April is a 32-year-old elementary-school teacher who lives near Yonge and Dundas. “I’m at the point in my life where I am serious about meeting someone to start a family with,” she says. April is fashion-conscious, flirty, and “always up for new adventures with the girls.” She’s met some accomplished and interesting men online, but hasn’t made any lasting connections. She met Steven online.
A while ago, I decided to join the online-dating world. I was scared, excited, and didn’t really know what to expect. After a few great dates—and some mediocre ones, too—I went out with a very handsome dentist. He was the whole package: He had a great job, an Architectural Digest–worthy apartment, was well-dressed, and considerate. He even drove a Porsche. We dated for a few weeks but it didn’t end up working out; he actually broke up with me in a four-line email. I was really hurt and decided to ditch the site where I found him for a different one.
A few weeks later, I agreed to go out with Steven, a filmmaker and self-described romantic in his mid-30s. His pictures were gorgeous so it wasn’t exactly a tough decision. We met for dinner at Black Skirt, the Italian restaurant on College Street. It was intimate right off the bat, especially for a first date. I asked him where he lived while we shared some antipasti.
When he told me the address, my jaw dropped. I remembered that the dentist lived right above a single dad at that number. I had seen the stroller. I’m sure I was looking at him in disbelief by then. Steven finally admitted to having a son and was visibly freaked out that I already seemed to know. I explained that I’d been dating the dentist, his neighbour, fairly recently. He said, “That guy?!” and looked like I’d slapped him across the face. At that point, Steven admitted to being 43, not 33, and said he didn’t mention his son in his profile because it might be a turn-off for some girls. It’s not like I was in touch with the dentist at that point, but his reaction made me feel as if I’d done something wrong. It was all very strange.
I decided to let everything slide despite his misrepresentations—not to mention how awkward it would be to run into the dentist—because the other elements of the date were so nice. After dinner, we went out for a scotch and a stroll, and ended the evening with a lingering kiss. We dated for a while, but I don’t think he ever really recovered from our first night out. One time I dropped a little gift off at his house when I knew he was having a bad day and he accused me of stalking him. I’ve steered clear of that address ever since.
April rates her date (out of 10): 8
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