Lesley is a 29-year-old doctor who lives at Queen and Jarvis. She describes herself as “a barefoot-hippie type when I’m left to my own devices,” and loves to ride her bike everywhere, browse antique stores, and go out dancing. Lesley says it takes a lot to pique and keep her interest, but knows she is looking for “a real man who can build and tear things down, and also have a conversation about politics, religion, or something cerebral.”
I met Patrick at a party when he tried to chat me up. I liked that he approached me without hesitation. I also liked that he was a babe. He was scruffy, dark, had pierced ears—just generally smouldering and a bit mysterious.
I was a bit nervous to talk to him at first. Usually, the guys I date start off as friends, but other than being at the same party, I had no connection to Patrick. There was fresh coconut being served in the kitchen, and I asked him if he’d gotten any. He said that he hadn’t, and joked that he was disappointed in me for not saving him some. I laughed and said I was sorry. That’s when he asked if I wanted to make it up to him by bringing a coconut over to his apartment the next day, if he provided the coffee. I told him that as long as it was tea, we had a deal.
The next day, we were both hungover, so I went over to Patrick’s place with low expectations. I have to admit, I didn’t bring any coconut, but Patrick had also forgotten to pick up tea. It didn’t matter; right away he was lovely and charming. We ended up baking brownies and watching an old movie, and just kept it low-key. After the movie, we ate the brownies and drank juice and talked. It was very casual.
There were a lot of smiles and a lot of lighthearted teasing. He seemed a little nervous, definitely more nervous than the previous night. He told me he’d just gotten out of a seven-year relationship the month before. Hearing that was a little comforting because the pressure was off. It changed the vibe of the day, and instead of thinking of Patrick as a dating option, I thought of him as someone who was just cool to hang out with. And cute, of course.
We’ve both travelled a lot, so we mostly shared stories and anecdotes from our trips, but there was still a lot of guarded flirting and innuendo. We sat there for hours, and as the day wore on and we ate dinner and then watched another movie, things between us got more and more heated. Eventually, we started making out on the couch, which led to some time in his bedroom.
That night, I had to leave Patrick’s apartment to meet a friend who was staying at my place for the weekend, so it ended at his door with a kiss. We didn’t see each other again.
Lesley rates her date (out of 10): 8
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