Let me tell you about my first blind date. In fact, it was my first date of any kind.
So, picture this; I’m 17, still fairly sweet and innocent, and completely naïve to the joys (and horrors) of the dating world, with a slightly Disney-tinted view of romance. I have just started coming in to my own and generating a little attention from the boys – yet I’m the last single one in my friendship group. So of course, my lovely friend Lola – whom I also worked with – decided to give me a hand with this by asking Olly the barman to set me up with a friend. A nice older guy with a good job and a nice car apparently. I won’t dwell on the process of us meeting – we got each other’s numbers, exchanged a photo (he seemed cute), had a bit of a chat and arranged a date. I got a pep talk, some outfit ideas and swore to check in with Lola and relay every single detail of the date. Obviously. And that was that, I was off on a date with Gavin!
So, date night. I’m sitting at the bus stop outside the bar we’d agreed to meet at feeling pretty nervous, but excited, about meeting what could potentially be the man of my dreams, about to whisk me away to my happily ever after. You have to think positively, right? Anyway, as I’m sitting there waiting oh so patiently for the date that is now 20 minutes late, I look up and see this funny looking little man walking up to me. About 5 foot 5 and sporting a bright yellow puffer jacket, bleached blonde hair in hedgehog spikes, two sparkling diamond-esque studs and a thick gold chain that would make Delboy drool. And, shock horror, this 90’s boy band reject walked straight over to me and said, “Hi, I’m Gav.” Ah crap.
Look, appearances aren’t everything okay. I mean, I’m hardly fashion forward myself and personalities are way more important than looks. And he kind of looked like his photo…just a bit different than the classy, older gentleman I was expecting. But that was an image I’d created in my own mind and he seemed nice enough, so I was open to seeing how it went. Now, one of the benefits of dating a 21-year-old when you’re 17 is that they can buy the drinks, right? Well that’s usually the case, unless the 21-year-old in question actually looks about 12. And doesn’t carry ID. So off we went on a tour of all the places in town that wouldn’t serve him. Turns out, there were about 9 of them. And did I mention it was March and I was wearing a dress? Fun times! Eventually we came across a delightful pub with crusty carpets and an aroma which can only be described as a body odour/urinal blend. So, I was actually grateful to take my long-awaited drink out in the cold beer garden so that my date could smoke.
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant…
Lola: I might check in with L and see how it’s going
Olly: Oh yeah, it’s her date with Cracky Gav tonight!
Lola: Cracky Gav? Why do you call him that?
Olly: Because he loves drugs
Lola: What? What drugs?
Olly: All the drugs! He’s always on them.
Lola: No! L hates drugs!
Olly: Oh…probably not the best person to set her up with then…
Lola: You think?! Well that’s going to be an interesting date!
Oh, interesting was one word for it! So, we had finally found somewhere that we could sit and have a drink, and the getting to know you part of the date could commence.
So why do you not carry ID with you when you look so young?
Oh because I don’t have a passport and I had my driving license taken away, so I don’t have any ID.
You had your license taken away? How exactly?
Oh got caught drink driving. Well, drink and drugs really.
Pardon?
Yeah think I’d had some Charlie at some point too but don’t really remember. Anyway, rolled my car over and wrote it off then they took my license off me. Bit shit really.
I see…I might just pop to the loo quickly. And never come back.
Obviously I was really just going to text Lola.
What have you set me up with? He’s a bloody druggy! A car rolling Aaron Carter wannabe druggy! No one would even serve him, so we’ve ended up in that rat pub…whatever it’s called. The dodgy one opposite the church. When is it polite to leave? Argh!!!
I hid out for as long as my nostrils allowed, and then I headed back out, telling myself to give him a chance. After all, that might have just been when he was young and stupid, right? We talked for a while longer about life, work, there were even a few more stories about getting drunk and he how he was supplementing his income by selling home grown weed on the side. Turns out his age was irrelevant; he was just stupid. And then, as though sent directly from heaven, I saw Lola and her boyfriend walk into the beer garden. I could have cried. Turns out she felt so bad about her part in this pantomime that she convinced her boyfriend to come along and give me some support, and thankfully the rest of the evening went along fairly smoothly. Turns out that Gav wasn’t such a bad guy, just made some terrible life choices. Not that I wanted to be around for any future idiocy.
As we walked back towards the train station, we said our goodbyes and like the coward I am, I lied to his face and told him I’d had a lovely night and would definitely see him again. A text seemed like a much easier way to tell him the truth anyway. But as I went to hug him goodbye and he leaned in for a kiss, I’m pretty sure my Matrix worthy bend away from him let him know how I really felt as I never heard from him again. Not the best way to start my dating life, but I figured things could only get better from there at least.
Oh, you poor naïve little girl…
L xo