Yesterday I went on a date with a friend that recently moved back, and I haven’t seen him in 2 years. When he picked me up, I was surprised when he actually came to the door, since other guys just revved their engine or honked. He opened the car door for me, and actually waited for me to get out, and not just walk off and letting me catch up once I was out of the car.
We went back to his place to eat dinner with his family and some church members, and we couldn’t sit together. He voiced later on that he tried sitting near me, and apologized that we couldn’t sit together, and apologized to me after he found out I have a fear of eating in front of others, and that’s why I didn’t eat much.
We drove back to the city and got Starbucks, and he asked for advice on what drink he should get, and even paid after, which I’m not used to. Afterwards we went to the park, and ended up walking around and talking for a couple hours, where I actually got to talk about myself a bit, and what I liked, etc. Any other time I went on a date, it was just the guy talking about himself, or not letting me finish a story. My friend was incredibly patient, and actually listened and asked questions, and would comment on things, which was honestly so refreshing and nice.
When he drove me home, he got out of the car and walked me up to the door, and once we found out the front door was locked, he walked me to the back and made sure I got in before going back to the front. I ended up giving him a book to read, and we said good bye on the front step. It was so surreal to me experiencing this, since any other guy before him wouldn’t even get off the car to walk me to the door, and usually drove away before I got in, which was always late at night or early in the morning when they dropped me off.
He told me he appreciated me, and thanked me for everything both in person and in text after, which was also something new.
I know it sounds so simple and so silly, and others would call this the bare minimum, but I’ve never had a date like this, and it was honestly so fun and so relaxing compared to the other guys I’ve gone on dates with. It made me realize that I was seeing bums, and now I’m not going to allow myself to see anyone that doesn’t care, or isn’t going to ensure my safety after, before, or during the date.