It's always great to hear from guys who have jumped back into the dating game after a breakup or a divorce.
Whether it's bouncing back from a girlfriend who left him like a yo-yo for a year or two, or starting over after dating someone for a double-digit length of time, the success stories keep coming.
The latest is from out West, where Arnie has returned to the singles scene with a vengeance (and a newly purchased wardrobe). He had been in a relationship with the same woman for 13 years (since he was 17) and had never really dated anyone else. Until now. And how.
Since joining Match.com he has been on a streak of success. During one span he went on six dates with six women in seven days. They weren't all good or great dates -- a couple were ''psychos'' as he puts it -- but the point is he is getting out there, learning about himself again in the process.
One date at a fancy restaurant text messaged all throughout dinner, to the point that he sent her a text from across the table letting her know she was being rude. She took it as a joke, enjoyed the humor, but continued to text. The night didn't end up a loss. He met her friends later and enjoyed their company more.
Another date lived nearly two hours away, but on a slow weekend Arnie decided to make the trek, and in the process catch up with some old friends on the phone during the drive. What he didn't count on was his back tightening up while driving. By the time he arrived at his date's neighborhood, he was in so much pain there was no way he could arrive at her door like the hunchback of Notre Dame.
So he stopped a couple streets away, got out of the car, laid down in the lawn of the nearest house and started stretching his back. (Imagine Pilates, party of one.)
At that moment, an elderly couple emerged from their house and slowly walked toward Arnie. They wanted to make sure he was alive -- and not a threat. Embarrassed, Arnie got up and recounted the story, at which point the couple slowly backed away but made sure he got back in his car. Feeling better, Arnie proceeded with the date, which turned out to be less memorable than the predate stretching.
But Arnie's shining moment came a week later when he met a woman on Match who claimed to be a model, but was modest about it in her profile and only revealed the information during an exchange of e-mails. His Google-based investigation revealed that she was a former Playboy model who had appeared in the magazine two years ago. However, to avoid looking like a pervert (keep his sanity and possibly earn an invite one day to Hef's Mansion), he did not reveal his discovery.
After some flirtatious texts and a successful mojito date, she asked him to be her date at a film awards event honoring Asian actors. Despite his nerves, he went and was the hit of the party. The pair turned heads on the red carpet (no doubt she helped with that part) and he held his own mingling with the crowd when she was pulled into various conversations.
Arnie's back in the game, and looking good.
