Date 83

"Sweet and Tender Hooligan."

The events of this blog entry took place about 6 months ago and during that time I've thought long and hard about whether I should write it up. We didn't meet via a dating website and I'm not sure if it technically was a date and I'd also said to her that I wouldn't be writing it up. However, in the end I just couldn't not write about it due to the unbelievable nature of our second meeting.

We got to know each other through Twitter. She'd initially followed me and I followed her back then one day we got chatting. She'd tweeted about how it was impossible to get tickets for the iTunes Festival unless you worked in the music business and I'd replied saying I had 2 to see the Pixies and how I'd been in the past to see CSS, and that I'd only ever applied twice and got tickets both times. She asked if she could go with me, which was a bit cheeky, however, I was already going with a couple of friends so it would have been a bit weird me rocking up with some stranger, although in retrospect it might have been good fun. As it turns out I took another friend with my spare but I said to her that if any other gigs came up then we could go together.

As time went on we were in contact every day, first via Twitter and then by text. During this period, one of my favourite current bands, Veronica Falls, were playing a gig in London so I bought 2 tickets and asked her if she wanted to go. She did, and she took the day off work so we could meet on the afternoon beforehand. She lives near Brighton so we met at Embankment and she was already a bit lubricated due to her having a mini bottle of Champagne on the train given to her by some cabin crew after she'd told them that she'd once worked in the same industry. On top of this she'd been a bit early anyway so popped into a pub by the tube station until I arrived. Apart from exchanging a couple of pictures in order for us to recognise each other, I was still surprised when I saw her as to what a stunner she was...as I got to know her it also became clear that she knew this fact as well in abundance.

Thankfully we got on well like old friends and maybe this was because it wasn't a date. I took her to a bar where we had 3 pints each then we went to a restaurant where we shared a bottle of red along with a glass of prosecco for her and a further glass of red for me. And as time was getting on we went to another bar on the way to the station where we had another drink each. There was definitely a common theme developing.

On our way to the gig venue in Tufnell Park she bought a packet of cigarettes. I hadn't smoked for almost a year and neither had she but she kept insisting that I should share the packet with her. Fortunately I didn't give in and this was also despite her blowing every exhalation of sweet tobacco smoke into my face. That was a bit naughty of her but it came back to bite her on the arse as she had a 2 day hangover and I didn't, which I'm sure is down to the addition of cigarettes on top off the day and night's excessive drinking.

I really have to say that this was one of the best times I'd ever had in terms of letting my hair down and enjoying myself. The gig was fantastic, we continued drinking; me Jack Daniels and her: Vodka, and I even danced the night away which is quite amazing because I NEVER, EVER DANCE. EVER!!!!

The band actually came on over an hour late which was a complete pain as it meant we had to leave the gig just before the encores as she had to catch her last train. So we headed back to Embankment and then she asked if I wanted to walk her to Victoria. I did and as we were making our way through the deserted streets, we were talking about how much fun we'd had and as she'd read my blog I said that I wouldn't be writing it up as it hadn't been a date. She then looked disappointed and said she thought it probably had been a date and that she'd be really upset if she never saw me again. And then she took my hand and held it all the way to Victoria. We then kissed a little bit and said our goodbyes on the platform.

To have had such a great time was completely unexpected. And I wanted more. I also realised that I fancied her.

We texted for a couple of days and then she started sending me a few drunken texts telling me how she'd been out in London again. I asked her who with and she said her media lawyer. I assumed she meant from her firm and then she said he'd bought her some boots. I again said, who is he and she said just a friend. I said why did he buy you boots then and she responded with 'he likes me in them.' Hmmmmm, ok....

She then started talking about him a lot in texts by name but always kept saying he was just a friend. I also asked her a couple of times about meeting again and we'd be in the middle of setting a date when she'd go quiet and I wouldn't hear from her a week or so later and she'd forgotten.

Eventually we did set a date, which she cancelled a couple of days before but then re-arranged for the week after. Meanwhile things began to unravel regarding her mystery friend, as on a whim, and when she was meant to be off sick from work, they went to a gig in Manchester and stayed in a hotel room together. I then had an idea of who he was and I was actually proved right.

We met on a Saturday afternoon in November 2013. I shouldn't have gone really as I'd had a bit of a falling out with a Soho wall (see Date 84) the night before but I really wanted to see her again. We went to a bar and straight away she started knocking back large glasses of white wine while I stuck to JD and coke and wasn't even trying to keep up with her. She then proceeded to flirt with every man she could get the attention of. She'd blatantly brush past them or smile at them from the bar and then they'd giver her their number. All this was going on while I was with her so I don't know who they thought I was and to be honest, this all made me feel really uncomfortable as I felt like I was just merely accompanying her while she went on the pull. During the afternoon, I broached the subject of her 'friend' and, as I'd suspected, he turned out to be a married man from London, whom she'd been having an affair with for 3 years. I then spent the rest of the time in there, whilst she eyed up any man who walked in with a pulse, counselling her and listening to the heartache of being a mistress.

We then went for food where she demolished a bottle of red virtually on her own as I was taking things easy. Boy, can she drink! And then the fun really started.

I wanted to go to the BFI bar as it's one of my favourites but when we got there it was closed for a private function. There was a special Dr Who party for competition winners going on as there was a special episode being shown. It was also live on tv so there were a lot of celebs about and apparently Doctors past and present were all milling about. Unsurprisingly, there was a big security presence. She told me she was going to get us in and then began to work her way around all the security guards offering blow jobs in return for us being let past the cordon. Yes, you read that correctly and she wasn't joking. She even would describe the technique she'd use on them in detail. One of them was sorely tempted and asked if I was her boyfriend and she laughed uncontrollably. At one point, she got distracted when she saw Peter Davison and ran after him shouting his name, but luckily for him he managed to evade her. While she was gone I had a word with the security guy and told him to do me a favour as I said she was my friend and I was embarrassed by what she was doing so he said out of respect for me he wouldn't take up her kind offer. He also asked me if she had something wrong with her. She then started turning her attention to a very big and hairy cameraman. I went over and he introduced himself to me then quickly departed. She told me that things had been going great until I'd come over!

By now I didn't know why I was there and went off and found a quiet corner and started texting some friends to tell them what was happening and they all told me to leave her to it. I don't why I didn't but I think maybe I felt she needed looking after. She found me and I suggested we should leave to go elsewhere. This was after an hour of her unsuccessful attempts and she confided with me that it was the first time she'd been refused entry to an event so I can only imagine what she's done in the past. On the way out she even managed to cause a minor furore by trying to find the hairy cameraman and screaming for him which actually resulted in the party inside telling her to shut up as the episode was being broadcast live on tv. She eventually left her number with a production assistant who promised to give it to the guy in question, although I'm not so sure he wasn't hiding somewhere. On the way out she asked if I could set up a date between her and my best friend, whom she'd never met. I said no and when she asked why, I said: because he wouldn't like you.

We went elsewhere for another drink but the night was not over. By this time she was unsurprisngly quite drunk. As we started to have a drink she started to flirt with a guy and he actually made his excuses and moved to another seat very quickly. A little later on she spied a baby with a family sitting nearby and went over to ask if she could hold it. They refused and she came back in a huff. She then started shouting at them telling them they weren't holding it properly although they couldn't hear her. I told her to leave it and suggested we go. On our way out I suddenly noticed she wasn't with me and looked round to see her aggressively remonstrating with the family about their mothering techniques. She ran out crying and I went over to her and she shoved me away. I said I thought it was probably time to go home so I walked her across the bridge. I wasn't going to walk her to Victoria this time so I said bye and she walked off without saying anything. I called her back and she quickly pecked me on the cheek and turned around again without saying anything.

On my way back to Waterloo station, I popped back into the Royal Festival Hall, where the baby fiasco had taken place, and found her hat on the floor by our seats as she'd mentioned she'd lost it so I put in in my bag then texted her on the train to say I had it. The next day she replied and said thanks so I responded and said that was ok but I asked her if she'd got home alright as I'd been a bit worried about her the night before. She never replied and I never heard from her again. She also blocked me on twitter and did the same to some of my friends who followed her as well. She also deleted all our tweets and everyone else's connected with me. Which is a completely logical reaction as it was me who was quite clearly in the wrong.

I can't emphasise how good a night we'd had the first time we met so for things to end this way was very disappointing; whether it was a date or not. Having seen her true colours, I'm sure it really was for the best though.

I do actually still have her hat, although I have no idea what to do with it...