Nadine and Rob
Nadine is a 35-year-old architect who lives in Toronto’s West End. She says “I’m a tiny Asian girl. I wear lots of leather, hoodies, colourful boots and heels and neutral-coloured clothes.” Nadine says “I’m friendly, but a bit shy. I laugh a lot. I’m fairly bright and a bit impatient.” Nadine likes to go to museums and galleries, see live music and dance performances, do yoga, bike and “run very slowly.” She says “I hang out with my friends and family quite a bit. And I travel a lot!” Nadine wants to date someone “really smart, interesting and kind. Ambitious and tall is nice, too.”
Rob was very forward and to-the-point when he asked me out after connecting on an online-dating site. I liked how direct he was and was excited about the date.
Rob picked me up in an exotic luxury car. My roommate hated him instantly. I started to get a bad feeling.
It turned out that Rob had chosen a very douchey restaurant for us to go to. As we walked in, he told me I was in for “a treat” because the place was “amazing.” It was so patronizing. He led me around the perimeter of the restaurant; I had the distinct feeling that he was showing me off and treating me like I was a child or an idiot or both. He was also very nearly cupping my butt and was copping feels whenever he could.
Before we were seated at our table, we sat at the bar. I was ready to order my drink but Rob ordered for me and told me he was going to teach me the art of tasting because apparently my taste buds needed the lesson. He proceeded to mansplain the whole process of ordering and tasting wine, and slurped in a way he seemed to think was sexy but was just weird. After the “lesson” I asked the waiter for a glass of my favourite scotch.
We left the bar and went to sit in a booth. I was about to slide in when Rob stopped me and said that he needed to sit on the inside because it favoured his “good side.” I was like “What? You only want me to look at you on your left side?” He said yes, only from his good side. He told me that other women have told him that he looks better from the left side. I then told him that he was being ridiculous, and that in the car I was sitting on the right, so I could easily see his right side, and that he will have to move to England to keep his left-side rule. He laughed really hard, as if I had made a hysterical joke.
Rob proceeded to talk about himself the entire night. His life consists of work, the gym and his car. I don’t think he ever asked me a question about how my day was or my friends or my life. It got to the point where I would be silent because I was tired of only asking questions. Then, I decided I would just start talking about my day or a cool sculpture or the plight of Mexican migrant workers or anything else. He said nothing in reply when I did that.
He kept sniffing me. He said that scent is very powerful to him and wanted to know what perfume I was wearing. I told him that I don’t wear perfume, and it’s probably soap. He didn’t believe me and kept on sniffing, and tried to get me to sniff him. He asked if I was having a good time, and added that if I wasn’t, the problem was probably me.
Rob told me he usually dates models, but now he’s looking for someone with substance and personality. I told him he should get on that because we’re all going to get fat and old at some point. He got really offended that I suggested that he would get fat.
I told Rob I was really tired. He seemed a bit pissed, but drove me home. He revved his engine as he sped away on my little street with speed bumps, and screeched to a halt five seconds later because there was a stop sign. Later that night, he texted me to say he hoped to see me again soon.
Nadine rates her date: 2/10 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.
Rob told me he usually dates models, but now he’s looking for someone with substance and personality. I told him he should get on that because we’re all going to get fat and old at some point