A carer, who is engaged to a man 32 years older than her, says people think they’re dad and daughter – but they have an amazing sex life.
Carer Jessica Hockings, 26, met 58-year-old Dermot Murray at work last February after he’d had a “fling” with one of her friends.
As the pair spent time together, taking late-night drives and walking Jessica’s dogs, they quickly fell for each other.
By April, they were in an official relationship – but hid it from their loved ones at first for fear of judgement.
However, the secret-keeping proved too much for Jessica who just wanted to hold Dermot’s hand in public, and she soon announced the relationship.
Jessica from Mumby, Lincolnshire, said: “I didn’t want to know [Dermot] at first. I don’t have a lot of trust in men so to me it was very daunting.
“But the lady I worked with on the evenings had a fling with him for a couple of months then as a group of three [we] became really close friends.
“Then me and Dermot went into our own little friendship world.”
She described how their relationship began to progress slowly.
“As the shifts swapped over we used to have a cuddle and as it progressed I used to stay behind when everybody left and just spend time with him.
“We’d then spend more time together when we used to go on late-night car drives,” Jessica said.
She added: “It started off like a dad/daughter relationship, it was a gradual transition from that to a romantic relationship.”
Although Jessica was initially apprehensive about the age gap, she no longer sees it as an issue and the pair have officially been together for 10 months.
In fact, the 32-year age gap means Dermot is “best friends” with Jessica’s 62-year-old mum – and the pair even watch TV together when Jessica is at work.
And their difference in age doesn’t make a difference to their sex life, which Jessica says is great.
She said: “We have a great sex life. Physically it’s very good, he’s gentle and always asks if I’m alright.”
The pair are often mistaken for dad and daughter when they’re out but brush off the judgement.
“The last time I went to hospital someone asked ‘oh is this your dad who’s brought you?’ I’m like ‘no it’s my partner’,” Jessica explained.
“It doesn’t bother us because we know that people might not understand.
“Family and friends have been very supportive, which I was surprised at.
“I think the only worry that there is is because we’re in different lifetimes – when he retires I’ll still be working.”
The pair have recently been shopping for engagement rings – although Dermot hasn’t officially popped the question yet.
Still, Jessica is expecting a proposal from her beau “soon” – and she’s even had her ring finger inked with a heart tattoo with Dermot’s initial.
“When it’s going to happen I don’t know but he’s said it’s definitely going to happen at some point,” Jessica said.
“I got the tattoo because we’ll be getting engaged at some point and he means the world to me.”
She added: “I’ve never had a relationship where I’ve been treated properly or loved like he does – it’s all new to me.
“It’s just really nice because he’s old-fashioned in the romance way and I love that.
“We used to write notes for each other, the odd gift now and then is really nice.
“Certain things he does for me now is just really sweet like he’ll run a bath for me, or make me a drink or dinner – stuff like that just means a lot to me.
“If he leaves for work early in the morning, which he sometimes does, he leaves a note for me on the bed or I leave him a note for when I’m at work.”
Jessica said she’s happier than ever with her relationship, despite the large age difference.
Jessica said: “Going out with an older man I find is so much better than [someone] my age because they have more life experience and he’s just so mature and loving.
“To anyone who thinks 32 years is too big a difference, I would say as long as they treat you well the age shouldn’t matter.”