You wanted to know what my first date was like. I'll tell it the way I would tell a friend: honestly, without frills.
There was no moment when something clicked. It was a kind of calling to try it. The day before was an entirely ordinary day, with a curiosity about the unknown. I prepared as I would for a blind date.
I wore something black. I feel safe in black, and I needed no more ritual than that. I wasn't nervous. I simply hoped for a good start.
Nothing needed to ring that evening, because I was already sitting in a restaurant. From that moment I was very calm. I had something fresh to drink and thought, quite honestly, not the prettiest thing but the true one: I know my strengths, and I knew a good conversation could happen. My only promise to myself was the hope of meeting his taste and coming across as warm and pleasant.
Then he arrived. I felt right away that he was pleasantly surprised. And we had a lovely topic that both of us could connect with. On my side there was no tension that could have tipped.
And no, what happens afterwards will not be discussed here. That concerns only me and my gentleman. I hope you understand, because it is precisely this discretion that makes an evening so special.
When I was alone again, I felt good. It was a pleasant date, and that was down to both of us. What do I know today that I wish I had known then? Nothing I didn't already know.
To a lady who is about to have her first time, I say: the more self-assured you are, the better for you and for the person across from you.
And to gentlemen meeting a new lady for the first time: simply be yourself. Respond to the lady. Do nothing that isn't appropriate. Behave like a gentleman, and you will see how far that carries.
Patrice