‘He brought his dog to lunch... his love for ’ her shone through
SUSAN, 56 VITAL STATISTICS
SINGLE for five years, no children.
CURRENT ROLE ADULT education lecturer.
WOULD LIKE TO MEET
A KIND, witty, optimistic guy who likes animals — I’ve got a rather elderly rescue cat called Manx.
DATING PAST?
I was in a long relationship until five years ago. since then, I’ve had boyfriends but none terribly serious.
PRE-DATE NERVES?
Oh, yes, but I was also excited. I’d told my family and a few close friends, and they were excited for me, too. as for what to wear, I was torn between trousers and a dress. I settled on the dress because it was a sunny day — and why not?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS?
I arrIved bang on time — it’s normal for me to be punctual. Justin was seated near the entrance, so I had no trouble finding him. he’s slim with dark hair and was very smiley and approachable.
he brought along his bichon frise cross Katya, who sat by his seat throughout our lunch. she’s adorable and definitely makes Justin who he is. his concern for her welfare and delight in her enjoyment of life just radiates through him. Justin adopted her from overseas and it took a lot of effort to bring her into the country.
EASY TO TALK TO?
we were very sympatico. we discovered we’d both been to the soviet Union as teenagers — me for a school trip and Justin as part of a group. It goes without saying that we talked about our pets, but while I’d like a dog, my cat Manx is rather old and I couldn’t introduce a dog into her life.
we also laughed about selling things on eBay. I’ve been attempting to sell a bag, while Justin has been trying to sell a bike. we both had the mushroom risotto and we each had a heavenly, albeit small, glass of burgundy.
EMBARRASSING MOMENTS?
Katya barked at the maitre d’ — fortunately, everyone laughed.
DID SPARKS FLY?
JUstIn is a really nice person. he’s bright and sincere, and we have a lot in common. we swapped numbers at the end of the date.
SEE HIM AGAIN?
yes, we’ve got a movie date in the pipeline.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HE THOUGHT OF YOU?
JUstIn told me I seemed creative, which was flattering. hopefully, he thought I was easy to talk to and friendly. we were together for two-and-a-half hours and we parted ways when Justin paid for the date. he had to walk Katya and I had plans for the evening.
WOULD YOUR FAMILY LIKE HIM?
yes, Justin is fascinating. he’s kind and caring, too, which they’d like.