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Relationships

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New dating relationship, don't know how to do this anymore

40 replies

neckdeepinchildrenstoys · 11/11/2022 11:14

I am divorced with DC. Recently met another divorcee also with DC. Started dating, it has been fun and respectful. All in all it has been two months of dating. Went away together two weeks ago. For some reason I have been triggered this week and my head is all over the place. Can you help me figure this out?

Following quite an intense time away together (3 days solid in each others' company) we have returned to normal life, with work and DC demands. The relationship started out as quite lopsided (he actively sought me out and pursued me - I was unsure if I was interested at the beginning, but we have a few connections via work and some overlapping projects so we naturally saw each other quite a bit.)

This week has been the following:

Monday - he asked to meet for lunch. I agreed. We had a fun, enjoyable lunch. He had a commitment for work in the evening.

Tuesday - he had a work commitment in the evening and asked to see me afterwards. I agreed. He said the commitment would be from 7-9pm and we'd have dinner at 9. I put my DC to bed and got a babysitter at 8 and sat and waited for him to contact me telling me where to meet him for dinner. It got to 9.30 and I felt like an idiot: the babysitter was wondering why I wasn't going out, it seemed to be getting late for dinner, I had sat around the whole evening, so I messaged him and said, "look it's getting a bit late, you said the meeting was until 9, I need to send my Nanny home. Let;s meet another time." I sent my Nanny home. At 9.45 he called me saying where are you, I'm ready, let's go! I said "I sent my Nanny home, you said your dinner would finish at 9." He was a bit drunk and came and stood outside of my flat and spoke to me from the window (I am two floors up in central London.) Then he went home. We agreed on the phone that we would have dinner together on Wednesday.

Wednesday - in the morning he texts me to tell me that his daughter has had an emergency and he needs to be with her tonight. He has told me before that she has an eating disorder, so I completely understand. I say of course that's fine. We chat as usual for an hour or so and agree that I will go with him to his work dinner (10 people) on Thursday (last night) because there is some crossover with my work too.

Thursday - I get a bit nervous as I do not know anyone at the evening dinner. I text him and say I am nervous and worried that people may wonder why I am there. He texts back and says it'll be okay, you'll have a good seat, you can sit next to me and it will be relevant to your line of work. I get to the dinner and he is quite formal and polite. I presume it's because it's because of his work colleagues. I speak to everyone, and have some good conversations. When it comes to sit down there is fixed seating (name cards) and I am not next to him but next to two people I do not know. Instead he is next to a different woman. We do not speak all night, but I make conversation with the people next to me. After the dinner he grabs me and says he has to stay for a drink with this other woman who is a client, and can I join them. I sit through another hour of them talking and laughing about in jokes. She finally leaves, it's 11pm. He turns to me and says let's get another drink. At this point I feel really frustrated and uncertain and I say that I am not happy. He says he doesn't understand, why would I not be happy?. I say that I am going to go home. I book a taxi and I leave. He sends me a text saying that he doesn't understand what's going on. I don't reply.

We have texted a bit this morning and agreed to meet today to talk about it. I cannot think clearly at all. I don't know if IABU or he is BU. I don't know if he's not in to me. What do you think? What would you do or say to him?

OP posts:
GreyCarpet · 11/11/2022 12:56

I think you're just trying to fit too much in. It's too soon to be going to work dinners and drinks with clients etc but you wanted to see each other during the week so tried to fit both in.

It's just too much. Dial it back a bit and see each other when you can properly are time for each other.

ThirtyThreeTrees · 11/11/2022 12:58

I'm confused. This guy seems to like you and there's nothing in what you have said to indicate otherwise.

He's really busy with work etc. So common at this time of year for some many people.

Why so intense? Can you not find slotsa week that word for you and just try still to them until things quieten down.

Any chance you are self sabotaging as it kind of reads that way?

FatAnneTheDealer · 11/11/2022 13:11

I don’t think he has done anything wrong and you are over reacting.

If he said the meeting was going to last until 9 why did you book a babysitter for 8 who could only stay until 9:45 ish. Meetings often run over! If you agreed to meet after the meeting you should have been prepared for it to run over a bit and gone to the meeting place for 9:15 - 9:30ish.

He clearly didn’t know about the seating plan for the dinner and invited you along for the after dinner drink with the client.

He obviously has a lot on. If you jump every time he suggests something then that is up to you. Say no if it’s a meeting when he is likely to have dual commitments (like a work dinner) or a late meeting.

emptythelitterbox · 11/11/2022 13:18

A few red flags have stood out.
Sounds like he has a drinking problem.
Sounds like he's drunk most every day of the week. Is that something you really want in your life?

He pretty much stood you up when you had hired a babysitter. Then showed up drunk. Yuck.

He invited you to a work dinner. You expressed how nervous you were and he said you'd be sitting next to him. You get there and you weren't so he lied about that. Then he ignored you all night. Then he invites you to sit with him and this woman and once again he ignores you. Are you sure he isn't into this woman, client or not?

It sounds like he love bombed you to get you interested and it seems he had plenty of time for you at the start but now, his true colors are showing. Canceling plans, not much time for you.

What do you think?

Gloriosity · 11/11/2022 13:42

I think you’re massively overreacting and I still don’t really understand what to. He seems to be bending over backwards to try and see you to me?

DragonflyNights · 11/11/2022 13:52

Sounds to me like you both have busy and intense lives. He seems to be doing his best to see you and also honour his parenting and work commitments. So I think you’re being a bit harsh, especially walking out and not replying to his text. That was uncalled for and doesn’t show emotionally maturity. The all or nothing comment would worry me as well if I were dating you.

If I were the man in this scenario, Id also be particularly concerned that you seem to expect a lot very quickly in the context of having a daughter with an ED and a busy working life.

Tbh, to me you are the one who is giving me the red flag feeling, not him, sorry.

DragonflyNights · 11/11/2022 13:59

FatAnneTheDealer · 11/11/2022 13:11

I don’t think he has done anything wrong and you are over reacting.

If he said the meeting was going to last until 9 why did you book a babysitter for 8 who could only stay until 9:45 ish. Meetings often run over! If you agreed to meet after the meeting you should have been prepared for it to run over a bit and gone to the meeting place for 9:15 - 9:30ish.

He clearly didn’t know about the seating plan for the dinner and invited you along for the after dinner drink with the client.

He obviously has a lot on. If you jump every time he suggests something then that is up to you. Say no if it’s a meeting when he is likely to have dual commitments (like a work dinner) or a late meeting.

I also agree with this - come in now, no way did you plan a 45 minute meet up! He was late to respond so you got the hump and cancelled the babysitter. Sounds to me like you enjoyed him intensely pursuing you and now real life is biting and he has other things he has to do you don’t like it.

Saying that, id also be wary of the amount of socialising and drinking this man seems to do, his life sounds exhausting.

Movinghouseatlast · 11/11/2022 14:40

I can't understand why you were upset last night either. He wanted you to stay and have a drink. You didn't want to, but you got upset?

beastlyslumber · 11/11/2022 14:50

emptythelitterbox · 11/11/2022 13:18

A few red flags have stood out.
Sounds like he has a drinking problem.
Sounds like he's drunk most every day of the week. Is that something you really want in your life?

He pretty much stood you up when you had hired a babysitter. Then showed up drunk. Yuck.

He invited you to a work dinner. You expressed how nervous you were and he said you'd be sitting next to him. You get there and you weren't so he lied about that. Then he ignored you all night. Then he invites you to sit with him and this woman and once again he ignores you. Are you sure he isn't into this woman, client or not?

It sounds like he love bombed you to get you interested and it seems he had plenty of time for you at the start but now, his true colors are showing. Canceling plans, not much time for you.

What do you think?

This is how I read the situation too.

The way he treated you at his works dinner was appalling, especially after you'd told him how nervous you were. He should have made sure to be by your side. If he can't do that because of work stuff, he shouldn't have invited you.

peachgreen · 11/11/2022 15:04

Crikey, I'm surprised at some of the replies here. He was a bit late coming away from a work thing – not ideal, but it happens. And then he invited you to a work thing because he was so keen to see you and when he had finally finished with his work commitments and could focus on you, you stormed out? You're massively overreacting. If anything, he's trying to see you too much. Go back to seeing each other a couple of times a week when you can make proper time for each other and slow things down.

Brainks · 11/11/2022 15:40

Maybe you are just not ready for this type of dating. Perhaps someone without children would suit you better.

EvenMoreFuriousVexation · 11/11/2022 16:15

I don't like the sound of him actually. I would dial it right back and stop making myself available when it didn't suit. I'd tell him "I'm available on Friday evening, want to go out to dinner?" Fuck all this squeezing into his schedule. Meeting for dinner after 9pm on a weeknight? Hell no!

I don't like the way he treated you at the work dinner. You showed vulnerability by telling him you were anxious. He gave false reassurance and did nothing on the night to make you more comfortable.

DatingDinosaur · 11/11/2022 17:16

emptythelitterbox · 11/11/2022 13:18

A few red flags have stood out.
Sounds like he has a drinking problem.
Sounds like he's drunk most every day of the week. Is that something you really want in your life?

He pretty much stood you up when you had hired a babysitter. Then showed up drunk. Yuck.

He invited you to a work dinner. You expressed how nervous you were and he said you'd be sitting next to him. You get there and you weren't so he lied about that. Then he ignored you all night. Then he invites you to sit with him and this woman and once again he ignores you. Are you sure he isn't into this woman, client or not?

It sounds like he love bombed you to get you interested and it seems he had plenty of time for you at the start but now, his true colors are showing. Canceling plans, not much time for you.

What do you think?

I agree with this.

Were you not massively pissed off at, effectively, being stood up on the Tuesday? And with the nanny as witness to that too? Did he not see your messages before he got in touch? And WTF was all the drunk caterwauling in the street outside your flat all about? How embarrassing.

The work event on Thursday? He just rode roughshod over your feelings and downplayed your nerves just so he had a “plus one” for a work event that he spent networking at for the most part anyway. YANBU for telling him you was ready to go home and doing so. Fair enough if he wanted to stay, it was a works event and he was networking. I have no idea why you apologised to him.

Question is, why are you trying to make a go of something with somebody who is behaving in ways that are annoying you and somebody you aren't really that into anyway, by the sounds of things?

Are you that desperate to be "not single" that anybody will do?

supercali77 · 11/11/2022 17:52

Does he, with work, and you with kids, have a clear evening the 2 of you can schedule each week where it is just the 2 of you?

It sounds like he likes you a lot so he's just trying to see you wherever possible but this being shoehorned into situations where you dont know the people...thats something that's doable when you know him well enough, but when you don't i can imagine feels like dating from afar.

If it were me I'd say you really appreciate him trying to see you as much as possible but because of baby sitters etc you'd rather the 2 of you put your heads together each week and carved out one lunch/dinner/evening just the 2 of you. Get to know each other better. And then you can decide if you want to go to a work dinner or meet late outside of that

decayingmatter · 11/11/2022 18:12

I don't like the sound of him either.

He said you and him would have dinner at 9, on the babysitting evening. I can see why you sent the nanny home after sitting around for 45 minutes without even an update. That is so rude of him, and humiliating for you.

It sounds like he made no effort to engage with you or include you, at his work event. Also humiliating, I would have felt so awkward and embarrassed.

It sounds as if all of the dates are arranged at times and days that suit him, with no regard for your commitments. And he's basically saying that everything will continue to run in this way.

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