I matched with a man on a dating app. His profile sounded like he’d be a really interesting person. And he seemed to be at first! We talked about his job, that he was entering poetry and short story competitions. We talked about my job, about my interest in writing and poetry.

We talked about music, the books we were reading. Films. He was funny and fascinating and I really got my hopes up quickly about him. I even mentioned him to a friend. Before we met! As someone that I found incredibly exciting.

We brought up meeting for a coffee. I said I’d love that, I’m busy for the next three days but I’m free this weekend? I’m not sure that he answered but conversation carried on.

We’d message 2-3 times a day. It wasn’t overload. It didn’t feel like it anyway. But eventually his responses dropped down to just one message a day. And then he went a few days without responding. Eventually I wrote to him to say I’d really enjoyed our conversations so far and that it was disappointing but understandable if he wasn’t feeling the same.

He wrote back almost immediately to apologise and asked me a question on whatever message I’d sent him previously that he hadn’t read or responded to. I only half-heartedly responded to his question and then he left me on read for 6 days until I unmatched with him.

That early hope is a killer, isn’t it?