People of Missed Connections: Karen and Rommel

Ah, Missed Connections. Home to some of the most (and perhaps only) genuinely touching moments on Craigslist. And we at Hooksexup love touching moments, so we're interviewing people who've posted on Missed Connections to give them a better chance at finding that special someone.

Karen, 29

www.happelstance.blog.com

Bob in the yellow tie - w4m - 29 (upper west side)

Bob, we had a connection. You and your friends were visiting NY. Me and my girlfriend were having a reunion. But I ran off without even getting your last name. We definitely had a connection because all of your friends kept kicking me and telling me you liked me. You had on a suit with a yellow tie and we sang karaoke. I'm pretty sure I blew it when I told you that I knew you're a billionaire. Too much liquor shoved the foot right in my mouth and the timing couldn't have been worse because the night was over and we all went our separate ways - I'm so sorry! Please write to let me know I didn't screw this up too badly. 

So who's Bob? 
I'd just moved back to New York from Los Angeles and I went out with a friend from high school. We didn't want to be bothered — we were just catching up. We didn't want anyone buying us drinks or hitting on us or anything. And all of the sudden this guy in a yellow tie bumped in to me and his friend goes, "He's going to have to buy you a drink." And I said, "It's fine, don't worry about it." But he did anyway, and then they walked away. 

Was that it? 
Well, it was time to leave and my friend wanted a cigarette outside, so I said, "I'll find us two cigarettes." And out came the guys in the suits with their friends, and they got us to stick around. They were all super-nice — they had all known each other from the Air Force, and it was a reunion. They were just gentlemen. Most of them were married with children, and my friend has a kid, so they were sharing pictures. And I agreed to go to a museum with them the next day. Then when it was time to go, I was getting into a cab with my friend, and some random girl I'd never seen before came up to me and said, "I hear you're going to hang out with them. Don't flake on them, because that guy in the yellow tie is a billionaire."

Whoa.
I don't care about money. If the guy's a billionaire but he's a jerk, it's not worth my time. But then I felt my friend push me out of the cab. She said "I've got a kid at home, I can't stay, but you're staying." And there I was, stranded on the Upper West Side. 

So what did you do? 
I hung out with him and his friends all night. We sang karaoke. He lives in San Francisco but he's moving here in three months. And at the very end of the night, I had just had too much to drink. In my drunken mind, I thought, "I don't care — he's wonderful!" And so I said, "Do you want to hear a funny story? Here's why I came back..."

Uh-oh...
As soon as I heard it coming out of my mouth, I was like, "This sounds completely wrong. I sound like a gold digger and I'm not." And all of the sudden the place was closing, and I was so embarrassed I just hopped in a cab and left. Earlier in the night he'd asked me for my phone number and I wrote it down on a napkin, but I didn't make sure he had it, and I didn't assure him that I'm not some kind of psycho. I woke up the next morning and I was so mad at myself. The plan was to meet in Central Park at noon, but... 

Did you go to Central Park? 
Well, where was I going to go? I didn't know which museum to meet him at. Was I gonna go running around the Guggenheim screaming for Bob? I didn't know his last name. I'm pretty sure it's not "The Billionaire." 

Who was the girl who told you Bob was a billionaire? 
I have no idea. She said she'd been talking to his friends earlier that night. So he might not even be a billionaire! Like I said, I don't care, but imagine if you were sitting there and some stranger said, "So I heard you're a billionaire," and you're just some average shmo? All of his friends were pulling me aside that night telling me how much he liked me, it was such a great night, then I shoved my foot in my mouth.

You said there was karaoke. What did he sing? 
Oh, he didn't sing. I did. I sang "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." It went well. I can sing.

Do you think you wooed him with your karaoke? 
I think I'd wooed him already. He was so sweet. He wasn't trying anything. It was just... it was cute. He wasn't trying to drop lines or be cheesy. Usually you can tell if somebody's just trying to sleep with you. But he just seemed genuinely interested in me. We had a lot of things in common. And his friends were so nice, they took me in as part of the group. He was also a little older, and I'm kind of sick of guys my own age. I've been around the dating block a couple of times. 

Well have you gotten any responses from your ad? 
No, I haven't.

Not from anyone? 
Not from anyone. It was pretty specific — I was kind of excited to see what kind of creepers were gonna respond... and it was just you.

What would you say to Bob if he did respond? 
"I'm sorry. I'm not a lunatic, I promise."

Would you try to re-kindle the date? 
Oh my God, I would love to. Maybe he lost the napkin. What if the napkin was smudged? There are so many what-ifs. What if he thought he'd told me where to meet him in Central Park or told me what museum, and he just thought I didn't show up? It's the definition of a missed connection.

So what do you know about this Bob, besides that he's a billionaire with a yellow tie? 
Well, I happen to love the Muppets, and we spent like an hour talking about the Muppets. Jim Henson is my hero. Sesame Street started as him trying to teach children about diversity. Everybody said no, you can't put puppets on prime time, it'll never work, and The Muppet Show ended up being one of the biggest shows of its generation.

So what's your favorite Muppet movie? 
I'm going to have to say The Muppets Take Manhattan. I think this new one has some good potential too.

Did you and Bob discuss your favorite muppets? 
We did. Mine was Kermit. He was a big Gonzo fan. 

A good pair. Kermit seeking Gonzo? That could be your next ad.
I don't know about that one.