Mr. Unavailable #96: Canada Calling (Or Not)

This is a Mr. Unavailable Mini Flashback, circa Summer through Fall 2009.

Vital Stats: 40-something, 5'9"ish, Canadian. Normal build, full head of hair, nice eyes. Income via art flipping. Possibly in the U.S. Illegally. Flirtation began Summer 2009 at a Soho party. Aesthetic: Early '90s preppy post-punk (black Chuck Taylor All-Stars, black jeans, black T-shirts). Demeanor: Cute and nervously chatty.

First Impression: Endearingly nervous in my presence.

Signs of Hope: When we originally met at the party, he chatted me up for a while, asking me questions and sort of rambling on adorably in what seemed like an effort to not let me escape. It turned out he was from Toronto and I spent some formative years in Buffalo, so we had commonalities via the U.S.-Canadian proximity (bad local TV shows--one called "The Cat's Pajamas," etc.). He asked for my email address and emailed me the next day. And, whenever he would see me, he would make a beeline for me.

Red Flags: He asked for my email address the first time we met--not my telephone number. Even though we went back and forth on email a bit, he never actually asked me out. I'd see him around and he'd act nervous and on the verge of asking me out, but then he wouldn't. A mutual acquaintance said she suspected he was just jonesing for a green card.

Turning Point: One night I ran into him on my way to a date and told him I was on my way to a date, at which point he said his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him had been calling and should he get back together with her? Done and done.

Diagnosis: For him: Stuck on the ex-girlfriend
For Me: In retrospect, I wonder if I was a tad guarded. I'd sequestered my emotions deep inside for a while post-Mr. Unavailable #TK and perhaps that added to #96's inability to initiate a date. Or maybe his hesitance was enough to keep me at bay. Either way, it still doesn't change the fact that his ex was in his emotional picture.