#7 - The Businessman

This 55 year old gentleman contacted me on the internet dating site, looking for a relationship. His pictures revealed a tall, attractive, Irish man with a good disposition. Almost immediately, he gave me his phone number and I called him. Our first telephone conversation revealed that he was confident, successful and had two adult children attending university, one in Engineering, the other in Medicine. He told me that he had lived in Aurora for decades with his family (his wife was a beautiful blonde, whom he had totally taken care of). He had travelled extensively and had worked globally to revamp companies that needed a new image. He was good at what he did and had made a lot of money. We decided to meet on Friday evening for a drink at the Cachet Restaurant in Newmarket. We spoke the Thursday before our date and he presented a totally different view. He said that he had provided his wife with everything. She had a beautiful home, a housekeeper and weekend trips to Paris. Two years ago, while working in Europe he discovered that she was having an affair. He left his job, hastily returning home in an attempt to save his marriage. Almost immediately his health failed; he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his thyroid. The gentleman underwent radiation and chemotherapy which led to a stroke and eventual hospitalization. He spent months relearning how to speak, walk and take care of himself. The day he returned home, after a lengthy rehabilitation period, his wife left him. They divided their assets (he put his share into a trust fund for his children) and he moved into a friends home, housesitting, while they were away in Southeast Asia. He admitted that he was seeking a woman to move in with. He had shared a very sad story, none of which had been written in his profile. I wanted to cancel our meeting but felt obligated to see it through. At 7 pm on Friday evening I arrived at the restaurant wearing black jeans, a navy Joseph Ribkoff top, black boots, red lipstick and Carolee matching jewelry. I found him sitting at the bar, barely recognizeable. He appeared frail; his skin tone was visibly discoloured and he looked over a decade older than his photos. His demeanor was very negative. He ordered me a decaf coffee, but was very irrate about life in general, calling it a night before I finished my drink. Lesson Learned - Men on internet dating sites often misrepresent themselves with their photos, employment and health status. Life Lesson for the Gentleman - What about writing some truth in your profile? It is unreasonable to seek a lady to move in with in the final stages of your life when you gave everything you had to offer to your ex-wife!