(Day 58/122 of the experiment)
I don’t have high hopes for Nick and our meeting today, but I really want to look stunning—not so much for him as for my own confidence. So after finishing my chores at home, I head to the salon for a hairstyle and light makeup.
In the morning, I went for a little run—I need to keep the conversation about Nick's hobbies going! Then I meditated, wrote my morning pages, posted on Instagram, and even managed to watch a movie about feminism.
For the evening date, I chose a stylish khaki dress and low-heeled shoes. To avoid getting cold in the evening, I threw a black jacket over my shoulders. Well, that looks quite impressive! I wonder how Tristan would react to my look? Damn! I'm going on a date with another man, and I'm thinking about Tristan. Is it love or already paranoia?
With my hairstyle and makeup, I look like a Hollywood star! Pleased with myself, I stride to the restaurant and feel a bit nervous. I walk inside and see that Nick is already sitting at a table. Upon seeing me, he stands up, grabs a bouquet, and comes to meet me.
White roses—thirteen white roses for me! I can’t recall ever receiving a bouquet with more than three flowers before.
A light and casual kiss on the cheek, and we sit across from each other. Kola is dressed in a dark shirt and classic blue jeans. He looks at me with undisguised interest, and we start getting to know each other better little by little.
With some apprehension, I tell him about myself and my experiment—my close circle is used to my “demo version” of a cool life right now. But I don’t know how this unfamiliar man will take it. Then I ask Nick about his life, his daughter, and his interests. Time flies so quickly, and I really enjoy listening to this man.
After a delicious dinner and two glasses of champagne, I suggest taking a little walk around the city. Nick happily agrees to my suggestion. We stroll leisurely down my favorite Dvortsova Street, where new buildings stand beside ancient ones, where young people gather to sing with guitars, and older couples breathe in the fresh air.
-“Cinderella, would you like some tea or coffee? Time flies so quickly, and I really don’t want to say goodbye to you,” Kola asked me with immense warmth and sincerity.
-“Yes, I’d love that!”
For the next hour, until the café closed, we drank orange tea and talked about our life plans. Nick shared his main dream—to take a round-the-world trip with his family. He has already started building a route and saving money. There are still about 10 years left until his daughter grows up. In return, I told him about one of my main goals in my partnership with May—a car of my dreams, the Volvo S90.
After a long goodbye (important—without kisses and embraces!), I got into a taxi and headed home. Nick offered to drive me and then return to the city in the same taxi, but I declined. It’s far, and there’s no sense in that.
For the first time in a long while, Richard was angry, and then I realized why. He had been waiting all day for me to come back and treat him to a tasty can of food, but I had been so long. Because when Lilia and I had our spa day, Rich got a can for breakfast. After receiving his treat, the little guy became calm and content. Then we lay down to rest.
(Day 59/122 of the experiment)
My morning began with exercising and scrolling through Instagram. I lied. The first thing I did today was check the comments on my last post - a photo taken of me at the beauty salon after my styling and makeup. Besides ten positive remarks, I saw one unread message. It was from Tristan:
-Cinderella, hi. I know we agreed not to bother each other while I'm in London, but I can't stay silent anymore. I miss you so much. I think about our meetings all the time. About our kiss. I'm not asking you to wait for me - you're young, beautiful, ambitious, and very attractive. And I wouldn't be surprised if you have someone new in your life. But I just want you to know – I miss you, and you matter to me. I am really looking forward to returning to the big city, and if your heart is still free, I invite you on a date. Just like that – right now! I invite you on a date the very day my foot steps on Ukrainian soil. I miss you so much…
While my eyes raced over the lines of text, my heart stopped. Can this be considered a confession of love? Can I trust these words? What should I do with my life?
Why does it always happen like this – either no decent man on the horizon, or suddenly two at once. There’s Nick – he’s really nice. He’s kind, honest, has a great sense of humor, our values are similar, he loves his daughter very much and seeks simple family happiness. A worthy man to start a family with. And Tristan – interesting, handsome, a desirable bachelor, but far away. Who managed to leave the business of his life – a restaurant – and go for studies. What guarantee is there that one day he won't leave me too with three kids and fly into space, just because he wants to?
*SMS*
-Hello Cinderella! How are you? Did you get enough sleep? – subscriber “Nick”.
So, I officially declare today a day without men! I don't want to fill my head with thoughts about either KOlga or Tristan.
I spent the whole day on routine tasks – tidied up the house, bought groceries, cooked food, and read a book.