I've finally had a first date which is now the standard I expect (and set) when meeting someone for the first time.
This guy made me feel like his intellectual equal. Which I should have been looking for all along, but that's for another day (and another blog post).
We discussed latest news (love), politics (what did I think of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern? He breathed a sign of relief when I said I liked her) and of course our dating stories (I soon found out his "bad" dates had nothing on mine).
I'm also big on what someone wears on a first date - first impressions count, and so they should. You might remember my recent date with a hoodie-wearing guy
This guy was the best dressed I've had for a first date - he wore dress slacks, dress shoes and a long sleeved shirt rolled up (nothing sexier!).
He was a gentleman the whole way.
He was running late and encouraged me to order a drink while I waited (he'd have what I was having).
I was mid-way through ordering a cocktail when he did arrive and his "make that two!" to the waitress surprised me - I'd never been on a date with a guy who enjoyed cocktails, or better still, was keen to go one for one with me.
Our conversation was natural, there weren't awkward silences and before long we were comfortable enough to share our dating stories.
(Note to self, I really should stop sharing mine!)
I quickly realised his weren't as prolific as mine and his "bad" dates came nowhere near what I've experienced in my almost eight years of writing this blog.
It's hard to put into words how much this was a grown up date and it was like my eyes had finally opened and now I knew the types I guys I needed to attract.
I was on a date with a "man" and not a "boy" as I have been so many dates before this.
We shared a few starters, had a few more cocktails and before I knew it almost four hours had passed!
Neither was ready for the night to end so we went for a walk around South Bank and shared a few kisses under the night sky.
As midnight approached we both decided it was time to leave, me calling an Uber and he wondering if any trains were still running.
My Uber arrived quicker than expected (don't they always when you don't want them to??).
I got his number as we'd still been messaging each other on Bumble.
You can't beat the exhilaration you feel when you're on your way home after a great first date. There's nothing like it.
You play it over in your head until your head hits the pillow and even then it's the first thing you think about when you wake.
For once it was a great first date and a great guy.
Here's to more like it!
