Category: online dating

Chapter 7 – Tino?!

This blog is a book. Maybe better read from the beginning? 🙂

 

 

Moikka Anna, ootpa tosi nätti 🙂 Mitä sun vuodenvaihteeseen kuuluu?

Kiitos! Sinäkin olet komea.

🙂 Kiitti, sun tekstin perusteella ootkin toki kansainvälinen tyyppi. Puhutko mielummin englantia vai suomea tämmösessä chatissa?

Englantia.

Ok, that’s fine. So, you’re a teacher? Have to say I always felt that teachers are kind of hot, like really hot… Something that must come from the time when I was young and still in school. 🙂  Are you teaching languages?

 

Monday, 11 January 2016.

 

Day 22

 

Married at 19, mother at 21, a dedicated friend, a good wife, an awesome mom.

She had her first teacher’s job at the age of 11. Her first official job at 17. Loving every moment of it. But then, maybe too young to be working so hard to pay the bills with Mr. Ex – trying to grow and get somewhere together.

 

Everybody suffers, and they’ve had their fair share of it. Who hasn’t? Her Ex-mother-in-law’s tragic death (murder), Mr. Ex’s depression years that followed. 😭 Devastating. And too heavy for this book.

And even before those tragic events, Anna hadn’t been feeling too lucky-in-love-and-romance, anyway. Family life, friendship, uncertainty, longing, frustration, kissing, laughter, lots of sex, loving, suspicion of betrayal, trips, raising beautiful kids, loans, university studies, work load, game nights, sports; more uncertainty. Fear of loss.

All intertwined.

 

What does it feel like to really love and commit to your spouse… To be good to him. Affectionate, hopeful for better times. Year after year.

To invest in him, argue and keep supporting and challenging him to be a better man. And just be there, for better or for worse, ’til death…

…and feel you’re not getting half of that back? 🤦‍

Oh, she fought for his love. In dignified ways – make no mistake. And how often she cried – alone – bitter tears of hurt. Never getting why it felt she wasn’t good enough for him… It stung so much to feel that way!

In her heart, she always believed that she was imperfectly wonderful.

She didn’t know it wasn’t really personal.

Hurt people hurt people. And they hurt each other numerous times.

 

So… now she’s going to enjoy a little happy-go-lucky, for the first time in her life.

No more tears!

It feels less overwhelming to just turn her back on the past and move on!

Anna has been taking care of herself in the last years. Body and soul. Right now, she’s feeling cute. Younger, a little wilder and free. Will you help me root for her?

Here we go!

 

 

Anna has been feeling beside herself. She’s been asked out on dates by some Tinder matches, but she’s asked everyone to wait.

She’s so into Tino right now that she’s simply lost interest in all the other chats. He’s coming back from his China business trip tomorrow and they’re finally going to meet in person.

Two days. My very first date! Yay.

This is so exciting!

 

Tino is this super cute Finnish engineer who works for KONE. His vibe is respectful, intriguing and fun. He is so warm and nice that they quickly move their communication to Whatsapp.

Trips, cultures, pastimes, favorite South American and Finnish songs – they’ve been chatting about all those things. He told her he plays instruments and is a good dad. Well, I should hope so… Good dads are a big turn on.

For her, chatting with Tino has been pretty amazing (hot), and she has the feeling she’ll like him in person.

He writes non-stop, answering fast, pursuing her all day long. They joke, act silly, send cute messages, and so on. This has been going on for over a week and she can’t help but feel thrilled.

He sends her a pic of his face, lying over a colorful pillow, along with a Finnish song about lions.

Romance has always inspired the artist in her. So this morning, while her pupils are focused on some exercises, she puts his song and picture together, quickly coming up with this:

 

 

It’s so weird. Now that she stops to think about it, she realizes that she’s never been on a date. Ever!

She can’t wait to finally meet him this week. 😊

 

 

Tuesday, 12 January 2016.

 

Day 23

 

Dear Diary,

 

After days and days of chatting, what a disappointment!!

What the hell??

 

About our meeting… Things changed in my life, so that I’ve agreed to focus on my family. Hopefully you understand. Anyway, maybe in this situation better to take a time out and cancel our date. 🙁

Really? 🙁 I was looking forward to meeting you and even said wait to five-six other guys who asked me out last week. 🙂 But, my kids come first, too. You seem to be a nice person, so I’ll just wish you all the best! Ciao.

 

St#u&p%id Tino thanked me for understanding, kiss kiss, and mentioned maybe asking me out in the future, but what the fuck…??

Very odd. Is he married??

Hmm. Although Tinder’s mechanics couldn’t be any easier to use, human behavior makes it just a little more complicated, it seems. 

Well…

Bola pra frente! Onward, soldier.

© 2017 rf

 

 

Obs. E”#ur%g&h!! Shitty new beginnings.

 

 

Chapter 6 – Tindering, Chattering

This blog is a book. Maybe better read from the beginning? 🙂

 

Saturday, 9 January 2016.

 

Day 20

 

Dear Diary,

 

I’ve got so much to tell you!!

How I swipe on Tinder was my last diary entry…

Yeah, yeah, I’m quite artistic and a bit impulsive, too, sometimes. But, as exciting as Tinder is… I ponder over everything.

So, before I tell you about this guy I matched with, let me tell you how I try to chat:

👉  Answer every message. Good manners are all about being considerate of other people’s feelings. That’s how I expect to be treated myself, after all. If someone is disrespectful – which is rare, so far – OK, in that case I’ll definitely unmatch immediately!

👉  If I realize the chat is either too slow or too boring for my taste – yawn, can’t take that – or then that the guy and I seem to have nothing in common, I go “Hey, nice meeting you here and good luck with your search,” unmatching them a little later.

👉  Never share things that are too personal. You never know who is behind the profile. There seem to be some dodgy ones there, too. Hmm. A couple of my pupils said they have fake profiles on Tinder. Can you believe it? Gosh! I just hope I never chat with one of them!!

👉  Seek to be warm, open-minded, curious, friendly, proactive, truthful, and a teeny bit mysterious. Playful? Show your best self. Slowly. What if he is Mr. Boyfriend? And why waste time being half-hearted and lazy, anyway? Either do it right or just don’t do it!

👉  Chat just in English –  feels like too much hard work to do it in Finnish.

👉  Take the initiative when you feel like it – when the guys are quiet.

👉  One date at a time… Haha. When you’ve already scheduled a date with somebody, tell all other guys who ask you out: “Let’s wait and see how the other date goes first. I’ll let you know, OK?” (But I haven’t been on any yet).

There have been soooo many matches and pleasant chats this first week… 😄

But none as warm as Tino’s… Sigh! 😍

We matched on the 6th this month and we have a date coming up!

Gotta go! More later. 🤞

© 2017 rf

 

 

Obs. Day 20 since moving out. New experiences…

Chapter 5 – How I Tinder

This blog is a book. Maybe better read from the beginning? 🙂

 

Thursday, 7 January 2016.

 

Day 18

 

Dear Diary,

All good with me and the teens. What a relief! So far so good.

We simply love our new flat. Feeling so at home. 😍

Jätkäsaari is a relatively new neighborhood in Helsinki, close to the city center, with about ten thousand apartments being built as we speak. Our building is only a year old, so it’s very modern and well-planned.

Kristiina and Joseph have been enjoying the gym on the eighth floor, while my favorite place is the sauna with its surrounding terraces up there. The laundry is very nice, too, spacious and with a huge window. Not to mention our social room, which can be booked for free for parties and gatherings.

See, Anna? No use crying over spilt milk… Right?

Silver linings, silver linings… and life’s not that bad! 😊😊

 

As for the Tindering business…

…Well, I have to admit that it gives me butterflies in my stomach. 

Lots and lots! 🦋🦋🦋

Imagine, after twenty-two years with the same man – yes, I started dating Mr. Ex at 17 – it feels nicely odd to be single again and free to chat with whomever I want. Strangers, mostly from Finland.

Lol. Finnish guys are such a mystery to me. 🤔

 

I’ve quickly come up with my own set of rules for how to play the Tinder “game”.

(I affectionately call it a game, but for me it’s serious business!) 😊

When swiping right, it’s important that I like how he looks, of course, but I’m not searching for a super model or a Hollywood star. Definitely not for a body builder. All things in moderation.

Besides, I can look at myself in the mirror, too. 😏🤔

 

It’s not as much about looks as it is about the general vibe I get:

Does he look pleasant enough? Is he smiling in any of the pics or just looking serious, angry or depressed? Is there kindness in his eyes? Is he nicely dressed? 🤗

Come on! Most people look their best when smiling.

And what has happened to cleanliness and a cool haircut, good posture, nice clothes – if I may ask?? (Some guys there are unbelievable! 😬)

Maybe a smart shirt and tie in one of the pictures? A positive portrayal is what you’d expect.

“Suit up,” guys!

It’s also a matter of self-love, right? If the guy doesn’t care at all about leaving a good first impression, then what later? 🤦‍

 

Different strokes for different folks, but I immediately swipe no to smokers. It’s also a no if they are holding huge alcoholic drinks, especially in all of their pictures (Is drinking that central in their lives?).

Not interested in profiles with blurry pictures, no presentation text, people who state they’re just looking for sex (free hookers??), guys hiding behind sunglasses.

Your eyes are the window to your soul, my dear, and I want to see what they are telling me. 👀

 

Last but not least, I’m a teacher and all for education, so don’t get me wrong now: I also swipe no to university students.

Although this was one of the things I admired the most about Mr. Ex – a hardworking man, I’ll admit as much – he’s taking his fourth degree since we met… And I’m a little bit tired of dealing with deadlines and essays and theses within the relationship. Not to mention the very tight student budget.

Myself?

I’ve graduated and found a permanent job, pay my own bills and depend on no one, so it would be nice to enjoy a little more breathing space and some special dates, for a change.

That would be sooooo nice! 🤞

Feeling a little sleepy here, so I’ll write some more later.

Have lots more to tell!! Yay!

 

P.S. For now, there are some Finnish names I swipe no to. 😀 Sorry, Finland!!

For example, Pentti, Velho, Mikko, Mika, Tenho, Aarto, Panu, Antti, Ekka, Pelle, Saku and Tatu. They just sound too funny in Portuguese/Spanish!!! Ilkka is a woman’s name. And Arse?? OMG!!

(Their translation would be: comb, oldie, monkey, embarrassment, I have, tall, cloth, anti, yuk, clown, bag and armadillo. 😆 How could I take a bf with one of those names seriously? Hahaha!)

© 2017 rf

 

 

Obs. Day 18 since moving out. New beginnings!

 

 

Chapter 4 – Well, Look at You Now

This blog is a book. Maybe better read from the beginning? 🙂

 

Tuesday, 5 January 2016.

 

Day 16

 

Ha! This is so amusing!

Not even in her wildest of dreams would Anna have imagined that someday she would be a divorced mother of teens, living alone two weeks a month and – above all – swiping left and right. Well, mostly left. 😏

Quem te viu e quem te vê.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s how the Tinder app works: you create an online profile through your Facebook account, after which you get to see pictures of other Tinder users, with or without a profile text.

In theory, when you see somebody you like, you swipe their picture to the right side of your smart phone. At this point, you may or may not have looked at their possible text/other pics. When you don’t ‘like’ the person, you swipe left.

Anna looks at everything before deciding which way to swipe.

If the person you swiped right to has also swiped you right, the two of you become a match and are now able to chat with each other. Genius!

 

If you as the reader are thinking “So what? No biggie with Tinder!” … that’s because you don’t know about Anna’s history well enough yet. For her, using Tinder is huge.

And remember she has been alone for only 16 days.

After a twenty-year-long marriage.

 

To top it up, Anna comes from a kind of, what shall we call it? A less worldly background. Granddaughter, daughter and ex-wife of pastors, to be precise. Anna herself has also worked for the same church in the past. And even though she does not consider herself ‘religious’, her faith is central to her – no doubt about it.

So, for her, it feels extremely exciting — and almost sinful — to be having a go on Tinder.

 

She thinks a lot about the profile text she wants to have there, before coming up with this:

Fun-loving, international (5 countries, 20 cities, 5 languages), half-Finnish/South American. Smart, artistic, sociable. A think-outside-the-box-hardworking-independent kind of teacher. Separated. Mom of teens. ❤️

Volleyball, jogging, working out. A healthy lifestyle and your inner beauty.

Please tell me you’re communicative and fun without alcohol – then it’s OK to drink a little. For me, God is love. Looking for new friends, but a cool guy once said, “life’s an adventure,” so you never know… 😊

(Later, she uncovers what her dates understand by “fun-loving” 😅🤣).

Anna never liked video games as a child, though she did play Atari a little bit. A decade ago, playing Tetris on the computer was super cool. It is just not the same on a touch screen, so bye-bye addiction.

She always says that the only video games she approves of have to start on the left of a TV screen and move only to the right. And up and down, of course. Super Mario was awesome to try out! But mostly, she just used to watch her younger brother Moses play it to its last phase, when they’d be really excited and celebrate!

Gosh, today’s games make her dizzy.

Joey, her son, loves playing Counter Strike and Grand Theft Auto. For Mr. Ex, Fifa was the way to go. Her mom Riitta was addicted to Candy Crush for a long time, but never spent a dime on it – quitting after she realized there would be no end to its 900+ phases.

Anna would never play with anyone’s feelings, but this Tinder “game” is fun! Real people in a real game?

What are they all doing there? What are they looking for? — She wonders mesmerized.

Wait.

What am I doing? What I am looking for??

© 2017 rf

 

 

Obs. Day 16 since moving out. New beginnings and some confusion.

 

 

Chapter 3 – A Change of Heart

This blog is a book. Maybe better read from the beginning? 🙂

 

Saturday, 2 January 2016.

 

Day 13

 

Dear Diary,

Things have been going quite well, but you won’t believe what happened! I was driving yesterday when Mr. Ex called, asking to book a time with me to sit down and talk.

“Ex, is it that serious that you cannot tell me over the phone??” — I feel furious for about ten minutes… Hey, that’s a new record for me, as I hate holding onto anger.

Then I get a grip and call a couple of friends. My best friend advises me to catch Mr. Ex off guard and really listen.

(Hmmm. Is he saying I’m a better talker than listener?? 😁).

 

We go to the closest Hesburger. I am feeling calm, but curious. Don’t ask me how.

“Anna, how are things?” — Mr. Ex attempts to small-talk.

“Just fine, thanks. But you didn’t bring me here to chit chat about trivialities now, did you?”

“Hehe,” — his fidgety laughter —  “Eh, first of all, I just want to say that in all those years we were together, I never loved another lady. You were always the only one.

Really?!

“Until now.” — dead silence for a split of a second — “But, I promised you that you would be the first one to be informed, so we need to talk.”

“Who is she?” — I immediately need to know.

 

Of course it had crossed my mind that he had another woman.

That’s an understatement. Of course I unknowingly knew it.

I just knew it.

We always know. Don’t we?

That time last fall when he insisted I not join him at the karaoke bar. He basically pleaded with me to go home and meet him later.

Or that other time when he wrapped his iPhone tightly with the cables of his earphones, putting the damn thing under his pillow and sitting on it, after I’d asked to look at my recent birthday pictures — what the heck??!

And that time when I asked him to please just tell me bluntly and he’d answered: “Annita, I’ve hurt you so many times in our marriage… I don’t want to keep doing it anymore!”

 

Men don’t usually get a divorce before they have found a new person.

Why would they exchange the comfort of a home with a wife, a friend, a mother and extra earnings for a new phase with less money, more responsibilities with the kids, and the added loneliness?

“Oh, Anna, she’s asked me not to reveal who she is to anyone yet. She’s afraid everybody will hate her and think she is culpable of breaking up a family.” — he tries.

“Who is she…?? — I pressure him.

“I accepted your decision to get a divorce, Ex, but I won’t take no for an answer now!” — I make it clear (and then try appealing to his logic)  — “Ex, you and I have been great friends, hosts and co-workers, right? But on the emotional level our marriage hadn’t been OK at all for a very long time...

“So, I won’t blame her, you know that. Tell me! — he looks thoughtful and nervously laughs a little.

“Ex, you’ve got to tell me!! — he’s still silent, so I threaten him — “If you don’t tell me…”

“What?” — he looks alarmed for a second.

“I’ll just complicate every single thing I can, from now on.” — I smile victoriously.

He chuckles — “Yeah, I told her I was going to try, but knowing you, kind of thought I wouldn’t be successful.”

Haha. Score!

 

So, the truth is out. 🙁

He’s dating a university classmate of his…! The one who got really wasted at our place, when he cooked his classmates dinner a couple of months ago.

At the time, I’d thought, “Who goes to a family home for the first time and gets stupidly drunk?” After which she’d kept hugging me and telling me how beautiful I am — WTF?

E%ur#g!h, I hope Ex gets really fat and bald, fast!!! — is how it feels.

Nevertheless, I consciously decide to turn the other cheek…

But it stings — bad!

And to sadly wish them well.

I’m feeling subdued for a moment. Stupid life!

I’m so mad at him, but, but, but…

The guy has suffered his fair share on Earth – I’ll give him that. I’ve also caused him pain (he admits he’s caused me much more)! Why would I want him to be unhappy? When you really love someone, you want them to be well.

Mixed feelings. I’ve been experiencing relief and freedom, but this feels novel now.

OK…

Exhale…

This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to do this forgiveness thing my mother taught me — “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven” (Jesus) — For my own sake, not for his.

 

Cannot help but being myself, though, so I offer him some unsolicited advice.

“Hey Ex, I have some things to say now. Hear me out, OK? — He looks doutbful and it feels like a small victory that he’s stuck and has to listen.

“Be the best possible dad you can, focusing on the teens when it’s your turn to take care of them. If your new relationship doesn’t work out…” — at this point he rolls his eyes —  “…your kids will still be there for you if you don’t neglect them now. You don’t want to become like your father……

“Hey, and don’t you abandon your faith! Keep talking to God. Your mother taught you that and it has always been so important to you. Even though it may feel contradictory to what you’re doing right now, and church people — especially — will most likely judge your actions… — (both of us grew up in ministers’ families).

“Finally, try to do things right in the relationship this time, will you please?” — I poke him — “Try to make her happy, OK? If it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll know you did all you could? The rest will depend on her,” I finalize it.

I mean all I’ve said, yet I know there’s a hidden complaint in my last advice…

 

He asks me if we can change the upcoming dates of childcare so he can travel to the Bahamas with Ms. Newbie this week.

Right…

That explains why he wanted to talk. Haha!

“Yeah, let’s help each other,” — whatever — “But remember this later on, when it’s my turn to travel!” — I’m hoping there will be a plane crash…

…But no, that wouldn’t be fair to the other passengers. 🤣😅🤣

 

He thanks me, wishes me well and we hug good-bye. Lightly.

Do I love him or hate him?? It feels like I don’t know him anymore. As if I’m hugging a total stranger: 22 years have amounted to this eerie moment.

Surreal.

Doesn’t feel normal at all – so much to process.

Later.

Not now.

I’ll do that later.

 

That night I’m feeling a little annoyed. My ego is hurt and I have a serious change of heart: if Mr. Ex can fly to paradise and act like a teenager in love, I also get to have some fun and try out a few new things.

Staying single for a year? Ha! Ridiculous!

So, tim……….…ber with that plan.

No, Tin…der, here I come. 😊

© 2017 rf

 

 

Obs. Day 13 since moving out. New beginnings!

 

 

Prologue – Trump Him, Dump Him?

This is a book. Its prologue, the beginning. 🙂

 

Saturday, 28 January 2017.

 

Day 405

I’m a guest at Jasmine’s place for the celebration of the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Rooster. “Also known as the Year of the Cock,” she comments, making us, the mixed crowd that is mingling in her living room, giggle mischievously.

Jasmine (32), is a Chinese expatriate with a PhD, and I find her quite cute, funny and smart.

Single, she tells me she’s never even had a boyfriend, but is currently looking for her husband-to-be/one-true-love, all in one package.

While he doesn’t come her way, she occupies her life with hard work, loads of international friends, dance courses and culinary explorations.

I, on the other hand, have already enjoyed the bliss and all the sorrows of a longish-lived marriage to my teenage sweetheart. From the age of seventeen, when we started dating, until the Year of the Monkey, when I turned 39 and we cut our monkey business short.

Twenty-two years with the same man. Gosh! Is it selfish of me to want more while some of my friends haven’t had it at all, yet? 

Truth be told, I’m feeling afraid. Disturbingly petrified at the thought of ending up alone.

And worse.

I’ve been feeling so lonely.

 

Helping myself at the buffet table, what a relief to bump into Tony, a handsome friend I’ve made in Kamppi through the MeetUp app, just as I have Jasmine.

“Long time no see, Tony…!”

“Oh, hi Anna! How are you doing?” he responds in his cool, typical Finnish manner.

We’re glad to have found an acquaintance to keep company at the party. Sitting side by side, we small-talk. Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah.

“Oh, Anna, btw, my knee is much better now, so I’m going back to the dating game,” Tony updates me.

More about that knee in a future chapter. As well as my thoughts on Jasmine not having had a bf yet at her age! What are these two thinking??

“How have your dates been, Annita?”

“Hmm, that’s good!” I comment. “I’m glad for your, uh, knee…” — then answering his question — “Oh, me? Ah, you know me and all my dating ventures… The last one was the worst ever! Yuk!”

“Really, how so?”

I’ve been very, very sad lately, but not feeling like ruining the evening, I evoke a light, superficial mood to converse in.

“OK, this guy online has some good profile photos. Climbing, walking on a wire… So I figure, Hmm. He sure is the confident type! And not bad looking, either.”

I’m recollecting the details. A German living in England, he claims he’s looking for people to go jogging with…

“His third pic is priceless…” — storytelling fires me up — “He’s naked. In the snow! Running in a competition with nothing but a small red Xmas gift box tied with a golden bow around his private parts and a Santa hat on his head.”

Sports? That’s innocent enough, right?

“Haha!” — we laugh at the image — “Impulsively, I send him a message.”

Hi. Happy 2017, runner!

And if you ever visit Helsinki, maybe we could go jogging together?

Hey Anna, Happy New Year! I’m here in Helsinki on business.

 

An active online dater himself, Tony’s into my story now. In fact, every time our group of friends meets, the subject will resurface as surely as the Finnish morning sun.

“Cool, Annita. Jogging on a date could potentially turn out to be an interesting first?”

“Exactly!” — pleased he gets my point — “However… I’m just being friendly with the guy…”

Alas, I know my heart’s simply not ready to meet anyone new. What’s going on with Christian?? I miss him like hell. I feel devastated, lost and alone. Yet, I can’t tell Tony that. Dignity at all costs! Just hide it, Anna.

Like most Latin Americans, I’m waving with my hands now, blabbing excitedly — “OK, listen to this, Friday evening comes and unfortunately, it’s way too easy to spot my date: it’s freezing outside, yet the guy is wearing…”  — drum rolls —  “…Shorts, a bright orange running jacket, and best of all, a flashlight on his forehead!”

“Huh? For a date?!” Tony and I are rolling in the aisles.

“So there I am, looking at my date and feeling, Oh no! Here we go again. Another bad first impression for my nice collection. Seriously, a flashlight guy?!”  

“Skit!!” — I swear in Swedish — “Haha. But, in the spirit of not judging a child by its dirty face and runny nose, let me give this champ a chance…

“Then, the guy opens his mouth and his English sounds so natively American. Bollocks!”

“But Anna, you speak American English!”

“Yeah, but I love men who speak British English!” — Classy, sexy, dreamy — “And I’m expecting a cute German accent! But OK, OK, whatever. Off we go.

“We’re jogging, and from the start I’m fighting to keep up with the long-legged marathon runner, so breathing hard, I go, ‘Please-could-you-do-most-of-the-talking-as-I-can’t-run-this-fast-and-chat-at-the-same-time-puff-puff?’”

“And then?” Tony wants to cross the finishing line of my account.

“Yes, he agrees to do all the talking.”

“Cool!”

“No!! Unfortunately! ‘Cause the only topic my date talks about is Donald Trump. Can you believe it? Run, trump, trump, jog, trump, trump, stomp, trump, trump, trump, trump.

“He doesn’t ask me one single question about my life. He shares nothing about his. All I get is 4k of frumpy trumping!” — I protest.

Tony laughs hard.

“And since I’m struggling to match his pace, panting like a pug, I can’t really try to change the subject — mentally reprimanding myself for not being in the habit of training harder.

“What a relief to be approaching the end of the track. Phew, we’re finally there. And I’m exhausted and bored.”

“So you dump him and drag yourself back home??” — Tony is curious.

“Not quite yet. The moment we stop running, the American leans down and quickly steals a kiss, to my astonishment. ‘Now let’s go up to my hotel room, shall we?’ he says confidently.”

“Really? I envy the guy’s flirting skills!” — Tony seems to be enjoying the story— “He thought Trump talk would have turned you on?! Hahaha. What a loser. Haha…”

“Hey, cut him some slack, will you? Our jogging took place on Trump’s inauguration day, after all.” — We’re nodding empathically now (and I hate calling anyone a loser!)…

“Oh, that explains it. But, Anna, you’re so naive! The guy has a pic of his gift-wrapped cock and you can’t guess what his gift to you is meant to be?”

“No!! Forgive me!😁”

I laugh to refrain from crying.

“Btw, was he for or against Trump?”

“He was against him,” I answer, noticing a girl sitting close by staring at me with a very amused expression.

“Sorry, but I can’t help but eavesdrop on your story. It is hilarious!” she says.

We introduce ourselves and feeling a little self-conscious, I add, “Nah. Most of my dates have been nice. Some people out there are quite OK………

Sigh…

“I did meet my boyfriend on Tinder last year after all, remember, Tony?” — not able or willing to refer to him as my ex yet.

No, no, no!

“What about you, Niina? Are you single and on the lookout?”

“Yeah, do you also go online dating?” Tony takes part in my inquiry.

“Yes. Yeah.” — Niina says dismissively — “But, do tell me, how did you react when the guy kissed you and invited you up to his room after the political foreplay?”

“I told him to go………… trump himself, of course!” — not exactly in those words.

As many of my other friends have before, Tony pushes an idea, “Hey, Anna, you have to write a book about all your funny online dates. A separate chapter for every one! You’ve just gotta.”

“Yes!” — Niina encourages me, too — “And hey, if you do, let me know. I’d want to read that!”

“No, seriously,” they keep at it, “That would the perfect project for your Year of the Cock…”

Haha. Cocky stories?

 

So, OK… here am I.

Let’s do this!

Will my dear reader kindly help me rewind this story to Xmas of 2015, when this specific tale begins?

A little over a year ago… A time for sorrowful endings… and mercifully, also for hopeful new beginnings.

Please keep your fingers crossed, and without any further ado, permit to introduce you to the real Anna. Not this silly, temporarily poker-faced lost case, but the real me. And maybe, just maybe you’ll see.

© 2017 rf

Obs. Day 405 since moving out.