May YM's Drinks

After working from home, I dashed out a bit early, to make it to the O&C for this month's Younger Members drinks. Quite a few people had responded on Facebook, and I was looking forward to seeing everyone.

When I arrived, it was only just 6 PM, but I went upstairs and was not disappointed to find the Wild Welshman upstairs on the terrace. I love how he's always around when I want to see him...

Spent some time chatting to him and another girl who was there, and before long he went downstairs to get drinks for all of us, just because he's good like that. Even as we chatted and more people arrived, he always made sure my drink was topped up, such the gentleman that he is.

More and more people kept arriving, and unfortunately I got a bit separated from him, but it's funny how I don't even need to chat to him but can sense him from elsewhere in the room. The few times I looked over at him, he caught my instantly, making me smile to know that he was keeping an eye on me too.

After a while it got really chilly up on the terrace, so we retreated down to the bar, and continued chatting there for a while. Enjoyed chatting with the Irishman and catching up on the news of old mutual friends. Although I did think to myself that I was supposed to head to drinks at the RAC as well, but the hour was growing later and later. Hence, it was a relief when the Wild Welshman stood up and declared at 10 PM that he was heading to the RAC, so I had the perfect excuse to come with him.

As we headed out the door, it happened so naturally without me even thinking about it, the Wild Welshman offered me his arm, I slipped my hand in, and we ended up chatting and walking closely together to the RAC, huddled in together against the chill of the night air. It was really rather sweet.

When we arrived at the RAC, I was enthusiastically greeted by Siobhan and the Young Dutchman, and before I knew it I was pulled away from the Wild Welshman in conversation. Oh well, I knew I was sure to find him again before too long...

So I got swept up into the swirl of conversation, continually running into friends I knew, and just circulating around the room. Every so often, as I predicted, I would find myself with the Wild Welshman again, but it was just the nature of things that I would see someone else I knew, and be dragged off again. But we always seemed to find our way back to each other throughout the evening.

If it wasn't the Wild Welshman, it was the Young Dutchman, of course. As usual, he would slip an arm around me and pull me in for a chat, as I always seemed to need to be available to validate some point in the conversation. I have to admit, I do enjoy chatting to him so much...

Finally as the hour grew late, I realised that so many boys had been buying me drinks (I seriously hadn't spent any money this entire evening), that I'd really had far too much drink. Definitely time to get some water, but they were actually closing the bar at this point. Yet I spotted the Young Dutchman drinking a glass of clear liquid, so I stuck my hand out in a questioning gesture. Being that it's the Young Dutchman, he of course immediately gave it to me, gave me a pat on the back, and walked off to talk to someone else. Yet I was quite disappointed to realise once I sipped it that it was a G&T! I suppose the Young Dutchman was a bit surprised as well when I cried out in protest, as how many people would be sad to find they'd been given a G&T!

The tonic was refreshing however, so I continued to sip it lightly while I chatted with the Wild Welshman. The Young Dutchman would come back every so often for his drink, but I like that he will just hand me his drinks without question...

At this point, the birthday boy and much of the crowd was making a move to go to Mahiki, but I already knew I'd had too much to drink, the last thing I needed to do was go to Mahiki and have more to drink. Yet I didn't want to announce that right then, so I agreed to slip out with everyone, and with Siobhan we'd decided that we would head for the night buses once we got outside. Everyone was so tipsy at this point that I doubt they'd notice us slipping away.

As per usual when leaving, it was like herding cats, and the crowd was all over the place at the exit. I did try to go say good-bye to the Wild Welshman, but he was distracted by a group trying to figure out who to put into cabs, and I couldn't catch his attention. Oh well, I'm sure to see him again later at some point. So I went and found Siobhan, and we grabbed another girl, FF, on our trek to the night buses.

As we dashed off (not noticed by the rest of the crowd heading to Mahiki), Siobhan suddenly says completely out of nowhere, "You know that guy you were talking to?" (The Wild Welshman, we confirm). "Either he's desperately in love with you or he's gay." This totally takes me by surprise, because Siobhan has never met the Wild Welshman before, and had just been observing the two of us interacting all evening. And here she says exactly what's been on my mind without any prompting at all. Which makes me glad that others can see it (the same way that she saw what was going on with the guy at the wine and opera evening), but what's up with that? Maybe IS the Wild Welshman gay? I can't really rule that out as a possibility, because otherwise, this level of reticence doesn't make sense.

And I just don't know what to think about it, because on the one hand, we get along so brilliantly, if it were an arranged thing, I can't imagine anyone being more suitable for me. He makes me laugh, he really has a very sharp intellect, and he's not bad-looking either. Except, how to deal with a guy who just won't ask you out?

How much easier is it with a boy like the Young Dutchman, who I like and he likes me, even if for other reasons it doesn't work. But it's just so much easier, you know? We talk every day, and I never worry about how he feels about me, because I know him in return. I wish I could just have that sort of easy relationship with a REAL boyfriend!

When I made it home, I texted the Young Dutchman to let him know I was home safely, as he gets quite upset with me when I don't. (I think it's rather sweet how he watches out for me, so I am quite careful to always write after how angry he got with me the one time that I didn't!). So after I sent him a text and he wrote back immediately to thank me for letting him know I was home, I thought why not write the same to the Wild Welshman? After all, although I've put a firm ban on late-night drunken texting, there's no harm in letting someone know you're home safely, right?

Except that he didn't write back immediately after I texted him, leaving me feeling like an idiot, once again. Need to just NEVER text boys after midnight!

Update: He did write back late the next day at 5 PM, saying, "Hi, don't think I was in any fit state to reply to your text last night! Hope you had fun - I did! (But then got too drunk to properly remember!) What a hangover!"

Okay, so nice to finally get a reply, and I can't blame him for the hangover, since I had one too. But still leaves me none the wiser about how he likes me... Girl he really likes that way, or just female best friend? I'm afraid I haven't a clue...