”During our date, I was so shy. Usually, I’m the one speaking, and we talked for about three hours, and it was supposed to be a one-hour date. After that, we walked to the parking lot and continued to talk and I knew I was going to marry him; I knew I was going to do it.”
Beatrice, how was your dating life before you joined Together Dating?
Before joining Together Dating, I couldn’t find what I really wanted. I was dating, but I was really lonely and I needed somebody who could share the same interests. The reason I joined was to meet someone who could love me as much as I could love him.
What was your opinion of matchmakers and dating sites before you tried this service?
I looked at online dating sites and they wanted me to pay some money, but I was a little scared because I didn’t know where the money was going; I didn’t know what type of people I would meet. I went online and then I went to the Together Dating Service site, and I liked it.
How did you hear about Together Dating?
I got a flyer from Together Dating. It’s weird. Before I joined, I really didn’t know what to expect, so I put it aside; a year later when I was tired of dating people from the nightclubs and things like that, I decided to go online and see what it was all about. I liked it, and I filled out a flyer and called a counselor, and I made an appointment and I went to their office.
How did you like working with them?
I loved the counselor. His name was Richie, and he was great. I really didn’t know what to expect; I was so scared and he made me feel comfortable. I knew that there were other people like me, looking to find somebody to spend the rest of their life with. I felt really, really comfortable working with him. I really don’t spend my money like that, but because of the way he was talking to me, he made me realize that I was losing a little bit of money compared to what I would get.
How does the interview process work?
They greet you and you sit down and fill out some paperwork. You really don’t know what you’re filling out until you get into the room with them and sit down and start talking. So what you will fill out is actually a profile of who you are after which they will rate everything, I think on a scale from 0 to 10. Basically, you’re filling out the information blind, because if they tell you what you’re filling out, you will tend to fill it out differently. So if you don’t know what you’re filling out, the answers you give will be the best answers and those that really describe who you are.
So I did that. I sat down and talked to the counselor and he gave me advice. I was telling him what I like and don’t like, the person I want to meet, and how I want that person to be, and we took it from there. He told me how much it would cost and it took one to two hours because he was really listening to me. I said I wasn’t in a rush and would take my time, and he said even if it was going to take three hours, he was going to sit there and wait for me. I really liked that.
Tell me about meeting Cline. Who made the initial contact?
That was the best part. Usually, when I meet somebody, I judge him or her the first time we meet. We were supposed to meet at Cline’s, and I called him and he wasn’t home. As soon as he got home, he called me back and we went to his house, which was five minutes away from my house. We were supposed to meet at the halfway point, but he was so nice that he met me all the way to where I lived. When we met, as soon as I saw him, I knew that I was going to really like him.
Describe your first date. How did it go?
He was there an hour before I got there, because he was so nervous. We sat down and he asked me what I wanted to drink. I usually don’t drink, but I said I wanted a Margarita. And he got a drink himself, and when we sat down, and he spilled the drink because he was so nervous. And he had to clean it. So I told him not to worry about it, and we started talking and he asked me how old I was, even though he had been given my age. He told me a little bit about himself, and I did the same. He told me where he was working, and he told me about his daughter.
I felt a little uncomfortable because I didn’t want to meet somebody who had a child, but I knew about her before I met him. So I didn’t really tell how I felt; I just let it go, and we started talking, and we saw that we had a lot of things in common. I was nervous and yet so happy that I had met someone who was so nice.
During our date, I was so shy that I kept looking down, and I don’t do that. Usually, I’m the one speaking, and we talked for about three hours, and it was supposed to be a one-hour date. After that, we walked to the parking lot and continued to talk and I knew I was going to marry him; I knew I was going to do it.
What was your first impression of Cline?
He had a nice smile and I liked the way he carried himself. You can tell when somebody is really nice and gentle, and you can tell by the way the person stands and the way the person greets you and the way the person looks at you. I think that is what really attracted me.
What do your friends think about how you two met?
I told some friends that I met him through a dating site; other friends, I don’t tell them that, because I don’t want them to know what is going on in my life. The people who know are very surprised, because people don’t usually have a good experience with dating sites. And I was lucky to find somebody that I loved after only having dated three people through Together Dating.
So I think they’re happy for me. They’re happy and surprised, because they don’t see it that often. You usually don’t meet the people you want to meet; you meet other people that you don’t like. So it’s very rare, that’s what they said, to meet somebody you love when you use a dating site.
How would you describe your life together now? What do you two do for fun?
We go to the movies, we love sightseeing, and we do a lot of traveling. And that’s what I always wanted to do; we take the car and go to Williamsburg, and go around and just see things. We love to cook together and invite friends over. We go out to eat. We go to the beach and swim; we like swimming. Right now I’m taking classes too, so what I love about it is, he goes with me to school. He drives me to school and waits for me at school, and when I’m done we meet up together. I mean, you can’t find a man like that. He is very nice. And after two years, he’s the same; he hasn’t changed. I love him.
Do you talk about the future?
Oh, yes we do, and it’s funny because we were talking about the future after six months, which I don’t do. I said I want to get to know the person before we talk about the future, because I’m very nervous. And I’m a little difficult and I want things to be my way. But after six months, we started talking about the future and we said we want kids. We talked about the bank accounts we’re going to have and how many. He already has a daughter and he just bought a condo, so I decorated the condo, and I’m going to move in. Everything is already set. And he hasn’t complained that I’m too bossy or anything; everything is fine.
Do you have any advice for others searching for love via Together Dating?
I’m going to tell them not to give up. It’s really hard to find love, but the best thing about Together Dating is that when you meet somebody for the first time, they will send you that piece of paper and you tell them what you like and don’t like. I think people should be honest and tell them what you want. Do not put something that other people want you to be; put what you really want, and they will make sure they find somebody for you. And if it doesn’t work the second time, write down what you didn’t like and what you liked, and they’ll narrow the search until you find the person you want. When I started, I think I was a little intimidated, so I said I was going to date everybody that I could: White, Black, Asian. But I realized that I don’t get along with those other people. I get along with Caucasian men and that’s my type. So I wrote that down and that was the first person that I met, and that was the right person. So I think people should not be shy or intimidated. You tell them what you want and they will get it for you.
