They dated 5 years ago; he never called - now he wants a second chance

How did a man get to the point where he's taping printouts to parking meters? Photo / Julie Zauzmer, The Washington Post

Colin Duncan met the mystery woman - we'll call her Ceciie, because that was the only name Duncan knew her by - on the internet. Now he's pursuing her in very low-tech fashion.

No dating apps. No social media. Not even a phone call.

Duncan, a 36-year-old Washingtonian, wants to see Ceciie again. And he's telling her by tacking up fliers around her neighborhood.

"I think it's a mutual thing. I'm not barking up the tree of someone who's not interested in me," Duncan said. "It's cheesy, but she's got great energy. And she's got an amazing smile."

So how did he get to the point where he's making an anonymous Yahoo address and taping printouts to parking meters?

It started more than five years ago, when Duncan connected with this woman on a dating site and they went out. It was a good date. There seemed to be a spark. But Duncan met someone else around the same time, and that turned into a years-long relationship. He never called for a second date with Ceciie. (He thinks that was her screen name; he doesn't know if that means she's really a CiCi, a Cecile or some other name entirely. She might have said Sophie, he thinks. He sent a Facebook message to a Ceci that he thinks is her.)

Duncan may not remember her first name - do you remember the names of everyone you went on one date with five years ago? -- but he does remember the house where he dropped her off that night after their date. She lived just a few blocks away from him.

Though they were neighbors, they ran into each other only one time in the years in which he was dating the other woman.

His relationship ended. And then, about a week ago, he ran into Ceciie near where he remembers she lived years ago.

"It's really natural. She came up and gave me a hug. It was pretty cool," Duncan said. "We were both really gross and sweaty. It was a hot day. She didn't care."

Duncan remembered where Ceciie grew up, so he said something about that. They're both into nature, so they talked about that. Then he said, "I'll call you." She said she'd like that.

Only after she walked away did he realize he doesn't have her number.

"That was Monday. I felt like such a jerk on Tuesday," he said.

That's where the fliers came in.

He put up six fliers at first, then came back to put up more. So far, the only person who has emailed his anonymous Yahoo address is this reporter, who spotted the notice on the parking meter. But he remains optimistic - about finding her and about their potential.

"We could have nothing. This could be nothing. Although I don't think that's the case," he said. "It's not every day you run into somebody who's just got a really human quality. She's a genuine person. She's caring. She's a sweetheart."

Duncan, in other words, is smitten. Are you Ceciie? Do you know Ceciie? If you're as interested as he is, he's waiting for you at optimisticoutreach@yahoo.com.