Posted on 2022.05.16
There is a reason I have a Companion and not a wife.
I was married. I had a lovely wife, three kids, a house, and a demanding job to pay for it all. Fifteen years in, I woke up one day completely dissatisfied with my life. I wasn’t unhappy, I was just not satisfied. I tried explaining this to my wife and she got really upset with me, jumping immediately to talks of divorce. I’m not sure if she was looking for a reason to get out, or if she was as unsatisfied as I was, but me asking about it was all it took to set the divorce in motion.
The kids were understandably upset, but they’ve gotten used to us being apart and they really enjoy the two birthdays, holidays, etc.
Once I found myself a single man for the first time in 20 years, I tried dating and realized that casual dating wasn’t for me. Not with my busy life. Also, the women I was meeting wanted to eventually get married and I wasn’t ready for that. After one girlfriend angrily stormed out of my condo after I said that I wasn’t ready to get married any time soon, I realized that I needed to step back and reevaluate. The world of casual hookups also seemed foreign to me and swiping back and forth felt oddly transactional. I never knew what to say on those apps and sometimes felt like I was talking to the person picking out my groceries.
I was out one night talking with some old friends who were also all divorced and one of them brought up Cupid’s. We were all a little shocked and definitely a lot curious. He explained that he also experienced the ups and downs of dating and swiping and frankly, he was too old for that. Clear expectation and clear communication meant that both parties entered and exited the arrangement satisfied. To a table full of CPAs, Doctors and Brokers, this sounded like a dream come true. No one at the table declared that they were going to book time with a Companion, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who went to the website later that night.
Choosing a Companion was not unlike a dating site, except, I knew what I was in for. If she said she was 36-26-36, then she was REALLY 36-26-36 because stretching the truth wouldn’t be in her best interests.
To be honest, I clicked on “View All Ladies” and felt a little intimidated. The women are stunning and it was hard for me to believe that these women were all available to date. I quickly got over that when I realized that they were there for the same reason I was there. Once I realized that, it took a bit of the pressure off. Now, my only dilemma was who to choose. I noticed that a few of them had Twitter accounts and I set up an account to follow them. That sounds a little creepy. I didn’t HAVE a Twitter account, so I needed to set one up. I followed a few of the ladies (and some famous people to balance it out) and quickly found myself having a few favourites. I liked their sense of humour, their interests, and their selfies. No faces, but enough to make me want to see more.
I decided to play it like the lottery: each week, I would click on “Ladies Available Now” to narrow my options and to see if any of my Twitter favourites were available. This was harder than I thought, but finally after a few weeks, one of my faves was available. I called to be screened and booked our date for later that night.
We met at a restaurant I had always wanted to try and was not one of the usual spots my friends (or exes) tended to go to. When she walked in, I could see a few heads turn to follow; like I said, there are no “you look different from your photos” moments with a Companion.
I stood up to greet her and was immediately taken with her presence. If she felt nervous in any way it didn’t show. Seeing her so relaxed made me feel more comfortable and again, I felt the pressure lift. It was her first time at this restaurant so we were both starting out on equal footing there.
The meal was okay, but the company? Far exceeded my expectations. Twitter had given me a hint of what she was like, but I was completely blown away by her. Sweet, kind, funny, and so charming, the waiter comped our dessert all because she had trouble deciding which one, so he brought both. The way people reacted to her all night was a little like what I imagined it would be like dating an actress (I could even imagine one or two playing her in a movie), but she didn’t seem to notice anyone but me. Before dinner was over we even had a few inside jokes and by the end of our date I felt like we were old friends; which I consider a bonus. Later that weekend I made a reference to our little joke and she retweeted it with a wink. I have spent time with other wonderful Cupids, but when I want quality time, I always look for her. I’m surprised by her, but not in a bad way. I feel no pressure to check in or call because I don’t have to. The money I spend is about the same amount I was spending before. I never have to worry about the “what are we?” conversation because we both know exactly who we are and what this is.
Will I ever be involved with a woman in a traditional relationship again? I’ve thought about it for sure. Most recently at the (second) wedding of one of those friends of mine. As we sat through the maid of honour’s speech, my Companion leaned in to whisper a joke in my ear and I thought to myself while I did my best to stifle my laughter, “one day. But not today. I’m having too much fun.”
Photo by Pexels
