single in the City: The Sweet Thrill of Cat Meets Mouse

Hide and Seek – The Sweet Thrill of Cat Meets Mouse

It all began Thanksgiving of 2007, in Los Angeles where I attended a friend’s wedding. At a most decadent reception with over 500 guests in attendance, a gentleman asked me to dance and I obliged. He had on an impeccable suit, which by my estimates was a bespoke Italian cut. I could tell by the close fit and tight tailoring. We had a great first dance sprinkled with the usual conversation: where are you from? Are you friends of the bride or the groom?…Yada, yada. The dance ended, and so did us. We left without exchanging contact information, choosing instead to smile and politely part ways.

One of the great social things to do in NY (if you are fabulous and hip) is hang out on the rooftop of many of the celebrated hotels and storied bars in the City. The cabanas at The Maritime Hotel, in the meat packing district, is one such place. On a sweltering summer night in 2008, I was in a cabana sipping fufu-cocktails and carrying on, when one of my friends abruptly announced that he was going over to say hello to a group of his friends he had just spotted walking in. I decided to mosey across with him to say hello. And the crew of friends? – Mr. Los Angeles and company. Almost instantly, we recognized each other, exchanged pleasantries, and moved on. This time, I could neither recall his name nor did I pay attention to his dressing. Instead, I was less than impressed by his rowdy bunch of friends.

So here we are its fall in the City and another after work networking event rolls around on a Wednesday evening. Tired and super-unmotivated, I managed to whip myself into shape at the thought of possibly seeing this man again. In classic New York order, I adorned myself in an all black outfit – A pair of black capri pants, a fitted deep v-neck blouse and, black and gold-studded Gucci pumps, no less. My makeup was all smoked out: eyes a clever mix of midnight blue, hunter green and smoky grays. Lipstick, fire red, a MAC favorite of mine-Ruby Woo, it’s a matt finish and it’s wild!

A little bit shy of 9pm, I strolled into the lounge, hoping for another opportunity to see this elusive creation. Luck was on my side. And just like déjà vu, there he was. Exactly where we met the last time, hanging out at the bar having a beer. It was as if the bar never closed and he was still having the same drink; alone, waiting just for me. My heart raced with incredible joy, a joy that I could neither hide nor wanted to. We instantly locked eyes and for the first time, he gave me a deep and long lasting hug, that said everything words could not express. My heart screamed to decibels that reached the heavens. Alas! The search was over, or perhaps just beginning. Tune in next week for part deux. It gets juicy…