Dating Horror Story #5

      I met this guy several months ago. He was handsome, very tall, well-dressed and well-spoken. He had this great energy and was really fun; like a kid in a candy store all day, every day, no matter where he went. He asked me to lunch and I said yes. I am always attracted to good energy.

We were just walking around NYC without a plan and walked right into one of the fanciest lunch spots I could have imagined. It was lovely, though I felt a bit out of place. I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt compared to the ladies-who-lunch who were donning Chanel suits. My date didn't seem to care. He was too much of a free spirit. Our bill was in the $150 range for two lunches and a couple of diet cokes; a little steep for me but he paid and was happy to do so. I could get used to this!

I knew he was from Maine but then I found out that he lives there full-time. Oh, no! I am in New York and I have established roots here. I can't just pick up and go. How could this work out down the road if we really hit it off and wanted to see each other again, I asked myself? I have a child, my own business and 5 pets. My dream was fading fast. I voiced my concern. He said, "Don't worry about it. I have it all figured out. I'll tell you later." That seemed a little strange to me but we were having a good time so I just let that comment go.

As we got to talking I came to discover that this man retired a few years prior. Retired? "How?" I asked. He had purchased a business while in his early 20's and grew it to the point that he was a multi-millionaire several times over and never had to work again. "Oh, my." I said. Very impressive!

We had a wonderful time together and I walked him to his hotel. It was very fancy. The doorman knew him by name. A few days later my date, still in town, asked me out again. I of course said yes. This time we had dinner which was a little sexier.

A few hours passed like minutes. The conversation was easy and fun. We got along very well and were each excited by the prospect of spending even more time together, though I had no idea how. When my date felt comfortable, he finally began telling me how things could work out between us with our long-distance issue. He told me how the rest of my life would play out. Wait...the rest of my life? Was he serious? I knew him for a few hours and he was telling me what to do? I really liked him and I was so curious that I gave him the benefit of the doubt, shut my mouth and listened anyway.

He said I would move to Maine with my daughter and pets and he would take care of me. Maine? Really? Maine is cold and there is nothing to do there. I let him go on. I would abandon my business, he said,  so I would be free to travel with him wherever he would like to go. Ok, I love traveling but give up my business?!  And what about where I want to go? We would have live-in help to take care of the house, animals and my daughter. Um...I want to raise my daughter and she also has a father who she sees several times per week. My daughter's father and my family all live in NY. He went on to say that I could fly back to NY whenever I wanted to as money was no object so my daughter could see her family here. However, every other week we would spend at his second home in Costa Rica and my daughter could come when she is on vacation from school. We could also travel other places, he said. How gracious of him. This is not...he interrupted my thoughts. He said, "Listen, this is my dream. I can give you an extraordinary life. If you don't want it just tell me. I am looking for a woman to fit into my dream. " I want, I need, I see, I think, I have to, I, I, I...

...I said, "No, thank you."