Dating - Another Story

This is part of an email that I received from another friend. I have been waiting to here how a date with a neighbour had gone for months (even before I started this investigation!). She replied yesterday ...

• I have just realised that I hadn't responded-hope it's not too late.
  1st official date was when I was at uni and it took the guy a year to ask me out...(phone shop guy...u know ash) went to watch his band play and convinced him to come out to Gallery after...he did. There was a girl following us around all night whom I wanted to punch...who was she? An ex....anyways eventually ended up going on a date to keystones a few days later (classy i know...) went badly when the convo turned to the weather, I got a peck on the lips and he left...from then it was at his beck and call when I heard from him....turned out he had a kid with the ex from a nightclub but didn't want to tell me...needless to say we spoke no longer.
  
  My other experience of dating (because there has been only two real occasions of proper dates) was much better. It took the guy two weeks to ask me out ( I can only presume I am somewhat intimidating and unapproachable?!) and eventually did when a drunk neighbour asked me for him coz he was fed up of him waiting to ask me ...and so was I.(they are best friends and my neighbour and his wife had been trying to set us up for months which neither of us realised)
  
  He took me out to a nice restaurant. He paid for taxis there and back, a full three course meal and lots of drinks. To be honest it couldn't have gone better or smoother and I really enjoyed it. He was a gentleman and wouldn't allow me to pay! Pretty much (and I can gloat...a perfect date).
  
  From there we had a night in at his with a takeaway and drinks...again I paid for nothing and even though he only lives around the corner and 2 mins away...he insisted on walking me 
  home.
  
  We went out on other dates as well..to the Trafford Centre (god I know how to live lol!) He drove there...he has the better car...and again tried to pay for everything although finally after nearly a week he allowed me to pay for the food...after all a girls got to offer on occasions!
  It was all going well and we saw each other for 'dates' every other night for two weeks.(Again hardly paid and they were great).
  
  He was then asked by work to go to Canada for a works trial...he has been there since...this is now over 9 weeks ago and since nothing was ever official it sucks!
  
  Dating is game playing and to be honest I can't stand it! lol... will he text? do i text? how long do you wait?...blah blah!!
  You should just know where you stand and get on with it....I am dangling on a piece of string till he returns coz I don't really know if he's still interested or wants to see me when he returns!
  Ash, you may have realised I am typing this after a few drinks....hence the complete honesty and slight anger in the tone lol! My opinion and experiences of dating are slightly tinged at the mo...if he returns and we carry on then I'm sure i'll think it's great...till then who knows!! Hope this helps...sort of?! xx