Wrong Number

The Wrong Man, Right Time

Over a cup of English Breakfast in Starbucks in Manila, I found myself utterly bored and homesick. Skype seemed to be my window to possibilities. I logged on to it to see who's online and not, and saw a green button beside Darrell's icon.

We have met once before in 2012, at a law firm in Manchester. He was a senior associate, and I was a law intern. I find him handsome, tall, and highly sought after. But men like Darrell are hardly single, lo and behold, he was in a long term relationship.

"Hi," I typed it on his chat window anyway.

"Hi," he replied and I wasn't at all expecting that.

"How are you?" Darrell followed up the standard cliche.

"I'm well thanks, and you?"

"Well thanks."

I knew that he wasn't in England as the last time we spoke he had immigrated to Qatar, and was still in a relationship.

"Where are you these days, I mean where are you based out?"

"I'm no longer in the UK. I'm actually in Manila, in the Philippines." I replied.

"Actually me too, are you single?"

Well, I actually was not single at that time. There's this French man, but it was primarily online. And this Darrell connection does no happen often. I did like him a lot, I just did not pursue him as he had a girlfriend.

"How I wish" I didn't press send, still contemplating.

"Yes." I finally replied, after after my relationship with Olivier was dying. It wasn't like I saw marriage in him, he was just trying a way to find love after being divorced.

"Cool, do you have anyone on the radar?"

Men like him are not stupid, they're actually quite perceptive.

"No," but I know it is a lie... I want you on my radar.

"Why are you single?"

"Married to my career, and you?"

"Yeah, same married to my career. How long have you been single?"

"Not long ago, and you?"

"Months."

Things have gone rather quiet for a few minutes on Skype.

"What's your style? Curvy? Tall or petite?"

"Dress knee length. Slim. Average height 5'6."

"Perfect, and what are you doing right now?"

"Drinking a cup for tea at Starbucks."

"Haha nice try, when are you home?"

I wasn't really comfortable in chats like this no matter how handsome Darrell should my memory serves him right.

"Do you have a Whatsapp as we are both in the same country and city?"

I gave him my number and from them on our messaging outlet had been elevated.

This is pretty much how dating works these days in the modern world area doesn't it? The ones you'll be potentially serious with will be the ones on your Whatsapp, while Skype remains to be the staging area.

Darrell messaged me on WhatsApp, having his workable phone number finally. His thumbnail photo shows how handsome he is... he is one of those highly quintessential Englishman. Highly educated. Witty. His humour is almost always comedy gold.

The conversation went on, but I felt the need to cool it down a bit and break up with Olivier should I start something with Darrell.

It it these moments in life wherein I felt the need to be successful, not necessarily for my own benefit. But the benefit of another. In such I work hard and get paid well, to wear lovely dresses and nice shoes on dates with a man. All I could ever imagine in that moment was us having a date, in which I'd be dressed in those lovely knee length conservative cut yet edgy fabric patterns of Tory Burch. Accessorised with a leather black bag and a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.

It is these moments in life in which I'd want to emulate femininity in the arms of Darrell.