Well I needn’t have worried; Richard did get in touch last week after our first date and we’ve been out a few times since then, in fact we’ve spent nearly every night together since friday; it’s been quite intense. I always get nervous when a relationship starts off like this, an instant tidal wave of fun, sex and euphoria that picks you up and carries you off, leaving you with no feet on the ground or control over where it takes you. Don’t get me wrong; it’s great, but I prefer to keep one foot dry when I start seeing someone.

There was one heart-stopping moment when I thought it was all going to come crashing to the shore: we were dining out and half-way through the meal Richard announced that he had something to tell me; all sorts of things flashed through my mind: he’s married; he’s actually 10 years older than he said; he was a one-time child star gone bad; you know, the usual. Turns out he doesn’t have the most conventional home, but lives in a Buddhist commune.

Now, some of my best friends are Buddhist, but I wasn’t really sure what this meant to our relationship, or how far along that road he is – it explained the shaved head and why I hadn’t been invited to stay over yet, or walk him home. I had lots of questions and he answered them, but not the unspoken ones filling my head. If he’s living with monks is he even allowed to have a boyfriend? Turns out that’s fine and he would have happily invited me back to introduce me, but wasn’t sure how I would react.

I’ve had a bit of time to get used to the idea now, not that I have any problem with his religion, just that it took me by surprise and not something I’ve encountered in a relationship before. I realise now that he was hiding a lot of his practices and philosophy from me when we first met, which is a shame that he felt the need to, although I’m not sure what I’ve unleashed!

I’ve been invited to the Centre tonight to listen to a talk and meet his fellow residents, so I’ll be a real fish out of water! But it’s fine, I think he’s worth it. And the sex? Who’d have thought that a Buddhist could be so damn dirty?! But that’s for another time, another post.