My Foray into the World of Internet Dating – The First Date

So Mr. Out of Town is keen to meet me and I am anxious. I am worried about a lot of things as this is the first time I have had a blind date (not totally as I have seen his photo) since I was 17. That was a disaster. I won't go into details, but I can assure you it was terrible. I prefer to avoid negative situations if possible.

I am really a very shy person. I can hear you all laughing now. I know that I may exude oodles of confidence, but it is something that I work at. Fake it till you make it as they say. It does pay off, but it isn't easy. Hard on the outside, soft as a marshmallow on the inside.

I eventually put my anxiety aside and became pro-active. I am American, from New Jersey, and I used to live in New York City. I also have large men in my family that know how to handle themselves. It rubs off. I do know how to look after myself.

On the day of the date, I told my friends on Facebook that I had my first internet date and if I didn't check in to call in the posse. One of my friends works for the police. We had chatted the evening before about a backup plan. I told him I was covered. I had also scheduled dinner with a girlfriend and she knew what to do if I cancelled. I wasn't cancelling for anything. She was helping me with my CV and a job application.

I got a text from my date to tell me he was going to be late because of the traffic as it was rush hour. That wasn't a problem and I was pleased that he texted me before he was late. I took that as a good sign. I arrived at our rendezvous a little bit early and was able to see him drive in. I took note of the car he was driving and where he parked. One can never be too careful.

First impressions are extremely important and it is possible to determine within the first 5-15 minutes if two people are going to be attracted to each other or will get along. Well, at least it has always been that way for me. This time was no exception and I was pleased to note that he was better looking than his photos and seemed to be a little shy himself. Although I can be somewhat shallow, even if the package is nicely wrapped, I still need to know if there is any substance to the person.

We went for a coffee and chatted for about half an hour, gathering information from each other. I was surprisingly at ease in his company, and when he suggested we go for a walk I was happy to do so. After all, it was a beautiful day and he did drive for more than an hour to meet me. Trust me, if I had any doubts or heard alarm bells ringing, I would have made my excuses and left, long drive or not.

I showed him a part of my world. He was surprised that I could have the countryside right on my doorstep. He seemed to enjoy it and I was happy about that. I love where I live.

I was surprised how easily conversation seemed to flow. I was with an Englishman that seemed open and conversant. How did that happen? He didn't even make one cheesy or sexual remark. He was a real gentleman. He did comment that I looked better in person than in my photo and I had to confess that I thought the same about him. When he suggested that he change his photo I told him that I thought it was better to look more attractive in person than in the photos, otherwise it would lead to disappointment.

We had some lunch and then it was time for Mr. Out of Town to head home. On the way back to the car park he hinted that he would like to be invited back. I ignored that and let him hint a couple of more times. I couldn't help toying with him before I asked him point blank if he wanted to be invited back to my neck of the woods. He said 'yes, if that was alright'. It was.