Midweek Rendezvous - Part 1

I checked my watch - don't be late, don't be late, try not to be late - I was late. Luckily however, so was she. I slowed down, figuring I could take my time. She sped up, not wanting to be even later and we bumped into each other on the way to the venue.

The venue itself was quite a chic and intimate little bar underneath Tower Bridge and the event was a first date. I stopped dating for much of last year - the austerity from not working such as it was. This was my first date since last October - the date of 20 hours, more of which I'll tell you about another time ... or maybe I won't. Whilst this blog can be very personal at times, it isn’t meant to be a completely open book.

Anyway, back to this particular evening, which was with someone I had met at a party the week before - we'll call her A. That night, in a room full of women wearing short party dresses and all screaming "look at me", this vivacious girl with big beautiful dark eyes and a wide mouth smile had captured my attention. We had barely exchanged a few sentences when her friend decided to vomit a cocktail of champagne, red wine and what looked like half a mutilated spring roll onto her shoes. After much wiping of shoes and the vomiter's dress and fetching glasses of water, A said "I’m sorry but I'm going to have to take her home". I hated her friend at that point. Wasn't there any way she could just bundle her into a cab with her flat keys? Plainly not - the girl looked like a refugee from Shameless and left to her own devices she'd give Amy Winehouse a run for her money. "Call me" said A as she got into a taxi with her friend. I did and here we were.

We sat down at a little table next to a window underneath Tower Bridge. The evening was clear, the view over the river was spectacular and the candle in the bottle between us set the perfect intimate atmosphere for a date. Any pre date nerves – any fears I may have had of the conversation drying up were dispelled in an instant, the moment we started talking. She leaned on her hand as I talked and I saw that same wide mouth smile and the deep brown eyes that had caught my attention in the first place. It felt so easy and natural and we seemed to talk and banter about anything and everything – bizarrely so in fact as we talked about things you’re not supposed to on a first date, such as ex’s – she was recently out of a long relationship in the same way as I was a couple of years ago. She was adorable and funny and sweet and beautiful. Normally on a first date my guard is up and I think of a first date as a time to work out if you want to see the person again for a second date. This girl was different though and as she talked animatedly and interestingly I knew that I wanted to see her again.

We were the last two people to leave as we headed for the walk across Tower Bridge. As much as we seemed to really get on, I still wasn’t sure what she thought of me. I needed to test the water and the best way to do this I thought, would be to link my little finger with hers. Either she’d let go of my finger or she’d hold my hand. If she let go of my finger then it wouldn’t be the end of the world exactly, but if she held my hand then it would show that she liked me and was interested. I wondered and ummed and ahhed before gingerly curling the little finger on my right hand with hers on her left. Seconds later I felt her palm close around mine.

We got to the other end of the Bridge. "So.." I said. "So..." she replied, smiling as I was due to head in one direction and she in another. Her hand brushed up and down the side of my arm as I took her left lapel in my hand and pulled her close. The kiss was every bit as good and enjoyable as I hoped it would be. We ignored the tooting of cars and the "GO ON SON!" of passers by. Well I say ignored - she smiled and giggled and in my head I was doing a little dance and punching the air on stage at Wembley stadium in front of a crowd of thousands. We kissed again and after 30 mins she said "I'd better go, I've got to be up at 6am". "Me too" I said, checking the time. "Call me" she said. "I will " I replied as I smiled and as cool as I could, turned and walked in the opposite direction. I felt elated and I looked back over my shoulder as I walked and saw her looking back. I grinned and turned back the way I was walking, taking another peek back a few minutes later, only to see her again glimpsing back.

I beamed as I carried on walking. This felt like the beginning of something exciting...