One from out of the blue

Now, call me greedy if you like, but despite having one confirmed and two provisional dates set up for this week (more on them later), I couldn't help but go window shopping again yesterday morning. Call it addiction, call it FOMO, whatever, I don't care, I'll get over it, but in the mean time...

Up pops Stephen, says he's 47, with a lot of tattoos, a laid-back attitude and a nice face. I swipe right and waddyaknow, we match straight away! After much messaging, mostly about tattoos, we switch to texting. I'm no longer nervous about giving out my mobile number as its very easy to block people these days. Again, more on that later. He seems very keen, and invites my up to his house in Buckley for a smoke, as we share an enjoyment of smoke-able intoxicants. I persuade him that I'd be happier meeting in public first. I may be That Kind Of Girl, but I don't want him to know that too soon!

At this point I feel the need to introduce my readers to my very lovely friend Ricardo. He and I met on OKCupid just over 2 years ago. My first foray into online dating. We met for tea and scones in Llangollen, and the first thing he asked after we shook hands was 'Do you mind if we pop into this charity shop over the road first?' How to win your way into a girl's heart! I have one friend who likes to be taken to DIY stores. Me, I like a charity shop. After a couple of dates which were thoroughly enjoyable it was clear that there was no romantic spark between us, but he has since become one of my dearest and closest friends. To add to Wallace Simpson's adage, you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many friends.

Anyway, Ricardo and I hatched a plan between us. If my date is going down the toilet I text him a codeword, he calls me with an excuse, and I have to go home. I'm a little wary of this chap Steve, but you have to take chances in life so I invoke The Plan.

One has to question one's sanity when one heads out for a date with a total stranger in the middle of a snow storm, but I now owe it to my readers, so out in the car I venture, driving through a blizzard in the dark with the flakes whizzing past in the headlights like the Millenium Falcon making the jump to hyper-space (or a Tesla on 'ludicrous plus' mode. Yes, this is a thing)

Well, he was lovely. Cute, shortish, chatty, smart in that 'naturally clever but under-educated' sort of way, Radio 4 listener, Remainer (very important!) and passed the LGBT Test. We sat and talked non-stop for more than 2 hours, before he had to leave as he gets up at 5am for work. We share a kiss next to his very big black 4x4 pick-up truck (he also owns a Suzuki 650 and a VW T5 campervan, for those keeping score), and say we'll see each other again. Will we? I could stand it. We'll see.

Meanwhile, there are a couple that got away, some also-rans, and John the Druid, but that will have to wait for another post.