So, How Did It Go? - A weekly series where people share their worst and best date stories

My garbled chatter instantly ceased.

The incident made me feel truly sad, and put me off meeting guys in the future. 

I clocked the waitress recoil with second-hand embarrassment. 

I was as shocked as I was when I learned Pinocchio had a penchant for wearing ladies' underwear.

He called me a ‘shallow model with tacky tattoos’, before comparing me to a sex worker.

Jake’s unbridled excitement and lack of self-consciousness drew me in.

'What do you mean you're coming to see a man you've never met?' a border control officer said.

Still, all these years on, I’m mortified to think about it.

Nathan took out his phone, and typed a few words into it. Then a few more – then some more.

Surely, a 24-year-old wasn’t ready to settle down?

My garbled chatter instantly ceased.

What was the harm in having a conversation if I never expected it to lead to anything more?

I had a decision to make – so I pulled the stranger toward me and kissed him.

I couldn’t help but look at him occasionally as he read the newspaper.

As the needle hovered above my arm, I couldn’t stop the thoughts pinging around my head. 

There are still some gay men who openly degrade those of us who are femme and use our uniqueness as the butt of their jokes.

Poppy gave me a sense of calm and grounding that I’d been looking for for a long time.

I turned around and George was looking down at himself and back at me in confusion and disgust.