Kay's Blind Gayting (mis)Adventures: The Big Gay Charity Date Auction: Part 3

Read the whole Blind Gayting series here. Scroll down to 8 February and work your way up.

I have been struggling to write about the night before the Big Gay Charity Date Auction, my first ever Inferno. Mostly because I don't fully remember the night. I wasn't drinking, but the entire night is a glorious swirl of images and incidents, so that's how I shall retell it:

I swung by Lillian's house to kill some time before we headed to the club. I found street parking and called her cell when I reached the front door. She came downstairs and let me in and we took the two flights of carpeted stairs up to her one-bedroom. Lillian's building has a unique smell, always the same, that is an odd mix of flowery, with an underlying tone of musk or cologne, and always with just a hint of an unplaceable ethnic food. It's not a bad smell, it doesn't overpower, but it is a smell that in unmistakably Lillian's building. Once inside her apartment, I kicked off my shoes in the entry, met her black and white cat, Prius, who completely ignored me, and Lillian fretted over what to wear.

I pointed out that wearing flats and her hair back with a bump in it flagged her as a straight girl (true at that time), but since we'd be in a club for who knows how many hours and she might want to dance, she should make sure she was wearing shoes she was comfortable in. I can't remember if she decided on the black peep-toe heels or the silver glittery flats.

We parked in a lot instead of looking for street parking on Capitol Hill, because really? I know I'm a woman who sucks at parallel parking. I don't feel the need to humiliate myself by proving it. When given the option, I will always opt to park in a lot or garage, just to avoid the hell of parallel parking.

Lillian and I walked into Chop Suey approximately 20 minutes after the instruction email said was the start time for Inferno, but we were two of maybe 15 other people there. I will never remember that it's always better to be late to clubs. And then to add another half an hour to whatever that time is that is deemed late.

Lillian parked at a table with our drinks, I checked in with the Auction organizers to see what exactly I needed to be doing tonight. We were here to promote the Big Gay Charity Date Auction to take place the next night, but apparently the only thing the Auctionees needed to do was parade across the stage later in the evening to drum up interest. There were a grand total of ten of us at this point with our profiles on the website, but I had no idea how many other people to expect at Inferno.

Lillian and I stood at our table and watched people come in, chatting about her family's visit and our respective weeks. More people showed up and I found the Seattle Lesbian crowd to be an interesting mix, and far different that Sacramento's Lesbians. There was flannel. There were hiking boots. There were mullets.

There were also perfectly normal-looking people, but I was rather distracted and disturbed by the mullets. I texted people. I texted many, many people. Lillian and I laughed over the replies and tried to stop staring at the mullets.



We went to the dance floor once it filled up a bit more. There was a DJ and I cannot remember what was played, but I'm sure all of the songs featured on this lovely mashup of '09's pop were played. I remember Lillian busting out some moves from Britney's "Circus" video when the song came on.

When signaled, I followed Dianne, Joan and some strangers to the hallway that led to the place where all the magic and mystery happen: the back room. The green room. The prep room. Whatever you want to call it, there was a TV on a stand with a ton of VHS movies, with some throwback family-friendly 90s flick playing when we walked in. I laughed and made small talk with one of my fellow Auctionees. I want to say there were only three or four of us there, but I really can't remember.

I was ridiculously nervous and considered bolting from the room no less than ten times. I hate crowds. I hate public speaking. I hate being in front of people and having attention called to me in any way. I was way, way too sober for this, and no amount of positive self-talk about how this was an exciting new experience was going to make the sick feeling in my stomach any better.

We moved through some door and onto a hidden area of the stage. I wanted to throw up. The music was cut and Joan had a mic. She was cheerily telling the crowd about the next night's Big Gay Charity Date Auction and telling them about the charity and how much fun it would all be. My fellow Auctionees were called by name to go stand on the stage. I don't remember hearing my name, but I remember the horrible slow-motion walk from the safety of the darkened backstage into the ridiculously bright light. I couldn't see anything. I could hear the crowd give their polite cheer for each of us. I took my place next to the other vict-Auctionees, and shyly waved to the crowd.

Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke, don't puke, don't puke running through my head the entire time I stood there until we were finally, mercifully allowed to leave the stage. I'm sure I was only on the stage in the crowd's view for seconds, maybe a minute. Two tops. But it felt like a horrible, never-ending eternity. I have no desire at all for the spotlight, and while I adore live music, I never want to trade places with the person on that stage. It is terrifying to have all eyes on you, even if you can't see those eyes.

I slunk back into the safety of the darkened hallway, through the doorway and made my way back to Lillian, trying to smile politely at the strangers I passed and squish down the panicked urge to flee. We stuck around for maybe another hour, dancing and laughing with some of the other Auctionees.

We were almost back to Lillian's when she realized she didn't have her debit card. Now it was her turn to panick, realizing she must have left it at the bar, and Lillian decided she'd hop a bus when I dropped her off and go back and get it. This was an utterly ridiculous idea and I told her so. There was still at least an hour until the end of the event, I had no problem driving back. This girl was silly and it made me question just what sort of people she normally hung out with. It took next to no time to head back to the club, I parked in the same spot in the lot we had vacated (but didn't pay again, shhh!) and we ran back inside to fetch the missing card.

Once it was safely in her pocket, we again set out for Lillian's. It was growing late and I still had an hour-plus drive to my own bed, so I dropped Lillian at the front door of her building, promised to meet up again soon, and once she was safely inside, set my GPS for home.

Kay's Blind Gayting (mis)Adventures: Lillian and the Big Gay Charity Date Auction Part 2

Read the whole Blind Gayting series here. Scroll down to 8 February and work your way up.

Standard Disclaimer: These stories are all true. The people involved are real people with real feelings. I always try to keep that in mind and treat others as I would like to be treated: with fairness and respect. All views are my own and I acknowledge that this is only my side of the story. I could easily be the star of someone else's trainwreck blind gayting adventures. And finally, all names and some identifying details have been changed to protect the innocence of those involved.

I know you're expecting part two of the Big Gay Charity Date Auction. And it is. Sort of. But here's where things get a bit foggy. Because while I was signed up for the Auction, I was still signed up on other sites and looking for new friends. I was in a new state and while I thoroughly enjoy my solitude, it's nice to have people to call when you want to go out.

Lillian was the first person I met up with from the interweb and I was hers. Goodness, we're all about firsts here lately, aren't we? An East Coaster who had moved to Seattle for work, Lillian had identified as straight all her life, though she "Was physical with a girl once and really liked it." That really should have been the first red flag.

I'm not really big on sports. I can accurately figure out what sport a team is associated with maybe 50% of the time. I bounced around the usual sports and activities growing up: a year of ballet in Kindergarden, basketball from 2nd-9th grades, a year each of t-ball and softball. I just wasn't interested. Or talented. I still have my library card number memorized, knew how many books you were allowed to check out at one time at the school and public library and always completed my summer reading list early. I grew up with both an older and younger brother, so I can build a fire, target practice (with guns), play a game of HORSE and swing a hammer well enough to pass as one of the guys, but I'd rather paint my nails or grab a coffee and chat with the girls.

Lillian, on the other hand, "Loved the Big 10" and was "A pretty big college football fan who salivated at the thought that it started in only a month." (Second red flag, if anyone's keeping track.) I watched a Penn State game with her once. Once was enough. She wasn't messing around about being a fan. I got yelled at for trying to chat while they were playing. Which is not to say that Lillian cannot out-girl me. Not at all. She just happens to take her sports very seriously, whereas I don't take many things seriously at all.

We shot emails back and forth for a week and a half and then met up one Wednesday afternoon at a coffee house right across the street from Green Lake (approximately a week and a half pre-Auction). Lillian definitely read as a straight girl: flats, hair bump with her just-past-shoulder-length brown hair, glittery purse. Nothing at all wrong with that, just one of the things you pick up on. I, on the other hand, was wearing Adidas Superstars, had a faux hawk and was probably wearing a polo. No mistaking I was gay.

Lillian is one of those environment-conscious city dwellers who takes the bus or walks most places, though I was not aware of that while waiting at the coffee shop. I arrived several minutes early, located a parking spot and grabbed a chai tea, then grabbed a table out front to wait, checking my phone for the time and messages. I was a nervous wreck and kept texting a couple of friends, convinced as the time crawled on that I was being stood up.

Then Lillian rounded the corner and smiled with a little wave and I was a whole new kind of nervous. How do you greet new people in a casual environment? Shaking hands seems too business. No way will I fist-bump, that'd make me seem like a huge tool. Do I do the ASL wave?

My train of thought was cut off as Lillian approached, arms outstretched with a smile. "Kay. Hi! I'm sorry I'm late, the buses can run a little behind at this time of day."

Worries of brush-offs averted, I awkwardly stepped into the hug, counted my customary 1-2-3 followed by a tap-out back pat and stepped back. I hate hugging strangers. It makes me feel so vulnerable. "Hi Lillian! Coffee? Wait, you said you like tea, right?"

Lillian smiled again, affirmed that she liked tea and we both turned towards the coffee shop. Which was now closed. "Oh. Don't worry, there's another shop right down the street that I like."

We chatted about her day at work and the drive as we walked a block down the street. Seattle may be known for Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee, but it actually has far more independent coffee shops than franchises. And depending on the neighborhood, yes, there really is a coffee shop on every block.

Lillian was easy to talk to and we wandered around Green Lake for over an hour, just getting to know each other and people watching. It started getting a little darker, a little more chilly and we decided to wrap it up. Upon learning that Lillian planned to catch another bus home I offered to give her a lift.

I have no problem giving someone a lift, but I'm always cautious. I personally wouldn't want someone I just met knowing where I live. You don't know if they're a psycho yet. But Lillian did not seem to share my paranoia, and after assuring her that I really didn't mind, we walked to my vehicle and she directed me to her building.

One assumes that everyone can give directions, but few do it well. When you're in a city, especially when there's evening traffic, it's nice to know which lane you need to be in. It's even nicer to know how soon you need to get into that lane, how many lights until you need to turn, things like that. Lillian gave excellent directions. A very minor detail in the grand scheme of things, but definitely something I appreciated. I dropped her at the front door of her building, we both promised to meet up again soon, and I then watched to make sure she got safely inside before turning around.

I don't pretend to know how the dating (or friend dating) game works, but I feel it's polite to follow up the event with a text or email thanking the other person for an enjoyable activity the day/evening of the event. She replied in a similar fashion, insisted I message when I was home safely (which of course I did) and then the waiting begins. I had sent the last email, so the next move was hers.

Thankfully Lillian didn't make me wait long. She sent an email the next day while at work, saying I passed the test and now got her official email address.

When meeting strangers online, many people use an email address that is not their main address, which makes perfect sense. If you find out someone's a psycho, you don't want them to be able to find and stalk/harass you on social media sites because they were able to do a Google search of your email address. Temporary email addresses (that expire and disappear after a specified time) are one option. A little extreme perhaps. I feel it's easier to just set up a free email account via MSN, Yahoo or Gmail that you only give out to potential suitors. You can easily set them up to forward to your primary email account so you don't have to remember to check that account every day. There's even an app now that will generate legitimate phone numbers that forward to your actual number so the person you're texting/calling doesn't know your real number. You can click a button and generate a new number as often as you need. Oh, technology, what will you think up next?

Lillian's family was flying in from the East Coast for a visit, so she wasn't free to meet up again until the night before the auction. Auctionees were strongly encouraged to attend at least one promotional event to try to maximize attendance at the Big Gay Charity Date Auction and I was scheduled to go to a women-only dance night called Inferno at the Seattle club Chop Suey. Seattle's clubs are as eclectic and diverse as the residents of Seattle. Chop Suey hosts all sorts of events, from rock, electronic, indie and hip hop, to alt-country, DJ and even comedy shows. It's on the main drag (Pike/Pine) in the Capitol Hill neighborhood (the art/music/gay/nightlife/entertainment district), so the typical crowd for a given event is anyone's guess.

Upon hearing that I would be attending Inferno (my first), Lillian was game to tag along and check it out with me.

To Be Continued.