Expectation

Now, you may recall, gentle reader, I recently said I was done dating. And this, broadly, holds true. However, recent events have blurred the line a little…

Let me explain.

I recently joined a site called Tom Dick and Sally. It offered a free trial so I gave it a try; but then thought no further of it. Until, that is, I was notified someone had sent me a message.

I replied; he replied back… we got chatting… anyway, it seems on Friday he won tickets to see Girls Aloud from a private box at the O2, near to which I live, and he invited me to join him.

He will have friends there too of course; so it’s a slightly unusual first meeting. Different enough for me to do a Rule 5 override and say yes! Dates, after all, haven’t been my strong suit recently but why not? I was really pleased and flattered that he had thought of me.

Since then we’ve moved from messaging via the site to emails and phone calls etc. He is, I shall confess, quite charming. I am disarmed when he writes to me, often knowing not how to reply. Anyway, after a while we exchanged pictures. Of course, he is insanely good looking. I mean just gorgeous. Much to the irritation of my friends I had to check, after he had seen my reciprocal images, that he was still keen to meet. But he is. He tells me his colleagues think I’m most handsome, and of course everyone at my work says he is H-O-T.

In fact he works as a concert manager at a large church in central London where they put on lunchtime and evening concerts; and he is working Saturday night so he suggested that he gets me a ticket to attend that and then we go out for a drink in Soho afterward.

OK. Saturday A bit sooner than I anticipated but then again why not? Still a few days’ notice, even if it is uncomfortably datesque.

Then of course, today he invites me to tonight’s concert. Now that is too close. I need a few days to get myself physically and mentally prepared to meet this gorgeous guy. I didn’t have a change of clothes; and whilst I don’t think I look too bad right now I do think a bit of pampering might make a difference. After all, I shan’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So I gracefully decline…

I need to manage my expectations. My friends and colleagues say I’m more excited about this guy than any one for quite a while. But he and I both agree we may well not get on (c.f. he probably won’t like me) when we meet, and we have to be realistic about that. But still, on paper he’s incredible and I do have to fight a smidge of infatuation!

OK. So, in the spirit of Rule 6, I’m going to review my archive of dating experience; treat myself - possibly buy some new clothes and tart myself up a bit - and just enjoy his company. We will definitely be Rule 1 compliant; and I shall be very, very careful of how much I drink. So if I’m very, very lucky, then at least I’ll get to see Girls Aloud at the O2!!