Last October, I attended a charity event on the Hill. When I walked into the venue, I immediately noticed Mr. Exec, a very successful business consultant. He's 6'1" with an athletic build and light black complexion. His most striking feature: his blue-green eyes that sparkled like the water off of Seven Mile Beach. A close second: his impeccably tailored designer suit.

At the event, Mr. Exec took me under his wing. If I wanted a drink, he made sure that I had it in less than a minute. If there were A-listers in the vicinity, he introduced us and told them about my blog. If the photographer was nearby, he made sure that she took several pictures of me.

Mr. Exec: Are you going to the after-party?

Me: No, unfortunately, I have to go home.

Mr. Exec: Would you like to go out for tea sometime?

Me: Sure! That would be great!

Mr. Exec sent me an e-mail after the event. I indicated that I was open for grabbing tea, but he never threw out a specific day or time. I didn't pursue it since I was busy with my thesis and was living with my then-boyfriend, "Buckeyes" Boy.

A month later, the charity held another event in Georgetown. Mr. Exec and I texted each other beforehand to confirm that we both would be attending. Mr. Exec showed up at the event with his friend, Jenna, yet he still paid a lot of attention to me. He reiterated his offer to have tea together and also mentioned grabbing a meal at National Harbor.

Mr. Exec, Jenna and I spent much of the event talking to each other. For some of the conversation, Mr. Exec had his arm around my waist. But then, he moved it to my ass. That caught me off guard. I had always felt a friendly vibe between us, but my judgment might have been clouded by the fact that I was in a serious relationship. I waited for the next appropriate moment to mention that I had a boyfriend, hoping that would eliminate any further ass grabbing.

After that event, Mr. Exec texted me about getting together on Sunday. We were trying to coordinate plans, when he made a comment about wanting to give me kisses.

Me: Hugs – yes. Kisses – no.

Mr. Exec: Why not hugs and kisses?

Me: Because I'm living with my boyfriend and that wouldn't be right.

Mr. Exec: Oh, I didn't know that.

Me: Yeah, but I would love to go out for tea with you as friends :).

Mr. Exec suddenly became much less available for tea, but I couldn't blame him. I didn't hear from him again for over a month, when he texted me to wish me a Happy New Year.

We then began to text more regularly, but it was tough to find a time to get together. (I was in thesis mode in January, and DC was covered with snow for most of February.) When Mr. Exec heard about my Blog Party in March, he told me that he would love to come to support me. That made me smile.

In the same text conversation, he also asked me out for tea on the Friday after the party. I said yes without hesitation. As the week progressed, I got more and more excited. I wasn't able to be more than Mr. Exec's friend five months ago, but maybe our timing was better now?

When Mr. Exec walked into Black Finn for my party, a huge smile came over my face. I was able to look at him now and feel an attraction. We talked for a few minutes before I went to mingle.

When it came time for me to make a speech, I talked about why I started blogging and how my relationship with "Buckeyes" Boy ended. As I told the group, I was going to pursue my goal to adopt a child, but I also had a lot more dating — and more blogging — to do!

When I saw Mr. Exec later on in the night, I jokingly asked him:

So are we still on for Friday night?

Mr. Exec: Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?

Me: I didn't know if I scared you off with anything I said.

Mr. Exec [smiling]: Not all all.

Me [smiling]: Good.

I was ready to date again and was looking forward to getting to know Mr. Exec better. March was definitely roaring in like a lion, and that was a good thing!