Martin from Lavington on Meeting Susan from Westlands

Sasa Mary. Martin from Lavington. I am glad I agreed to actually meet Susan rather than deciding everything from a phone screen, which is what I had done every other time.

My reasoning was simple. You cannot tell whether there is anything between two people from typed messages. I have had conversations that read beautifully and then collapsed within ten minutes of meeting. So I asked you to arrange something in person early, and you did.

We met for coffee in Westlands. The surprise was how ordinary it felt. No performance, no interview, just two adults working out whether they enjoyed each other. She was straightforward about what she was looking for and did not dress it up.

A month on we are still seeing each other and letting it move at whatever pace suits us. If I had one thing to pass on, it is that you should stop auditioning people over text. Meet early, keep it public, and trust what you see rather than what you read.