Jacquie and Donald
Jacquie is a 47-year-old retail associate who lives in Ajax. She says, “I’ve been described as social, fun, young at heart, hard-working, trusting, caring and honest.” Jacquie loves “photography, concerts and nature.” She says, “I’ve been on my own for three years after being married for six . . . I can talk to anyone about anything. I’m a happy, positive person with many friends, but it seems next to impossible to find someone compatible. I would like to be with someone who values fun, honesty, faithfulness, communication and affection.”
Being single at 47 was not my plan, but life is too short to be as miserable and lonely as I was in my marriage.
I’ve taken on an active role in finding my Mr. Right. I’ve been on and off online dating, I’ve been set up by friends and I started attending more real-world events to avoid some of the game playing that comes with dating online. I joined two clubs and I started to go to singles nights.
At one of those events, I noticed one guy as soon as he walked in. He was good looking and well dressed. He seemed different than a lot of other men I meet, who look like they either just rolled out of bed or were working on a farm. There was just “something” about him. He seemed friendly; we seemed to have a lot in common. We talked the rest of the night. We exchanged numbers and planned to meet up somewhere where we could talk the next week.
I was looking forward to seeing him again. When we met up, we started with small talk and then he told me he wasn’t sure how the conversation was going to go. We had plans to go for a walk through a park, but he also told me that he had made backup plans in case the date went badly, or if I left. I got a sinking feeling and thought, “That can’t be a good sign.” He said he had something to tell me.
He said that he and his wife are in an open relationship and he was interested in possible threesomes or a relationship outside of his marriage. He was wondering if I would be interested in that kind of situation.
I didn’t know how to react or respond. I was hoping the shock wasn’t all over my face. That is as opposite as you can get to what I’m looking for. I was nearly speechless.
I said, “I think we’re looking for different things.” I told him that I appreciated his honesty, which I did. He said he understood.
He could have saved us both some time if he had told me the first time we met. I didn’t know how to end this very awkward first date and ended up pretty much just making an excuse and leaving. It turns out he was right about that. Jacquie rates her date (out of 10): 4 The Dating Diaries are readers’ accounts of their best, worst and weirdest dates as-told-to the Star. Want to be a dating diarist? Email datingdiariescontact@gmail.com.