I've name-changed for this as it will come across as a massive not-so-stealth boast and it's not something I really want my usual MN nickname to be associated with.
I have somehow managed to reach the grand old age of 38 without ever having been dumped. I've had a few relationships and a few more flings back in my misspent youth. I have one ex-husband and lived with one other boyfriend. I broke up with all of them, and on top of that I've had several men that I never actually got together with declare undying love for me, one of whom remains single to this day and who made it clear (14 years ago now) he will wait for me for as long as it takes (he is lovely, just lovely, but unfortunately for him he will be waiting a long time as I am happily married with two children. Interestingly, he is 12 years older than me). He remains single at 50.
This is not something I talk about with anyone - not my best friend of 33 years, and not even my husband. It's not the sort of thing you go round talking about unless you have a planet-sized ego, which actually, I don't.
That's my background and I thought it bore a brief outline, as I have read through this thread becoming more and more incredulous - at every turn you have handled this in the exact opposite way I would have and it has been really quite enlightening from my own perspective.
Just for the record, I am not amazing looking (in spite of what some of these men have said to me; I am not deluded enough to believe everything I'm told) - I am pretty with a good sense of humour, gregarious and social. I am nice (dull, huh?). In short, nothing special, really. The one thing I am extremely lucky never to have had any issues with is my self-esteem. I thank my lovely parents for that.
I read a book when I was a young teenager - impressionable and on the cusp of adulthood. I'd never kissed a boy, let alone slept with one. This book resonated with me massively. It's one everyone has heard of, and most people have read. Pride and Prejudice. Have you read it Gin? If so, do you remember anything about the heroine, Lizzie Bennett? Not really the sort of feminist icon that I would have imagine for myself, but life is full of surprises. :)
She was proposed to by a man supposedly well out of her league... But of course she had such a rock-solid sense of her own self she that knew inherently that he most certainly wasn't out of her league; that in fact, he didn't even come close to deserving her and she let him know that in no uncertain terms. He then went to huge lengths to endeavour to deserve her, and in the process lost some of his less appealing traits and became a better person in his quest to be worthy of her.
It didn't even occur to her to accept his proposal on the original terms because she knew inherently that she deserved better. The best, even. I loved that, as a 13-year old.
I thought that was absolutely fucking brilliant and made a mssive mental note in my brain to emulate that sort of behaviour in my adult life.
As I say, I am very, very lucky to have a healthy self-esteem to base such a decision on, in the first place. Very lucky. I know only too easily how this can be damaged, even when you're fortunate enough to come from a happy, stable family. One bad man in your formative years can be enough to cause irreparable damage. So I can see that it was likely much easier for me than it might be for others to inherently believe in myself, see red flags easily for what they are, and basically, just not to drop everything and go running for some nobody who snaps his fingers.
I cannot imagine having an amazing, lovely happiness-filled night like you had, then being ignored for 2 or 3 days, receiving a booty call, and immediately ditching my friends and running off to fulfil said call. This is anathaema to me.
I am not a game-player. Likewise, I have never had games played on me.
I guess all I am trying to say is that you, me, every single one of us, men and women deserve to be treated with respect in our exchanges with other people. If we don't get this, we need to walk away. It is so important to do this. On the one hand, it is a virtuous circle - you walk away, you do the right thing by yourself, you feel good for doing that, it boosts your self-esteem and makes you more and more able the next time to do it again.
On the other hand, it lets the other person know that you just do not tolerate being dicked around. So, they either move on to someone else (their loss), or they step up to the plate. And I don't mean just the once. I mean consistently. They walk the walk, they don't just talk the talk.
You deserve this, Gin. I know we all need to make our own mistakes - it simply doesn't resonate when others make them and then share their experiences. But this whole encounter, this man - it has red flags all over it. I really hope some of what everyone is saying on here sinks in and you find a way of moving on from this and freeing yourself up for a Good Man in your life. Because I have a very strong feeling that the longer you stick around this guy (on his terms, natch) the more your self-esteem will erode and the less you'll believe that you do deserve so much better than him.
I'm not saying he's a bad person. But he doesn't really sound like the lovely, caring, decent sort of man that you deserve. There are loads of these sorts of men out there, loads - I can personally vouch for that, as that's been pretty much been my whole experience of men. Why not free yourself up for one of them? What's the harm in it?! You're young - make the most of these years; don't waste them on someone like this.
Good luck with it all. :)