Date Ten: The Smoker

Funny how the anonymity of a profile can make one feel confident enough to lie about themselves without even considering the fact that the lie is obvious enough for even an idiot to catch. Seems to defeat the entire purpose of having a profile if it's full of lies and half truths. When looking at someone's profile, I look for deal breakers. Smoking is a deal breaker for me. The smell, the taste, and the way it makes my lungs tighten up, is not something I enjoy. No matter how charming he may be, if he smokes, I'm not interested because I find it a serious turn off. Really funny, since I was, many years ago, a smoker.
Come to think of it, Kryptonite smoked, but he took measures to not taste like an ashtray and I really didn't notice. Guess that would be the moral of this story.

I met Smoking Man on Yahoo!. Most sites have a place where you can claim your shame either confirming or denying the fact you smoke. He had said he wasn't a smoker. I walked into the appointed meeting ground, which was a really nice place called The District at Green Valley Ranch. He met me with a hug. And I smelled it. It was overwhelming. He was completely saturated in the aroma. It came out of his pores. I can only imagine what his house must smell like. I know I blanched at the smell because he asked if everything was OK.

"Smoker, eh?" I asked.
"Yeah, all my adult life. Is that bad?" Then he added defensively, "So, I'm a nice guy with a vice. That's such a small part of me."

But it is a big deal to a non-smoker. He was defensive about it. Sometimes, it's best just to get on with the date and get through it. I lost track of how many cigarettes he smoked that night, but it had to have been a pack, at least. I knew it was the first and last time I would see him and I felt bad with the generous way he kept ordering drinks, etc. He refused to let me help with the tab.