Good old fashioned flirting.... by text...!

As you know this blog is about my “secret life” and so I am going to share something that has been going on behind the scenes, secretly, over the last few weeks.

During the summer holidays, I took my kids and a friend to walk the dog in the park.  It’s not a park we usually go to and whilst I was gossiping to a friend on the phone, I suddenly realised that the kids and their friend had completely disappeared.  I had told them to stay in a particular area, but they had run off and were nowhere to be seen. 

Just as I was beginning to get into a mild state of panic, calling their names in an increasingly hysterical manner, a dog walker appeared.  I rushed over to him and asked him whether he had seen three children and a couple of dogs, answering their description. 

The dog walker was very sympathetic.  He explained that he had kids too and knows exactly what they’re like.  After discussing where they might have disappeared to and where best to look first, he offered to give me a call on my mobile if he bumped into them.

I rushed off round the park, shrieking out the kids names, like a fish wife, until finally….

My phone rang.

It was the dog walker.  He’d found the kids!

With an enormous sigh of relief I asked where he was and made my way back. 

I gave the kids an appropriate “telling off” and told them to thank the ‘nice man’ who had found them for me.

As we went our separate ways, it crossed my mind that the dog walker was actually quite nice.  Nice smile, kindly disposition and a sense of humour.  Mmm!  And bound to be married!

Well, a couple of weeks later I was in the same park with just the dogs, buying myself a coffee to take on our ‘walkies’, when – yes, you’ve got it in one!  I bumped into him again.

He recognised me straight away and we got talking about the ‘lost children’ incident.  He was at the start of his walk too, so we ended up sauntering along together whilst the dogs charged around. 

Now, maybe it’s just me, but I think that people who are divorced pick up on the signs that someone else is.  So it came as no surprise to me when having asked if I was, he confessed that he was too.

The half hour walk flew by and I felt sad to be back at the car park and have to say goodbye.

As we parted, I joked that as he had my number already he could always text me if he ever wanted company on a walk.  How very forward of me!

But worth it…  Because that evening a message ‘pinged’ through on my phone.

“Lovely to see you again today.  I’m off on holiday for a couple of weeks.  Please keep in touch – it would be lovely to see you when I get back.” It read.

Well.  The truth is, we have been keeping in touch.  And our keeping in touch has developed into a texting frenzy.  Interspersed with the odd phone call.

And I mean texting.  Not sexting.  A lovely ‘getting to know you from afar’, very much like ‘old fashioned’ letters.

We have discussed what our ideal Sunday would be; our favourite movies; coffee shop; music; food; and all number of things.  What I think of as “early date” conversations.   There have been no graphic exchanges of an adult nature!  In fact, whilst I would be upset if anyone read these personal exchanges, there is nothing in them that would embarrass either one of us.

So when my phone ‘pings’ and I see that it’s ‘him’, I can’t help smiling.  I have no idea what’s going to develop.  But this weekend we have finally set a date to meet up.  And I can’t wait!

I’ll keep you posted…