Dating in Las Vegas

People always ask,"What is it like to date in Vegas?"  My response, with a laugh has been a multitude of different things:  "It's great if you want to date someone my daughter's age - she's 24."  Or, "Yes fun... especially when you find out that he's married and wasn't wearing his wedding ring!"  Or, better yet, you date someone, who brings his own date along, and then receive a phone call hours later that he is passed out on the Bellagio lawn.  (I didn't even know the Bellagio had a lawn!)  Or, when you discover that he has multiple personalities, and you don't know which one you are talking to.  Yes, dating in Las Vegas is just as colorful as the city.

But my favorite story, by far is the one about the baseball players.  It happened only a few months after I moved here to Las Vegas in 2006. I should have known that this was going to "set the stage" for my dating escapades.

The place:  Tao Nightclub
The event:  a VIP host's Birthday Party

I arrived at the birthday party right on time.  Yet, I was the only one in the room.  I texted the person's who's party it was, and he responded that he was on his way.  I should have known that no one in Vegas is on time for anything...especially their own birthday party.

While sitting against a sofa, two guys walked in.  Attractive guys.  They walked over to me and I asked if they were here for the party.  When they responded, "What party?" I knew they were crashers.  It didn't really matter to me, since I was in this room alone, and now I was in the room alone with two good looking guys.  The conversation continued and I asked what they did for a living.  They both replied, "Baseball Players."  Oh, really? I said, "For what team?"  One said Kansas City and the other Minnesota Twins.  One was a Short-stop, the other Outfielder.  I asked more questions about baseball - hell, I grew up a few blocks away from the Yankee Stadium. I went to all the baseball games. I owned bats, gloves and caps signed by the players. I know a little about the sport!

When the evening was over, the Kansas City Player asked me for my number - which I gladly gave him.

The next day at work, I was telling a coworker that I met two baseball players.  He asked me who they were, and I gave him their names.  About 20 minutes later, he came back into my office, and said, "Those guys lied to you.  They aren't baseball players - at least not for those teams!"  "What?" Not baseball players?  How could they lie to me about that?"  Yes..."Carol," who lived in the South -way too long- couldn't understand how someone could make that up!"  The same "Carol," who forgot that she grew up in the Bronx! The "Carol," who almost forgot where she was living - in the "Land of Make Believe!"

When the Kansas City Player called that afternoon, I asked once again if he played baseball for Kansas City.  The phone went quite for a second... "Ugh.....Yes, I play baseball, but not for Kansas City.  I played for a farm team." He said, "I don't know why I told you that?"  Yes, me either! "What about your friend, the Minnesota Twin player?"  "Yes, he is a baseball player and he played for the Colorado Rockies...not the Twins." Hmmmm...a little detective work was in order!  I got off the phone, and Googled his friend's name, Colorado Rockies Baseball team, baseball card photos, you name it.  What I found, was someone with the same name, but the photo...not even close!

In my book, two strikes and you are out!  Why wait for the third?  I decided that I couldn't go out with the Kansas City Player...even though he was a good catch!

For the last five years, I have been telling that story.  The story of the two Baseball Players, who weren't really Pro Baseball players, but "Players" none the less!  

Fast forward to last week - very close to the anniversary date of the "Meeting of the Players" five years ago.  I was working out in the gym, and happened to glance over at this guy who looked vaguely familiar.  Could it be the baseball player?  I walked over to him and called his name.  He turned around.  I asked if he played baseball.  He smiled, and said "Yes?"  "Pro-baseball I asked?"
He hesitated for a brief second, smiled, and then remembered. He remembered all about me!

Ironically, I never forgot about him either.  The story of the two Baseball Players - I met at a birthday party in Vegas - will live on forever.  Little do they both know, just how famous they have become!