Now I’m starting to freak-out a little. Ok so I set a limit for the plane tickets that I didn’t think I would be able to get under, now I have and I’m seriously thinking about going to Nelson to take this random girl our for dinner – what the heck!

I called my sister who is the flat mate of this girl. Kate’s response was “That would be so awesome and funny but it will totally intensify your friendship and might make things awkward” She had a point. I called her fiancé Chris and asked him. He said, “Get on a plane and go man. It will be a great story if nothing else”

So with that I decided I should call the lady and tell her I’m calling her bluff and I’m going to turn up.

I don’t normally get nervous but I was calling this woman. I don’t know her at ALL and I’ve got no idea how she is going to take this phone call. She answers the phone and I explain that I’m calling her bluff and I want to come to Nelson to take her out for dinner. I tell her that I have my Granny and cousins there in Nelson that I would also like to see so I have three great reasons to come over – Granny, Cousins, and her.

She laughs at the idea, tells me I’m crazy, laughs some more, and agrees to go out for dinner on Friday night if I come over. She can’t do today, Thursday, because she has a ‘daddy-date’. Note to all men – never get in the way of a girl and her Dad. It’s a bad idea for so many reasons.

We finish our short chat and I head back to the office. I’m expecting her to get off the phone, talk to her mate, and freak out. I’m thinking to myself “any moment now I’ll get a txt saying she is actually a bit freaked out and maybe I should come because she doesn’t know me well enough blah blah blah…” I would understand if she did – lets be honest her, it’s a crazy idea to fly to another city and take a girl out for dinner that I’ve never met before. But to my surprise that doesn’t happen. In fact, as I get back to the office I get a txt that says she will be finished her daddy-date by 8pm and if I was in Nelson we could do desert and wine tonight. Ohhh how happy I am. I laugh at the whole situation and jump online to book tickets.

The next few hours go like a blur. I book tickets at 4pm, go home to pack my bag at 5pm, get on the place at 6pm, land and get picked up at 7:30pm, coffee with the cusins at 8pm, then at 8:30 she comes to pick me up.

Ideally I would have wanted to pick her up but I don’t have a car, and I don’t know the city or where she is. So I’m happy for her to pick me up.

[To be continued...]

This is a story about an opportunity that I took once upon a time in my life. I’m recording it for no other reason than because it’s a good story and a moment I will remember and share with others for years to come. This is my recollection of events and I’m happy to be corrected if I have any of this wrong. So with that said, let the story begin…

I was talking to my sister on the phone one beautiful Tuesday evening, and as we chatted about what was going on this week she piped up and said

“I have two gorgeous new flat mates – you should marry one of them”

Laughing I said “Sure why not”

At the same time I heard a woman’s voice in the background say

“Kate who are you talking too?”

“My brother” said Kate

Then the woman yelled out “Dibs”

Kate laughed and told me “You’ve just been bagged. Here, talk to this girl”

So the phone is passed to the lady who ‘baggsed me’ and we chatted for a few minuets about what each other does etc. We had a good laugh and teased each other a little. At the end of the phone call the woman said

“Well I feel like I know you well enough to add you on Facebook” and so we did. When I got the chance to look through her photos, I quickly realized she was very cute – beautiful in fact.

The next day, Wednesday, I get a Facebook message from the woman that said “Where are you taking me for dinner tomorrow night”. I laughed to myself and made a quick call to a local in Nelson – where this woman was at the time – and found a highly recommended Indian restraint. I suggested I would take her there and she thought that was a great idea

“I like it, pick me up at 7:30pm” she wrote back.

I laughed, I’m sure she did as well. Ahhh the fun of flirting on Facebook but nothing was ever to come of it.

The next day, Thursday, I was having a coffee with my good friend and I told him the story of the beautiful Christian girl who had asked me to take her out to dinner. My friend looked at my with an open mouth and said

“Dude, why are you not down there taking her our for dinner???”

“No way man, I only just got introduced to this girl. I can’t turn up and take her out. That would be creepy,” I pointed out.

Dude, you’ve got a gorgeous Christian girl asking you to take her out for dinner – get on a plane today and call her bluff. If you can get cheap tickets you totally need to go. You should set a limit on how much you are willing to pay for plane tickets and if you can get under that amount, you have to go.” argued my friend.

So I set a limit of $400 for tickets. Now remember that this is trying to by tickets ON the day of the flight, to a regional New Zealand town – They are NEVER cheap at the best of times when you book way out in front, let alone on the day and less then 5 hours till the flight leaves.

So I got on my phone and checked for flights and prices – low and behold, I could get tickets for under the stated $400. My friend just laughed and said

“Looks like your going to Nelson tonight my friend”

[To be continued...]