I spent a full day out in South Kensington with my parents today, first going to a farmer's market (just a few stands, nothing really impressive), then doing the Victoria & Albert Museum (looked at a display on fashion), and then on up through Imperial College, around the Royal Albert Hall, and through Hyde Park. They were having a triathlon at Hyde Park, which was actually fascinating to watch. Had a lunch at a Lebanese place which was really good, and then raced home to change for a birthday party I was going to in the evening.
As I was changing to get ready, I got a call from my friend Joel (the chap I met up with at my club last week), who I was supposed to meet for drinks before the party. I'd rather been wondering how to fit it all in, to go for drinks with Joel, then to the birthday party, and then onto dinner afterwards, so I was feeling guiltily relieved when Joel called to say he'd pulled his back out while at the gym that afternoon, and couldn't meet me for drinks. Although I love and adore Joel almost more than any other man I know, it was just too much to fit into one day, so after teasing him about this obvious sign of his old age, I hung up the phone with relief that I now had only two events to go to!
So I made my way to the party, where I immediately became involved in talking to various people I remembered meeting at other points in time. Spoke to a lovely chap whose engagement party I'd been to, and discovered that we were both members of the same club. So he convinced me to come to the Winter Masquerade ball happening at the end of November, assured me that he'd make sure I was at a cool table with him and his wife and other interesting people, and basically made me more excited about being a part of the club (as though I hadn't enjoyed it enough already!)
Then one of my best friends in the world showed up, my darling Nikola. I can't quite explain how I ended up being best friends with a guy and never dating him, but there's something about Nikola where I can practically read his mind, but somehow the "spark" was never there. Luckily for the both of us, his girlfriend found the "spark" with him that I didn't, and she's even super-understanding about how her boyfriend's best friend is a girl.
So anyway, as soon as he arrived, we fell into conversation, catching up and talking about all that was new with the both of us. We talked for ages with just the two of us, until we decided that it was a bit anti-social to not mingle with the cocktail party crowds, and so invited a few other people into our conversation. Talked to a 41-year old guy who went on a bit too much about his experiences dating models (the fact that he was hanging out with a crowd of late 20-somethings and talked so much about models made me think he was just like the guy from the Sex and the City episode about "modelizers".
Eventually near 10 PM, the birthday girl tried to round us all up to head out to dinner, but as the crowds shifted I ran into the guy I'd been hoping to meet that evening. You see, at this same girl's birthday party the year before, I'd been sitting next to a very nice chap at dinner, gave him my card, and he even wrote to me on Monday saying what a delight it was to meet me, but somehow things never progressed beyond that.
Then, just a few days ago out of nowhere, he Facebook-friended me. So I accepted and wrote him a short note, and a little bit of banter ensued with promises to see each other at this girl's birthday party. I was pleased to discover upon running into him again that he was just as handsome as I remembered, and he seemed absolutely delighted to see me. (Probably didn't hurt that I was wearing a very low-cut top and a push-up bra). He made me promise to save him a seat next to me at dinner, since I'd been unable to catch up with him over drinks, although I urged him to hurry along as we all headed out to dinner.
Alas, as we sat down, the boy seemed to be taking forever, until I finally couldn't justify holding the seat. Yet I was sitting next to Nikola, who is the most awesome guy friend ever, and urged me after we'd all had our wineglasses filled, to leave him and go over and chat to Last Year's Chap.
Okay, so I realise it's TOTALLY obvious when you'll get up and go talk to a boy before the orders have even been taken, but Last Year's Chap seemed totally delighted with my company, and I guess sometimes there's no real harm in letting a boy know you like him. As well, something had happened to him in the past year, in that he just seemed so much more confident and at ease than I last remembered, and the banter between us flowed easily.
I returned to the main table for orders and dinner, but then went back to talking to Last Year's Chap as we finished off our wine. By the end of the evening, he was totally determined that we should meet up for drinks soon, and even wrote me a Facebook message as soon as he got home to the same effect. After all of these boys who seem so shy and unable to indicate their interest, it's such a relief to have a boy who is just thrilled with you and keeps telling me how much he wants to see me again! (And doesn't hurt that I think he's rather cute and smart too. I have a few reservations about some of his friends, but I suppose that will all be revealed in time, getting to know him).
Although the whole thing makes me think back to an earlier part in the evening, when Nikola and I were having a random conversation with the modelizer about dating more than one person at once. And I have to say, I really genuinely like both the Texan and Last Year's Chap. So which one? Yet, as things are so early on at the moment, what's the harm in just pursuing both leads for a while? After all, the Texan has yet to formally step up to the plate and ask me out, so I don't want to count my chickens before the hatch there. Last Year's Chap, at least, seems quite eager to get to know me better, and has made that much absolutely clear to me.
Finally though, let's hear it for meeting some nice boys!
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