Reports

I was married to a man for 24 years – this is what happened when I went on a date with a woman for the first time

Every week, FEMAIL asks two singletons to report back after their blind date.

This week, it was Jaya and Chris’s turn to wine and dine.

Read on to find out what happened…

Jaya, 54: ‘I was nervous, this is my first ever date with a woman’

Vital statistics

Divorced with a son, 16, and a daughter, 13.

Current role

Yoga therapist working with children with special needs.

Would like to meet

A woman! Someone fun who loves life. A sense of humour is a must.

Dating past?

I was married for 24 years – we split three years ago – and before then my relationships were all with men. But I now feel I would love to spend time romantically with a woman. At this stage of life, I see the person before the body.

My children know I’m going on a date with a woman and they’re ‘cool’ with it.

Mother-of-two Jaya, 54, would love to spend time romantically with a woman

She found Chris a fascinating woman who has lived an incredible life

Pre-date nerves?

I hadn’t been on a date for 27 years, so half of me was looking forward to it and the other half was nervous. Particularly since this is my first ever date with a woman.

I knew my match was a funeral director and I imagine that can be off-putting to some people, but not me. I have worked with terminally ill children and been to far too many funerals. I suspect she knows, as I do, that life is to be cherished and lived.

First impressions?

Good – she stood up with a wide smile and we kissed one another on the cheek. She was wearing a red blouse with black jeans and had on very sparkly jewellery, telling me: ‘I like my bling.’ It showed!

Easy to talk to?

Yes, from the off I told Chris that I’m not formally gay. I wanted her to know that I wasn’t messing her around.

Chris was also married to a man previously. She’s a fascinating woman who has lived an incredible life.

Embarrassing moments?

No, none at all.

Did sparks fly?

I don’t think so, no. Chris is older than me and while, on paper, I hadn’t minded, in reality I need to date a woman closer to my age.

This doesn’t take away from Chris at all, though. She is a divine woman, and someone I felt able to divulge a lot to on a first meeting.

See her again?

Our date ended in a bit of a rush because Chris had to get her train home. Still, we shared a taxi together and exchanged numbers. I’d love to show her my favourite places in London. In fact, I’d love to do the date over again. Two-and-a-half hours wasn’t enough.

What do you think she thought of you?

She was the one to suggest we exchange numbers, but I still don’t know if she fancied me. While the sexual chemistry wasn’t there with Chris for me, I’d 100 per cent go on a date with a woman again.

Would your friends like her?

My friends would like Chris’s lust for life; she still goes out on Saturday nights to drink and dance on tables!

Jaya’s verdict: 10/10

LIKED? The whole experience; I felt like a princess.

REGRETS? Leaving early.

COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee.

Chris, 63: ‘I’ve always been gay but spent a decade married to a man’

Vital statistics

Single for two-and-a-half years, with a daughter, 37.

Current role

Funeral director.

Would like to meet

A live wire like me who’s reliable, trustworthy but vibrant and very sociable.

Dating Past?

Even though I’d dated women since I was 15, in 1985 I got married to a man at the age of 22. In the 1980s, my crushes might have been Debbie Harry and Kim Wilde but I was working in banking and couldn’t risk being out as a lesbian.

It ended in divorce a decade later. It was a marriage of convenience, which my daughter has always known about.

It was only after I got divorced in 1995 that I started to tell people I’m gay. I’ve only dated women since and was engaged to my last partner of 12 years.

Chris, 63, is a funeral director with a 37-year-old daughter

Chris sensed that Jaya might go back to men, which would be a fear for her

Pre-date nerves?

Yes, but as a funeral director you see death every day and realise you’ve got to grab each moment as though it could be your last.

First impressions?

Good, Jaya is tall and slim and was wearing a beautiful dress. I gave her a hug. From then on, we never stopped talking. We even ordered the same food: cheese soufflé followed by fish cakes.

Easy to talk to?

Yes, I’ve had a colourful life and Jaya was interested in knowing about how I have navigated the world as a gay woman. We talked about our sexuality and how she now wants a relationship with a woman. I do feel Jaya might go back to men, and, if we were in a relationship, that fear would always be in my mind.

Embarrassing moments?

Not so much embarrassing as funny. I told Jaya about my awful experiences on dating sites.

While I have nothing against women with disabilities, I was stunned to meet one woman who shuffled in using a walking frame (the zimmer was not mentioned in her profile).

Did sparks fly?

I think we got on brilliantly, but I’m not sure . . . there was a bit of flirting going on, with good eye contact and open body language. We were short on time because of my train home though.

See her again?

I think so… Jaya put together an itinerary of where she’d like to take me in London and we’ve been messaging one another, so we’ll see.

What do you think she thought of you?

Jaya liked me. But I don’t know what she’s looking for in a woman. Still, it’s early days for her out of her marriage, so I suspect she needs time to close the door on that part of her life.

Would your friends like her?

They’d like Jaya if she made me happy.