I had very low confidence and self esteem after I split with Katie, my male pride meant that I could not tell John about exactly why Katie had cheated on me, but I could talk to Shani. Although I did skirt around the precise reasons with Shani a little bit as well, she did help me to slowly get back to normal.
“You look fantastic Shani, the whole day has been terrific.”
“Thanks Greg, it has been everything I could have wished for. I’m so happy right now.”
“You look like you’re glowing. Welcome to the family.”
Shani then rested her head on my shoulder as we slowly moved around the dance floor.
“I saw you speaking with Skye and Jane earlier, do you want to share?”
“They just came over to say hello and that they were sorry for how they had acted before.”
“Good, better late than never. Did they say anything else?”
“Like what?”
Now I was starting to get curious, I know Shani and Skye are best friends so if there was something that Skye was not telling me earlier, I’m sure that Shani already knows what it is.
I had decided and Shani had agreed that after my marriage ended, we would not discuss anything about Katies life going forward. To me, we have gone our separate ways and I do not need or want to be kept up to date with what Katie is doing, who she is dating, where she is living. It was none of my business.
“We have an agreement remember Greg, do you want me to break it or would you rather we not discuss it further.”
I thought about it for a few moments. It sounds like something of note has happened with Katie otherwise both Skye and Shani would not want to bring it up. But it could be anything, she could be getting married to Jake, she could be pregnant, she could have left the country.
“No, I don’t need to know what is going on in her life. Let’s keep the agreement.”
“Okay.”
Then it occurred to me to ask if my life has been discussed with Katie. Was she being kept up to date with what I was doing or who I was with?
“I hope you haven’t been discussing my life with Katie though have you Shani?”
“No, of course not. The agreement goes both ways.”
“What about Skye and Jane, could they be sharing with Katie what’s going on in my life.”
“I don’t know, I do talk to them about you sometimes. But why would you care if Katie was being told anyway?”
“You’re right I shouldn’t. Forget about it.”
“Look I have rarely seen Katie since you guys split up, and I have not had a one-to-one conversation with her since then either.”
“Fair enough, look let’s talk about more important things. How drunk do you want me to let John get? Are you planning on consummating the marriage tonight?”
“Very much so! Can I trust you to make sure he makes it to the bedroom in a state that he can still perform in?”
“That depends. Do you just want a quickie or are you looking for something more substantial?”
“Definitely the latter, I’m hoping he will be able to provide a repeat performance as well!”
I started laughing. John was a very lucky man to have Shani.
“Okay then, I better get him on the water right after our dance.”
—————-
I went through a dry spell for six months after breaking up with Vikki, It wasn’t that I was averse to being in another relationship, it’s just that between work and spending time with friends and family I just wasn’t meeting anyone I was that interested in. Thank the heavens for porn once again.
Going to clubs was not something that I was prepared to stoop to for meeting women. Meat markets with music. Okay, they might be good if you want a one-night stand, but they are crap for meeting someone you would want to have dinner with the following evening.
I kept away from online dating sites as well, just the whole concept still felt weird to me. Browsing for people like you would when choosing to buy a coffee machine. I guess because I was in a serious relationship from a young age until recently meant that I hadn’t grown out of wanting to rely on meeting women the old-fashioned way just yet. Whatever that was.
For one of our construction jobs, I had to meet with one of the client’s consultant’s to do discuss alterations with our current project. I sat waiting in the meeting room when in walked Janice.
Janice was 29 years old so almost two years older than me at the time, and she looked great. Tall, refined, high cheek bones, she could have been a fashion model when she was younger.
She had dark brown eyes with long dark brown almost black hair, with a very light almost porcelain complexion. She greeted me and we got on with the meeting.
Janice was extremely smart, very perceptive and more than a little intimidating. While discussing the alteration items with her, I was struck by the depth of her knowledge and the way she could pull information from me that I started to worry that I might come off as a bit of a light weight.
Janice seemed to have ‘superpowers’ in detecting my concerns or issues though. She would seem to know when I had a concern on a specific item, and she would simply then control and guide the conversation so I could provide what she needed to get the resolution.
Two hours later we were still only halfway through our alteration items when Janice asked if we could break for some lunch.
I offered to take her to a nice café just near our office building and she agreed. While technically not a date, that lunch then grew into a dinner date a few nights later, and another a few nights after that. I am still unclear if these were simply an extension of our work lunches or could be considered actual ‘dates’.
It is hard to get romantically involved with someone you’re working with, the common bond between you is the work. So invariably the discussion always revolves around work as well, not good if you are hoping to move things in a different direction.
Janice seemed to pick up on this when we were on our third dinner ‘date’.
“Greg, can I ask you something of a more personal nature?”
“Yes, ask away.”
“My consultancy work with our client will be wrapping up this week, so I will not be needing to meet with you going forward. Am I wrong or have you been hoping for more out of these dinners than just for us to discuss our project?”
Well crunch time, does Janice see me in a possible romantic way or am I just a work colleague?
“I would be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed my time with you, especially these dinners. Perhaps if we are no longer working together we could have a dinner date next week, but just for us?”
“And what would you be hoping for out of the dinner date next week, just for us?”
Okay. Quick, think. How do I say something nice when what I really want to say is ‘SEX!’.
“A second date.”
“And then?”
“A third date.”
“How many dates will you be needing Greg before you can finally pluck up the courage to ask me if I would like to fuck you?”
I did say she was smart. And intimidating.
“How ever many it takes.” Was my response.
Janice had been looking directly into my eyes throughout these questions. I was staring back trying to figure out if she was interested in me or just playing with me like a cat does to a mouse it has caught.