A Test

I met up with IX-- a teacher/tennis player/surfer dude. It was off to a bad start because we agreed to meet at 6:30p.m. at the cafe. He wasn't there at 6:30p.m.; I called--"what's up, where are you?". He calls back, apologizes--he didn't have my number (bc I never gave it to him) and he couldn't call to let me know he was running late. I suggested to meet back in HB, since we are both closer to that area. So, I drive back to HB, and about an hour after our initial meeting time, we meet up. I'm hungry by then, so "coffee" turned into chili fries at Johnny Rockets. Conversation was good because he's a teacher and there's lots in common. I just took surfing lessons this past weekend, so there was that in common too. I've always had a thing for tennis too. I think guys are easy--if you are a girl who's into the sports they are, they get all ga-ga. Conversation was fun-interesting...as I said, we had things in common. Afterwards, as we are headed back to our respective parking areas, he casually suggests meeting up again. "Would you be up for meeting up again..." he says. Shyly, but in an erratic-confused-but-forward way, I say: "maybe...not really." I wasn't ready for the direct question. Direct question gets direct response. I couldn't say yes because that wouldn't be the truth. He was totally cool about it, saying no one has ever said that, but he really appreciated it. I felt bad, tried to qualify my response as "thank you so much, the evening was totally cool, but..." How could I say that my mind has been fixated on someone else, that he never had a shot to begin with. Objectively, I think to myself, IX is too tall, too skinny, too blond...not my type. Yeah....that's the story and I'm sticking to it.