better late than never

Remember the cute couple we met at the tango?  

As we left the restaurant that evening,
we excitedly made plans to meet up for dinner the following night.

(Do you ever, in the light of day, question plans you made late at night?)

The next day, I began to question the wisdom of the going to dinner 

with a couple we had just met the night before.  

Were we crazy?  We didn't even know these people.  

What would we talk about?
Did we have anything in common?

What on earth were we thinking when we made these plans?  

What were they thinking this morning?  

Did they regret it?

They were in Buenos Aires on a romantic getaway, 

and couldn't possibly want to join us for dinner!
And - worst case scenario -
what if they were actually nefarious individuals who
 had dark plans involving American tourists?
(ha!)

I voiced these questions and concerns throughout the day.  

However, John kept reassuring me that it was fine, these were nice people, 

and we were going to have a great time at dinner. 

 I knew I really liked them the night before,
but had some doubts...

We arrived at Cabana Las Lilas  in Puerto Madero at 8:00 p.m. 

to meet Lupita and Jose' for dinner.

When we checked with the hostess, she confirmed that she had an
eight o'clock reservation for four in Jose's name.  

We were relieved that the reservation had been changed from 2 to 4

 because that meant they really were planning on having dinner with us!

crazy americans

We were escorted to the table and   

immediately after we sat down, we decided that it might be awkward 

for the other couple (who made the reservations!)   

to walk in, and find us already seated at their table.

We decided to get up and wait at the entrance until they arrived.

We notified the hostess that we would be sitting in the bar area 

while we waited on our companions.

We ordered this savory malbec

and waited...

and waited...

Finally, after 45 minutes, we decided that 

our new friends had, indeed, ditched the crazy American couple.

We asked to be reseated at their table and meekly told the hostess

that they may still arrive.

This table was in the back of the large restaurant next to a long

row of windows overlooking an outdoor seating area

and behind that, the river.

After being seated, (again) and perusing our menus, I looked up

and sitting Directly on the other side of the window

were our friends!

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. 

 "THERE THEY ARE!"

At that exact moment, Jose' saw me!

They had been waiting on us for over an hour 

and thought we had stood them up!

Evidently, there had been a lack of communication

between the waiters and hostesses.

Jose' and Lupita were originally seated at our table,

but on such a nice night, 

asked to be moved outside!

You would think someone would have put it together,

since we were both groups of two, waiting on two.

The dinner was delicious,

the conversation lively, and we

talked and laughed into the wee hours.

Maybe it was a little crazy

to go to dinner with people we just met,

but by the end of the night,

we were friends for life.