RAD: Mr. 4-Hour Drive in Open Diary 2001-2018 (Pre-Prosebox)

Name: Maaaaark (British accent!)

Age: 43

Relationship Status: Divorced, no children, one cat

Occupation: Head of US operations of a manufacturing company

Length of Date: 5 ½ hours

What We Did: He drove in from a town where he did business earlier in the week. It wasn’t as bad as a 4-hour drive, but it WAS 2 hours. We met at a fun little café that I love, had lunch, did a little shopping, had coffee, talked and talked and talked and talked, went to a little pub and sat on the patio, nightcap, and he was gone by 8.

He Wore: Beautiful black jacquard shirt with French cuffs, jeans, very cool black custom shoes.

I Wore: Black crepe dress (was a beautiful, warm day), silver bangles and charm bracelet, simple black sandals.

First Impressions: At the risk of sounding completely shallow (again), I’m going to have to say that I was disappointed. Another example of a combination of VERY flattering photos, faraway shots, and blurry pix. I decided NOT to let that get in the way of our fun, but let’s face it…there simply has to be chemistry there. Don’t deny it. Oh, and in case you were wondering? Decent teeth. BUT! He was dishonest about his height. Certainly not 6’2”. I was as tall as he is.

Convo: Fantastic at first. It was really great to finally meet this guy I’d been talking with for 6 weeks (he remembered). We had lots and lots of things to talk about. He really loved the place where I asked him to meet me, and we were never out of things to talk about. I will have to say, however, that by the end of 5 ½ hours of non-stop talking, I was exhausted! We talked about everything under the sun, including things that related to my previous [controversial!] entry about changing yourself to fit in with your surroundings. Very apropos, considering Mark is British and has lived in the US for five years now. We both agreed that while you do have to assimilate somewhat to the culture around you, it’s important to keep the core of who you are. And don’t worry…I DO see the irony in allllll of this.

High Point: After lunch, I took him to a fabulous garden/interiors store that I love. We had so much fun wandering through that store. The owners are so passionate and friendly to all of the customers and really engage everyone. He bought me a 2010 calendar that was absolutely beautiful. Each month has a vintage map on it. I just LOVE the colors on old maps, and I think I’ll frame them after I use the calendar. Called it an early birthday present. So nice of him.

Low Point: Not feeling a spark. It was a major let-down. I think he felt the same way, but I’m not completely sure.

How It Ended: After the pub, we walked back to where our cars were parked in the parking garage. Our goodbye was very frustrating and awkward because by the time we got to our cars and finished talking there were about 20 cars lined up to get our spots. We said a quick goodbye and had an even quicker peck on the lips, got into our cars, and drove away.

Chances I’ll See Him Again: Mmmmmmm. I don’t know. He said he wants to see me again, but wasn’t totally enthusiastic about it. But he did say that he would drive the four hours back to see me and even get a hotel room for himself so that we can go out and enjoy the nightlife. I’m not sure if I want him to do that. I need some time for this to digest. Meantime, lets see if he even calls me back.

Lesson(s) Learned: While you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, don’t you think the cover should be at least little bit like the contents??? I’m not saying that he wasn’t like his profile, but he somehow comes across differently in person (much differently from the phone, even). And I know that people put their very best foot forward in profiles and they are not always truthful, but… it’s just such a strange phenomenon to me. It makes me wonder how I come across to my dates. I wish I could read RADs about myself!