The Dote

The Dote

You know when you have one of those afternoons that turns in to a random night out? The “lets have a quiet couple in the sun” moments that suddenly turn in to “You’re closing? How is it 3am already?!” kind of nights?

My friend and I had been at a BBQ that afternoon and decided that even though we had been drinking all day, we definitely needed to continue. So naturally we headed in to town for a few more drinks. I’ll be honest, some of the details are pretty blurry, but I’m pretty sure a few drinks turned in to many drinks, as before we knew it the lights were up and we were being ushered out of a club.

Now, bearing in mind I’d just spent the afternoon surrounded by couples or listening to stories of dates and crushes, I was feeling in need of a little male attention. And although I’m pretty sure the guy that approaches you just as the club is closing is probably not the best guy to be leaving with, my lonely drunken state led me to believe otherwise.

So here I am, on the curb outside, talking to this adorable Irish guy trying to convince him that I’m a good girl and that we should just exchange numbers and meet up another time rather than jumping in a taxi together. Or maybe I was trying to convince myself? Anyway, it turns out he was just visiting a friend for the weekend and would be flying home the following night, so this was a one time only offer. I don’t think I needed much convincing after the amount of cider and rum I’d consumed, but he was trying his best nonetheless. And did I mention he kept calling me a dote? “You’re such a wee dote”. I had no idea what it meant but it turned me all shades of pink anyway. And those baby blue eyes…how could I resist?!

Just to add, I now know that ‘a dote’ is someone that’s cute. Well shucks! It could also be possible that he was calling me a dolt…but I’m going to believe the former and move on.

So there I was, in the back of a taxi with 5 Irish guys on the way to…well, I had no idea where I was going. Then the taxi pulled over unexpectedly and out jumped the guy that actually owned the house we were supposed to be going to. I think he was going to meet a girl or something but to be honest I wasn’t really paying attention. By the way, I get that this is the point where I also should’ve jumped out, but no, I stayed in the taxi with 4 men I didn’t know heading who knows where in a state where I probably needed some kind of adult supervision. Just one of the many genius moments I’ve had in my time…

Once we got to the house, I had to put up with a bit of jeering and banter from the other guys before I was lead upstairs to the spare room, which the others had kindly let Mr Blue Eyes have to himself due to the circumstances. Such gents. Now how I got up those stairs is still a mystery to me – steps are a challenge for me at the best of times – but as I seemed to remain bruise free I’m going to presume I managed it with some form of grace and dignity. Anyway, there we are in the bedroom, getting to know each other a bit better. And what do you really want when you’re “getting to know” a man? His mates knocking on the door and popping their heads in to cheer you on. Love it. What makes it even better is when said man, or boy really, is then putting up a struggle against using a condom. Why the hell wouldn’t someone want to cover their limb before they swim? Especially in unknown waters?! It’s worrying that it took so long to set them off, but finally the warning bells were ringing, and I suddenly felt surprisingly sober. So, being a lady and all that, I thought I should subtly take my leave without offending him. Or provoking some kind of negative reaction of course. And how did I manage that, you ask? Well, by saying I was popping to the loo whilst grabbing all my stuff and making a run for the front door. How else?!

Why are you putting your clothes on to go the toilet?

So your friends don’t see me in my underwear.

And you need your handbag for that?

Girls always take their handbags everywhere.

And your shoes…?

Well I don’t know what state the bathroom floor is in….

And then he was snoring.

Which was followed swiftly by the sound of me running down the stairs (again, without incident) and the front door shutting behind me. Phew!

But as I sighed in relief, it suddenly dawned on me that it was 5 o’clock in the morning and I had no idea where I was. Shit. As I’m wandering along wondering what the hell I’m going to do, I just happen to bump in to the guy that jumped out of the taxi earlier. Busted! He just laughed at me and asked me if I was alright and knew where I was.

Yeah it’s cool, I’m good thanks.

Maybe I should have mentioned the emerging feelings of impending doom. Or the colossal freak out that I was about to have if I didn’t figure out where on earth I was. But I’m far too polite for that.

Luckily, as I got to the end of the road, I started to recognise where I was, and even luckier for me it was only a short walk from my house. And now I had relaxed a bit, I was able to enjoy my wee dander home whilst the birds were singing and the sun was rising, with only one thought to ponder as I walked;

Damnit….what was his name?!

L xo

BFG

BFG

You know how everyone has a hidden talent? Having perfect pitch, an amazing memory, being able to fall asleep anywhere they land? Well, my secret talent comes in very handy when it comes to dating, and it almost never let’s me down. Almost…

I met BFG on a free dating app. Why BFG you ask? Well, he was 6ft 8 and had size 15 feet. Compared to little 5ft 2 me, that’s bloody massive. Now, if you’re anything like me then your mind is probably heading in a certain direction, but hold that thought for a little while longer.

Apart from looking like some sort of circus act, my first date with BFG was pretty standard. We lived a fair distance from each other but he kindly offered to come to my neck of the woods and save me a journey. We had a nice dinner, pleasant conversation, a few easy laughs; we got on just fine. No real attraction there, but he was a likeable enough guy and he didn’t seem to have any issues with me, which is always a bonus. He was a gentleman too; he paid for dinner with a cheeky suggestion that I could pay “next time” and even offered to walk me back to my car. Of course, I wasn’t really planning on a next time, but that didn’t seem like the time to mention it. I’ve never quite managed to navigate my way between being nice and leading someone on…but now isn’t the time to delve in to that little quandary!

So the date ended affably and we went our separate ways. I had planned to text him the following day with a delightful but clear message making sure that there were no misunderstandings about a second date, but he got in there first:

Hey! So I went to get my car last night but it was locked in the car park, so I had to get a £70 taxi back home and then get the train this morning and pay another £50 to release my car. So it was an expensive date after all!

Oh no. I have to go out with him a second time now don’t I? I mean, I at least have to buy him a meal and even things out a bit. That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?

You should come over my way this time and I can show you that Caribbean place I told you about

It is only fair that I put the mileage in this time.

Maybe I’ll even give you a tour of my new house 😉

Ah man, we all know what that means.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. If you’re not interested, just turn him down. It’s not your fault he doesn’t understand how car parks work, you don’t owe him anything. You’re right of course, why should I go out with a guy just because of some misplaced desire to even the score a bit?

So the following weekend I set off for his house. Yes, I know, but low self-esteem mixed with an annoying compulsion to feel sorry for people means I have a tendency to make some very questionable decisions. Some very amusing, very questionable decisions. Besides, I had a curiosity I needed satisfied and this seemed an ideal opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

Anyway, shockingly enough this amazing restaurant we were supposed to be visiting was currently shut to diners and only serving takeaway. Quelle surprise. So of course we ordered in to his house. I’ll give him this; the Caribbean food was bloody amazing. He’d gone to a fair bit of effort for my visit as well, buying in a rum I’d mentioned the previous week and stocking up on ginger ale to go with it. So I had to have a few glasses, right? And if I was going to have to stay over, then I might as well sign up for the full experience, oui?

Look, I’m not proud of what happened next. The fact I had to neck half a bottle of Kraken to go through with it should tell you that I was hardly quivering with excitement. But, this man was a giant. And he had size 15 feet. Size 15. And that secret talent I mentioned earlier? Well, I hardly needed to rely on my sixth sense for penis size – my dick sense, if you will – to call this one. This guy was giving me nothing but third leg vibes. And it’s probably worth mentioning here that this second date wasn’t purely about feeling bad for him. Or about hunting anaconda. As you’ll quickly realise by reading this blog, I really don’t come across many decent guys, and very rarely are they actually interested in me. So when a nice one comes along, it seems a waste to give up after just one date because there isn’t an immediate spark. I know I’m not an obvious choice for most guys and I’m not easy to get to know, so it’s only fair that I give the guys I date enough of a chance to see if there is anything there. And did I mention the size 15 feet? How could I pass up the opportunity to test my abilities for real? Is the old adage about shoe size really true? Does the jolly green giant really have a bounty harvest in his lunch box?

The answer is no. No he does not. No snozcumber for this BFG. Barely even a baby gherkin.

In fairness, it wasn’t all that bad. I mean, it was at least easy to handle and was all over quite quickly. He seemed to enjoy himself anyway – we both got the best kind of jerk we could’ve asked for that evening, it’s just that mine was a lot spicier.

So after a short, sobering sleep I did the sensible, adult thing and slipped out at the break of dawn before he could realise what had happened. I sent him a nice text a couple of hours later to let him down gently (I’m not a monster) and to be honest he seemed to have got all he wanted out of the situation anyway. So you know, silver linings and all that. I just really thought I was going to be walking out of there sideways. Shame.

Don’t worry, my dick sense has served me very well since then, so I can only assume the unusual proportions of everything else just threw me off kilter temporarily. Besides, that’s not the most awkward situation my talent has put me in…

L xo