Date #7

What I liked about Date #7 is that he immediately called me out on my bullshit. I met Date #7 through Plenty of Fish and not eHarmony. Plenty of Fish had gone by the wayside and I had screwed around with my profile and let guys know up front that I loved both bad music and had nerd-like tendencies. And then to prove it, I quoted the great Michael Bolton: "How can we be lovers if we can't be friends?"

Friends first never works, he wrote me. And I can't believe you quoted Michael Bolton in your profile.

I checked his out. It was a good profile. So good in fact, I wouldn't have contacted him because I was so sure he hears from swarms of girls.

This coming from the man who uses animated emoticons in his, I quipped.

I was hoping you'd respond, he sent back.

After some good e-mail banter, we agreed to meet. He greeted me with a hug; I realized I was taller in heels. He graduated from a smaller, non-SEC college, and is a UT fan. He has a roommate. He plays hockey; I'd already been there and done that.

I pointed to my front tooth. "That right there was lasered on by my very excellent dentist. I was fighting for the puck and took a stick to the mouth. Just so you know, it's really embarrassing to stop a game so you can look for your tooth on the ice."

He was impressed. "When did all this happen?"

"Um, 10 years ago. My boyfriend at the time played in the minor leagues in Vegas for the ECHL."

"So I saw that you sing karaoke," he said, referencing one of my pictures on my profile. "Have you ever been to heavy metal karaoke?"

Heavy metal karaoke is a live band dressed in skinny jeans and long hair and only plays classic rock songs that have been deemed awesome by the band. The song choice is limited and there are a lot of rules to sing with them.

"I have. I went a couple of months ago with my roommate from college who was only in town for one night. Singing karaoke was our thing, so we checked it out."

"Did you sing?" he asked.

"Hell yeah, I sang. I always sing. I'm not good at it, but I enjoy it."

"What did you sing?"

"Bon Jovi."

"Oh, 'Living on a Prayer?'" he smirked.

"No. 'Dead or Alive.'"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Bold choice."

"Awesome song."

"I go to heavy metal karaoke pretty regularly. I know all the guys. I use a stage name when I sing."

"Oh yeah? What's your stage name?" I asked.

"Debaser."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "You were there that night! I remember that name. It was like real name, real name, Debaser. You sang twice."

He laughed. I spun my pint glass. "I was the girl in the corner. You should have flirted with me. I looked hot that night."

"You're looking pretty good right now," he smiled.

And so we set up a date to return to heavy metal karaoke.