Bad/good dates part 2

This time I'll start off with the bad dates and end on the highs. 

First the socially awkward date, where on the surface he seemed fine and then the date happened and I have never cringed so much in my life. 

He was on time which was a good start so brownie point for that but before we even went to the bar for drinks. 

He asked me if I fancied him and liked him enough for this to get serious as he needed to know right that second.

I told him that I would need to get to know him more first and see how the date progressed. 

He demanded an answer there and then so I told him straight if he was going to pressure me for an immediate answer he wouldn't like my response but he insisted so I told him bluntly to be badgered like this was very offputting. 

It reeked of desperation and I told him point blank he needed to relax and let the date move forward more naturally. Sometime it works out and other times it doesn't.

Just as I thought now things would calm down. He asked me a question and then says, well I asked you something, now it's your turn to speak. 

I'm not sure if I smacked my forehead, dropped my jaw, rolled my eyes or shook my head. 

Let's just say that soon after my hasty exit was established.

The next date seemed harmless enough, we got chatting inside a convenience store and arranged a date later that weekend. 

It was the first date I had in a while but I considered him the icebreaker into the dating, shark infested whirlpool. 

I met him up at his workplace and from there we went for drinks at a quiet little pub.

The bartender was so yummy. He was the spitting image of David Boreanaz but a younger better version. 

I have one of those expressive faces so I think he knew I was keen on him, hell even my date noticed. 

I did try to halt my face turning red whenever he looked at me but failed miserably. It didn't help that he was being flirty back. 

Returning to my date. It was not going well. We had very little in common and seemed to be struggling making even the basic chit chat, so I offered to go to the bar and get us another round of drinks. 

(Any excuse to talk to the hunky barman again). Begrudglngly he agreed and I lingered a little too much. 

When I returned my date wasted no time in asking for my phone number. 

Sheer panic had to be hidden because I had my phone on me but fibbed and said I didn't have a phone. 

I just thought please do not ring, pretty please with a cherry on top.

Thankfully for me it didn't and soon after we made tracks. I smiled taking one last lingering look at the barman and left. 

He insisted on dropping me off so I climbed into the car and from this point on, I can't remember if I had buckled my seatbelt or not but the next thing I knew he had lunged at me trying to kiss and I don't want to think what else. 

I was pounding on his back yelling at him to get off me and then he did apologise. Only to lunge back again two seconds later. 

This happened about two or three times and I was petrified that he was going to increase the aggressive attacks and really hurt me but I had managed to keep fending off his advances and raising my voice seemed to finally get through to him. 

He insisted on dropping me off so at that point leaving was not an option. I have a feeling I was buckled up.

Throughout the drive he kept profusely apologising and I pretended to forgive him in order to keep safe as now I had no idea what he was capable of next. 

"No!" Didn't seem to be a familiar word with him. Eventually we got back to his workplace and I have never unbluckled and scrambled out of a car so fast in my life. 

It could have been worse but it sure was not what I expected from this mild mannered man.

I got chatting to a guy online and he was very cheeky and sweet and he kept asking me out and I kept saying no and then months went by and we grew somewhat closer and talked practically every night and the important thing was that he stayed consistent and reliable, so if he made a time to be available for me then barring any complications I knew he would be there.

He eventually wore me down and I did agree to meet him on the proviso that he would make me feel safe without hitting on me or saying anything to make me uncomfortable and he was agreeable to the terms so we swapped phone numbers, probably talked for a bit and then made plans to have dinner.

The night before we were due to meet. I was gripped by panic and uncertainty. 

My track record was hellish so what if he was just pretending to be this decent man? 

I got myself worked up into quite a state, feeling nauseated and ill at ease and did not get a wink of sleep. 

I got up the next morning and still felt horrendous. I just couldn't seem to relax as this was my first link up with a man in years. 

It was also close to the trauma that happened and I was still shaky and had not been all that sociable since it happened so I went through my entire wardrobe and then felt exhausted.

I think I set the alarm to wake me up in an hour but promptly slept through it and a few hours later I had woken up to missed calls and texts. 

I was running late, the traffic updates had severe congestion and I really should have cancelled the plans but as we talked I realised it was now or never and I owed him this much as he also had not been that sociable since his breakup.

Extremely late and still unsettled I decide to try on a few more outfits, picked a dress and just headed out. 

I texted my apologies and to say I was on my way but it was a long tedious journey, however when our eyes met. 

He was not at all mad or aggressive, he was relieved that I showed up. 

We had Chinese for dinner which was awful. My stomach still hadn't stopped lurching so although I had not eaten all day I couldn't face having a big meal. 

I ordered a snack, had a few bites and cast it aside as it was bland and tasteless.

The more we talked and joked around though. The better I felt. 

He was extremely thoughtful and when we were outside around a lot of people he took special care to either put his arm around me or let me hold on to his arm and far from teasing me about it, he seemed to like it.

Next we decided to visit a nearby bar and when a few drinks had gotten inside me I really stopped feeling tense and overwhelmed and began to let my guard down and enjoy myself. 

I like to think I helped with his lack of confidence because he really was a lovely guy and very easy to talk to.

For two people that hadn't met before we got on as though we were old friends. The only thing I didn't like about him was that he kept asking me back to his place for the weekend and that made me very wary but aside from that he was a complete gentleman.

Next was my most recent encounter which still happened a long while ago. I had just picked up a product test, some fruit juice and then had my brows done to perfection and I was waiting to go home, when a random guy broke into my train of thought. 

He was full of compliments and easy banter and persuaded an exhausted me to go for a drink.

I don't usually leave with strangers but this was very much in the mid afternoon so plenty of people were scattered around and I thought. 

Why not just have an innocent conversation? I joined him in the local pub and we had a very frank discussion for a few hours about life, love, work and hobbies. It was very chilled and amusing.

I felt conflicted about staying in touch as I still didn't want to date anyone but friendship would have been great so we did end up swapping numbers but that is pretty much how it should have ended. As a lovely imprompt afternoon chance meeting.