He had me from “You’re gorgeous!”

In “Jerry McGuire,” Renee Zellweger‘s character tells Jerry “You had me from ‘hello.’” Mine was a little different.

We’d talked a few times on the phone and had nice, but brief, conversations. I wrote about him in “Putting your best voice forward.” I had no idea if I’d be attracted to him or him to me. We agreed to meet at a coffee shop after work.

He called from a block away, telling me he’d be there in a minute. When he walked in the door, I waived. A giant grin filled his face. He walked toward me, his arms extended for a hug. I embraced the invitation! His first words: “You’re gorgeous!” What a great start!

He was tall, well dressed, and nice looking, even though he’s bald. Bald is sexy on some men — and it certainly was on him. As the evening progressed, I learned he was funny, intelligent, thoughtful, attentive, chivalrous, insightful, accomplished, humble and well educated.

We laughed, smiled and shared. We got so engrossed in each other we forgot to order coffee. He asked good, interesting questions and listened intently. After asking “Do you like to be touched?” and I responded “Absolutely!” he reached over and took my hand.

After 90 minutes, we walked hand-in-hand down the street and listened to the band playing outside. As we swayed to the music he slipped his arm around my waist. He moved it to the back of my neck, which he tenderly stroked.

He asked if I wanted to have dinner. Yes, I did. While we stood in a corner waiting for the outside table to be cleared, he gently kissed me. Nothing hot and heavy, just a sweet kiss. At the table, he sat in the chair next to me. We held hands throughout dinner.

He told me he liked my dimples. I thanked him. I didn’t tell him that I don’t have dimples — those are laugh lines, AKA wrinkles! He also said, based on some of my comments, it seemed I wasn’t completely happy with the shape of my body. I said yes, that was true, I’d like to lose more weight. He said “I love your body. If you’re concerned about any bumps or jiggles, that is what bodies our age are supposed to do.” I wanted to run away with him right then.

We were the last couple in the restaurant. As we left, we passed a club with dance music spilling out. He said “Let’s check this out,” and escorted me inside to the dance floor. Heaven! We had one dance before the band took a break.

He walked me to my car, opening my door, then we lingered in a sweet kiss. He was a gentleman and didn’t try to take liberties beyond a kiss. And a great kisser he was! We parted with a promise he’d call the next day. Which he did.

This was one of the very best first dates I’ve had in a long, long time. And it all started with “You’re gorgeous!” Note to self: the first response can set the tone for the whole evening — and beyond. So make sure you respond positively if you have a good initial reaction.

(I also wrote about him in “Falling in lust,” “Be creative to get his attention!” and “The two-suitor conundrum” where I referred to him as “Mr. Dreamboat.” I’ll tell you what happened with this one — and the lessons I’ve learned — in another posting soon. Stay tuned!)

Technorati Tags: dating Internet, dating online, senior dating, bbw dating, mature dating, dating over 50, online dating advice