What is happening with men nowadays? I invite a guy over to my flat because I think a relationship could start.
Somehow many women think that after theyve passed forty and have gone through one or two divorces, its acceptable to make a fresh start. Im in that exact spot. Ive been married twice. The first marriage, when I was young, gave me a daughter, Lily. The second one happened in my thirties. Neither marriage lasts more than two years, and something always seems off with the men.
After my second divorce I keep seeing men, but none of those encounters ever turn into marriage. Now Im fortyfive and I still believe I can be happy and that somewhere out there my soulmate exists. To cut to the chase: a month ago I meet a man on the street. Mark is fiftynine. Im strolling through Regents Park, a wellkept, properly dressed woman, and I decide to sit on a bench and have a coffee.
Mark approaches me, wanting to introduce himself. He isnt my ideal type, but he looks tidy and respectable. We chat, he buys me another coffee, and I immediately ask if he has a wife or a girlfriend. He gives a vague answer, hinting at some sort of relationship. Still, I invite him back to my flat to continue the conversation, offering tea and a slice of cake I baked the day before. You might think Im mad for letting a stranger in, but a neighbour I know sees us coming and I feel safe. Mark doesnt appear dangerous.
We step into the hallway of my flat, and Mark looks around, then snorts, Your flat looks like it hasnt been redecorated in fifteen years.
I play dumb, pretending I dont get what he means. In truth I havent touched it in ten years, but its still in decent shape. Why pour money into walls and ceilings when I could spend it on myself? Is that the wrong way to think?
I serve Mark tea and cake, we eat, and he starts nitpicking the flat again. I tell him straight, What does it matter what my flat looks like? Why dont you invite me over to yours? He falls silent, says nothing more, and leaves, promising to call me in a week.
A whole week passes without a call or a message. Late on Saturday night he texts that hes coming over. I tell him hell have to help me with the renovation now. He arrives, we start hanging wallpaper, and he suddenly remembers something urgent, saying hell ring me next week.
I suspect hes a married man looking for an affair with a welloff lady, which Im certainly not. Whatever the case, it doesnt matter. What matters is that we share a moment of camaraderie, and Im sure Ill find love eventually. My advice to other women: if a man does nothing for you, why keep him around?
