I don’t think a man had ever waited so long to see me. And I don’t think I had ever met such a determined and persistent man. Meet William, 36-year-old. I knew no more than that.
His profile was empty and I had no idea what he looked like, which was probably the reason I didn't bother replying back straightaway. Still upset by Gary’s episode for a long time, I was not willing to go on a blind date.
So William was chasing me for at least ten months. After exchanging a few emails that I found very entertaining, I asked for a picture that he refused to provide. Reason: he was a successful high-profile businessman and didn't want to be recognised. At first I declined all of his dates, saying that I was busy, which was true, but I didn't bother offering alternatives.
And then, one day, William sent an email: “Give me your availability.”
I had no choice now but to tell the truth. I could either say, "Sorry, I am superficial, and I won’t see you,” or I could just go and have either a nice surprise and have fun, or a bad surprise and hopefully still have fun.
Pre-date No.1 with William
We initially planned a date on Wednesday evening at Gaucho Chelsea. Unfortunately, I had to cancel, and it wasn't intentional. My shower broke (lame excuse, yet real) and I had to call a plumber urgently. We rescheduled for the following evening.
I didn’t know whom I was meeting, so there was no pressure, I felt completely carefree. I wasn't expecting anything from this trip but some fun and laughter.
Date No.1 with William
William texted me a few times before our date: < Are we still on for 7pm? >
An hour later: < Hello Missy, busy man here! Could you confirm please? >
I was so busy at work that I only read William ‘s texts, when I grabbed the cab. I just replied: < Yes that is fine. > He replied with a smiley: < Ok, I am leaving the office now. >
I wondered if he really needed me to re-confirm. We had only set the date yesterday. Oh, my! I realised that I was changing. It was something I used to complain about when I started dating in this country! Well, I was officially Frenglish!
I arrived at Gaucho right on time. It was so quiet I could hear the flies flying. Three men were sitting at a table in the back, probably talking business. William wasn’t there.
I sat in a discreet corner, so if William were ugly, I wouldn’t be seen by anyone with him. I know I was back to my shallow-self. I ordered a glass of wine. After ten minutes of waiting, I started getting nervous. I had already finished my drink. Then my nervousness transformed into hangry-ness. So, 15 minutes later, I packed up and left the table, upset by the wait. When I reached the exit, a man stopped me.
“Valérie?”
“William?” I replied, not sure who I was talking to.
“Yes, William, nice to meet you.”
“You’re late!” I said.
He didn’t reply and instead just gave me a cheeky smile that made me melt like burnt snow. Wow! Those eyes and that smile. So stunning!
Meet William, 5'10 and slim, with a wonderful smile and brown-green almond eyes. This man was gorgeous except he was bald, not what I usually looked for, but I liked his style.
We were blocking the door and people passing by were starting to grumble. I walked without further words back towards the table I had been sitting at. They hadn’t undressed it. William was following me and I could see him on the shiny walls of Gaucho, checking out my derriere with a smile on his face.
I was glad I had come, forgetting all about his lateness. We started our date talking about me. William wanted to know everything; I couldn't ask him questions back as it seemed he didn't want to say much. Well, Mr High-Profile Businessman, I'd never seen your face anywhere. But, what do I know?
I felt as though I was giving him a monologue about my life, but from time-to-time, William interrupted me with some comments and jokes. Even though, I wasn’t learning anything about him, some kind of energy was pulling me toward him. He wasn’t quite my type, but I was drawn to him. It was carnal, passionate, and illogical.
Every time William smiled at me, my body reacted as if he were licking me all over. And when he kissed me at the end of the date, I felt my heart falling. It was powerful. This guy already had so much power over me, it was scary. It was probably the reason why I decided to play by the dating rules. I would see other guys until I had a ring on my finger or got into a relationship, so I wouldn't be disappointed if I lost him and I wouldn’t expect anything from anyone unless love hit me.
And in this instance, I had a date with Richard and at least I knew what he looked like this time.
Pre-date No.1 with Richard
Meet Richard, a 30-year-old, dark hair, dark eyes, slim, shy, ambitious, 6-foot tall. My turn off: his age. I didn’t really date people of my age. I found them immature, often inconsistent and chiefly bad in bed. But when I spoke with Richard over the phone he seemed sound, hard-headed and mature for his age. He had a furniture company operating all over Europe, and I liked the wise way he spoke to me, so I thought I would make an exception.
Despite having William on my mind and hoping for another round of fiery and magical kisses with him very soon, I went on a date with Richard.
Date No.1 with Richard
We set up the date on a Tuesday at Muriel’s Kitchen in South Kensington. Muriel’s Kitchen is a Quintessentially British bistro serving the best pancakes of South West London.
I knew the place very well; I loved having my brunches there. Richard was waiting for me. This guy was even better looking than his pictures; he was so totally my type. He was also kind of shy. This guy was hot and he didn't seem to know. So sexy!
This time, Richard didn't know anything about me, but I knew a lot about him. I animated the date, asking questions, making jokes and genuinely wanted to know more about him. Richard was so shy that he tended to stutter and mumble, which wasn't a good combination for my French ears. Still, he was better than the Mumbler, and I could understand him.
By the end of the date, I had learned that Richard grew up in Chichester; he was a furniture designer and had his own brand.
Upon my departure, Richard asked me if I wanted to see him again, mentioning that he really enjoyed my company and he would love to know more about me. He also admitted that he had been very nervous by the thought of meeting me and even more so during the date, but he felt like we could be amazing partners. Well, I accepted the invitation to see him again and I couldn't wait to get to know a more comfortable Richard. When I got into the cab, he approached me so close that I thought he was about to kiss me, but then he suddenly drew back and didn’t even peck me on the cheek. Weird! I sooo wanted to compare his kisses with William's.
Date No.2 with William
Aphrodite Taverna, a restaurant serving authentic Cypriot cuisine, in Notting Hill. Despite its humble staff and its weird copper pots on the wall, Aphrodite Taverna was frequented by locals and celebrities and was always busy. This was where I was meeting William that night.
When I reached the restaurant, William was waiting for me. Upon my arrival at the table, he took me by the neck and gave me one of his powerful kisses. My body shivered again. This time we had a romantic dinner date in a discreet corner with candles and music. William was wearing a suit with three buttons off; I could see his fit and toned torso, which put me in a very horny state. Torsos are my soft spots – I couldn’t stop staring at it and guessing how the rest of his body must look. I really liked this guy – at least I was sexually attracted.
During this date, I learned slightly more about William as he started to open up about his past. I learned that he had two sisters and one brother. He had grown up in Scotland in a little town where his parents had a farm. His parents divorced when he was 13 and he curiously didn’t want to talk more about them.
However, William was very open to speaking about his brother and sisters with whom he had a very deep and close relationship.
All through the dinner, William was very affectionate. He was touching my face, caressing my arms and giving me kisses. He didn’t stop telling me that I was beautiful and for once this wasn’t followed by the lame and boring line: “You know it; every man must say the same.”
The way William looked at me, the sensual tone in his voice, his delicate touches. William was just melting me away. This feeling was so bizarre as I barely knew him. This date was magical again; I wanted him to take me to his place nearby, but it didn’t happen. He just hailed a taxi for me and kissed me. The date was over, and I went home daydreaming of his body and our next date.
All the feelings I had during this date perplexed me as to whether or not I should see Richard again. The feelings I had for William were incomparable. I wasn't married to him, or engaged; I was just dating. So, I decided to continue playing the dating game. Bianca’s style!
Date No.2 with Richard
This game was about to be hard to play. Especially when Richard said that we were having a surprise date all organised by him. I felt guilty; he was making so much effort to please me and I was seeing another man. I was also hoping that we were not going anywhere near William’s place. But why was I nervous? Why feeling blame-worthy? Was it not the way this game was played? Well, I supposed I was thinking too “French”. William and Richard knew this game better than me, they were British. So, I didn’t think they would see any problem with me seeing someone else. But why was it hard to convince myself? And what if I saw William with another date? Well, I would be clearly upset. I needed to understand that it was the nature of the game and I needed to play it to its fullest. And, if I was to see William with another woman, at least I had lovely Richard.
Richard took me to a musical. As soon as he mentioned the word “musical”, I knew I was about to hate the date. Again, I wouldn’t be able to be myself and would have to shut my mouth during the whole show.
But when I learned that we were seeing Thriller, I was slightly more enthusiastic. At least I would be listening to great old Michael Jackson's songs.
So, we entered the Lyric Theatre, ordered two glasses of wine and sat in a box very close to the stage. This time, Richard was much more pleasant and selfless, taking my hands to the box, kissing my neck and asking questions about me.
The show was amazing; everybody was singing along. Richard was really chatty and we had a few laughs during the show. I liked this date, but the feeling my heart was filled with was nothing in comparison with what William provoked in me. However, I didn't think about him the whole night and entirely enjoyed myself with Richard.
On my way home, Richard kissed me. My heart didn't jump out of my body; my legs didn't shiver – it was a plain kiss. I smiled goodbye and I was gone.
It was a cute date; I really enjoyed it. Richard was becoming more and more interesting and interested. I didn't have anything bad to say about him; he was a good-looking and nice guy. I was feeling good with him and I was willing to give him a chance.
Date No.3 with William
This time, William invited me to his place in Notting Hill. He was travelling the following day and wanted to have a chilled and relaxed evening with me. I was over-excited by the idea, as I really wanted him. And I was also very curious to see what his place looked like.
Upon my arrival, William gave me a billion kisses all over my face and neck like he hadn’t seen me for ages. I thought it was cute of him and really liked his welcome, but at the same time, his attitude confused me. Do you do that on a third date? He showed way too much attention to not care about me. Was he falling in love? Were we more than just dating? Now, I decided to skip this internal questioning for the moment. I wanted this man immediately.
William was living on the ground floor of a Victorian building and had the luck to have a big terrace nicely designed with flowers and plants, which were blossoming beautifully that spring.
His interiors were stunning. Although I am more of a painting person, he collected modern art sculptures. I suspected he commissioned the arts but could recognise sculptures from Tara Donovan, or Niki de Saint Phalle. They were very well placed, and he had excellent taste. I was really impressed.
William opened a bottle of champagne for us and we started chatting about our week. At some point, I told him about the Thriller Musical and he curiously asked whom I had gone with? I think I blushed realising that I had been there with Richard.
“A friend,” I said.
“Which friend?” he questioned.
“Bianca.” I lied.
As soon as I had lied to him, I realised that this double dating wasn't for me. If it was normal, why didn't I tell the truth? Surely because I knew he'd probably be upset and I was also uncomfortable with the truth. I had a quick think and almost wanted to rectify my answer. I wished I could rewind this instant, so that at least he would have told me that it wasn't okay and we would have spoken about our “starting” a relationship.
After a brief tour in of his flat, William suddenly stared at me giving me one of his sexy lecherous looks. He took my face between his hands and started kissing me passionately, touching my breast and kissing my neck sensually. I felt my body wanting him more and more; he carried me as easily as a feather and laid me down on his very comfy sofa. William started kissing my legs with so much passion, I though he wanted to eat them, going slowly toward my stomach. This was extraordinarily exciting. In a minute, he had gotten rid of my dress and I was in lingerie in the middle of the sitting room. I unbuttoned his shirt and his trousers. Oh my! He was hard, and when a put my hand in his boxers, I became suddenly mute. Not possible! I needed to see this with my own eyes! I rapidly got rid of his boxers and I couldn't help but shout: "Oh my God! You're huge!" I had never seen such a big penis in my life. I wondered if I could handle it. I started stressing out; I needed a whole bottle of champagne to relax. But William was great, he knew exactly how to handle the whole situation and after he got rid of my lingerie, I had one of the best orgasms of my life. I wanted more, but first, we needed to eat.
William cooked for me. He made a delicious lasagne and a cheesecake in the shape of a heart. It was a delicious dinner and his attention made me melt. The cake was cute. I didn’t realise at the time that he might have wanted to prove his raising feelings of love for me.
After dinner, I went back home conquered, wondering how I would get rid of Richard.
Date No.3 with Richard
I don’t even know why I accepted this date. I was still enraptured by the loving evening I had had with William. But when so-mega-handsome Richard came all dressed up with his unbuttoned shirt, my heart beat like a jungle drum. Plus, Richard gave such a knee-weakening smile; I immediately shoved William out of my mind.
He caressed my face and kissed me tenderly; at that moment I had William and his sexy kisses in my mind, but when he took my hand romantically and said to me, “You’re going to love this date,” I was immediately back to admiring his handsomeness and kindness.
We went to the Ritz to have an afternoon tea. A woman suddenly joined our table and Richard was introducing me to his sister Leah. Oh my! What was I getting myself into? Leah was a gorgeous girl, a female version of Richard. She was 22 and didn’t hide the fact that she was euphoric her brother finally had a girlfriend. I was terrorised when she used the word "girlfriend". When did that happen? We hadn't even had sex – only William could claim to be my boyfriend at this stage, not Richard. I really needed to talk about that relationship thing with both of them to understand where I was standing.
While the date-à-trois went marvellously well, I was now concerned. I had had sex with William and Richard had introduced me to his sister. I didn't know how I was going to get out of that mess. Weren't we supposed to talk about the different stages of a relationship together before involving the family's members? I didn't know what to do. Bianca would be my best advice on this.
Date No.4 with William
Bianca and Camellia were not helping on the matter. Camellia, as a perfect Italian, just stated: “You're a cheater! You will get caught at some point, you know this! You need to talk to William and tell him your feelings for him and Ciao Richard. Full stop, my chérie”
Bianca interrupted: “Complete nonsense! You are a young and a happy single divorcee. It will simply help you to reserve all the emotional and intimate involvement with the right man at the right time. Believe me; you'll thank me later for this piece of advice! Embrace your single life my dear!”
I was still as confused as before. Both of their judgements made sense, but Camellia's resonated more in me.
I needed to talk to both men and clarify the relationship situation. But first, I was having a brunch with William. Yes, I know… I decided that “The Talk” would wait.
I was in a good mood that morning; the sun was shining through my window and the temperature had reached 20 degrees after a long and gloomy winter. I was wearing a brand new red Donna Karan casual dress with a small Celine leather clutch bag.
I was dressed up and in a cab on my way to Soho all joyful. I couldn’t wait to see William and to get some of his passionate kisses again.
I got into Hix and headed towards William's table. Oh, my! He had brought someone with him. God! Were they all going to introduce me to their siblings? Alas, I wish it had been the case because this stranger was Richard. I was flabbergasted and confused by the concerned looks on their faces. I froze, shadowed by shame and enveloped by guilt.
Richard started, “Here’s our angel in disguise.”
I just grinned nervously.
“Do you want to explain?” added William.
Richard interrupted abruptly with a voice surprisingly full of confidence. “It’s me or him Valérie, you know that. Tell him that you want to be with me.”
“What did he do or say to make you stay with him? He’s so not your type,” countered William.
I stood still and silent.
“Why him?” Richard questioned. “Come on, speak up please!” he commanded.
“I don’t think so…” I just managed to mumble. I had no desire to embroil myself in the lengthy nonsense explanation about my dating understanding. So, I just walked away.
How did they find out? I will never know. All I knew is that they fell into my game and I fell into my own game!
Both kept on texting me for a while, asking first for an explanation, then sending forgiving texts, and finally, I decided to block them and forget about this predicament. I didn’t want to choose. I didn’t want to start a relationship on this basis.
After this datastrophe, I decided to keep on dating à la French. No double dates, no drama – why bother trying to play a game I couldn’t understand? I like to win, and the only way I could win at that game was to create my own rules. Next!