Taking the dating plunge

New York may be the dating capital of America, but it tends to pass me by as I am truly useless at flirting with random men and making eye contact is not an art I've ever mastered. Generally I just look scary and unapproachable when I'm out & about, or so I've been told one too many times for my liking, (actually I'm just shy & embarrassed), so at the weekend I signed up for an on-line dating site here in New York. I figure that at the worst I'll get good copy, at best - well, watch this space...

The drawback: I'm paranoid about being recognised. This is not a faint possibility. Through looking at male profiles I have already discovered why my mate X always seem to be going on dates ("I met this smashing bird on the subway". Yeah right. That'll be the on-line subway then), and been emailed today by a man I last saw wearing lederhosen & trying to proposition my girlfriend in a legendarily slimy manner at the Soho House Hallowe'en party. I can't work out if I am offended or relieved that he didn't recognise me.

I have my first date on Friday with a TV news journalist who seems relatively normal. He's suggested a bar with fireplaces & board games in Greenpoint (Brooklyn). Sounds promising: I like this game idea - if he's a 'mare I can just concentrate on thrashing him at Scrabble, & that should ensure I never hear from him again. (Such an optimist, me.)