From Singapore to the World: A Journey of Lesbian Love Across The Globe

Chapter 5.1: Second Date Irony - Punctuality Surprise

On our first date, Kathy casually mentioned how much it annoyed her when people arrived late. She needed them to be on time, she said, like clockwork. Punctuality was a big deal for her, and I didn't realize it at the time, but of course it was—a classic German trait.

For our second date, I made sure to be early. Fifteen minutes before noon, I pulled up to her house, waiting in my car, watching the clock tick closer to 12. Right at noon, I expected her to come out. But five minutes passed, and I found myself looking at the door, confused.

Weren't Germans supposed to be sticklers for punctuality?

When she finally stepped out, I immediately noticed she was dressed casually, in something light and relaxed. Meanwhile, I had dressed up more formally, thinking I should impress her. Shit. Wrong dress code! I slammed my head against the car's headrest. I awkwardly greeted her. We both felt the mismatch in energy, but I shrugged it off. I tried to tell myself it didn't matter, even though I was already mentally counting strikes.

We drove to the restaurant, making small talk along the way. I tried to focus on the conversation, and soon enough, the awkwardness melted away. Once seated, we continued to talk, and it felt easier—natural, even.

During lunch, I mentioned that I could read palms. It wasn't something I was great at, but I thought it'd be a fun way to get closer to her. I took her hand in mine, studying her palm, pretending to know more than I actually did. Her lines were broken, especially on her relationship line. I pointed it out, jokingly saying, "Looks like you've had a few short relationships."

She didn't laugh. Instead, she confirmed it—she had never been in a serious relationship, just a series of short-lived ones. It should've been a red flag. It was right there, in the palm of her hand, literally. But at the time, I didn't see it that way. I thought I could be different, that I could be the one to change her views on relationships.

Boy, was I wrong.