Could DiPasquale be falling for a bevy of women?

Hardly.

The bells heard by this 37-year-old computer sales account manager sounded the beginning and end of each of his eight-minute dates. Before the night was over, DiPasquale would have eight such encounters.

"I'm single, so I'm open to anything," he said, surveying the parade of men and women entering the room. "I don't like that trashy look - not the kind you see on Chippewa Street - with the short skinny skirts and skimpy tops. They never have jobs."

Greetings from the land of speed dating, where eight minutes of flirtatious interaction between strangers costs a mere $28.88. On this polar evening at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewing Co., the air sizzles with anticipation as 32 single men and women between the ages of 35 and 45 hope to create their own versions of happy hour.

Time economy. Cost effective. The mechanics of the evening go like this: After paying the required fee, an equal number of men and women arrive at the prescribed location, receive name tags, a dating card and table assignments. After a series of four one-on-one encounters, there's a 20-minute break to mingle before going back to the tables for another round of four dates.

"You have eight minutes to talk to the person you're sitting next to," announced event organizer Kate Resetarits. "Sample questions are on the back of the card. If you want to write notes, go ahead. There's also three boxes you can check: one for friendship, dating and business. Please don't ask people for their last names or for a date tonight.

"After you go home, go to the Web site," she read. "Think about who you might like to see, and put that person's name and number into the Web site. If that person picks you, it's a mutual match and you'll be e-mailed each other's contact information. It's only a match if you check the same box."

As for the truth factor, background checks are not conducted on the participants, Resetarits confirmed. There is the chance, then, that a single individual might very well be married. But like all dating situations, participants are advised to use their common sense.

DiPasquale sits at Table 2, his first assignment. He pops a breath mint, waits for his first date and smiles as Sally 512 takes her seat across from him. With everyone paired up at tables throughout the room, one woman sits alone at Table 10.

"The only thing worse is not to get a bid at a bachelor auction," one spectator pointed out. The date finally arrives and seats himself, holding a bottle of beer in one hand, his date card in the other. All is good. The bell sounds.

At Table 2, a slow start:

• What do you do for a living and do you enjoy it?

• Is there any travel involved?

• What book, magazine or trade journal did you read last, and did you do it for pleasure, or was it required reading?

DiPasquale allows Sally the first shot, and she fires away, asking question after question. He's cool. He laughs. He's a salesman. After the two exchange information on everything from allergies to hated household chores, the bells sounds as DiPasquale is asked about his most sensible article of clothing.

Was that a discernible sigh of relief from DiPasquale? Earlier in the evening, he explained that it's been a year-and-a-half since his last serious relationship. If he finds someone he likes - hopefully a red-head - he is ready.

"I tried Internet dating a couple of times," DiPasquale said. "They didn't turn out to be who they said they were. They stretched the truth. One girl I met, we e-mailed and stuff online. We exchanged pictures and she didn't end up looking anything like the picture she sent, far from it. The picture must have been 15 years old. That was kind of a shocker."

And then there are singles' dances. DiPasquale attended one recently at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott.

"Every woman there looked over 50," he recalled. "I thought that my grandmother was going to walk in."

No grandmothers on this night. A lot of leather, though, lip-licking, too. A smattering of business suits. A healthy dose of knee-high boots. For the most part it appeared that casual was the rule. Many of the participants looked to libations to calm the butterflies; DiPasquale opted for ginger ale.

SpeedDating, HurryDate, FastDater all focus on speedy love connections, some as brief as three minutes. And while the age groups for each event may vary, so do other factors such as religion, ethnicity, parenthood.

8minuteDating began two years ago in Boston, and was developed by Tufts University graduate Tom Jaffee, who sought to develop a "technological solution to essentially eliminate the need for a bad blind date."

More than 60 percent of the participants have at least one mutual match after the event. More than 90 percent meet someone whom they want to see again, according to company literature.

Back at Pearl Street, a 20-minute break. Time to refresh, to hit the restroom. Time to check out those eight others who were not on your date card. The complimentary appetizers - spinich-Asiago dip and fresh vegetables - are barely touched. Remember, there is another round of dating. Food particles tend to thwart smiles.

"This doesn't bother me," DiPasquale said, looking over his date card notes. "It's like going on eight different job interviews for eight minutes."

For more information on upcoming 8minuteDating nights - including Thursday's event for ages 23 to 34, visit 8minuteDating.com.

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