I then was pleasantly surprised to get a text and then a call from the Tall South African at around 3 PM, as I hadn't spoken to him in a while. I did my best to be cheerful, funny and amusing, and actually managed to get him engaged in the conversation, which hasn't happened in a while. For once I got the impression that he was glad he'd called, as he kept chatting to me for quite a while and kept the conversation going. And to be fair, I was actually enjoying talking to him too. All things considered, he still does amuse me.
Funny though, as one of the topics that came up was how he's trying to change, to not be the guy who sleeps with all and sundry all the time. As he put it, "I'm actually doing what the Young Dutchman wishes he could do." And I had to laugh, because the Young Dutchman just the other day had moaned to me about how he'd slept with every attractive girl in his college except for the lesbian one. I just raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but note that despite sleeping with all of these girls, I'm still the only girl he calls every day. But let's not get into that psychological can of worms right now...
Of course, the Tall South African was as per usual wondering what I was up to (oh the boy who never makes plans!), because he was at loose ends. Yet after being already double-booked, there was no way I was going to be triple-booked! So just relayed my evening plans, assuring him I was already quite busy, and promised to call him later.
I finally managed to confirm with Joel that we were on for the evening, so perfectly dressed for dinner that evening, I went out to the club, wondering if this would be the occasion where Joel was on time, or if he would be late as usual.
I suppose I should have figured that it would be that he was late, and so I spent a little while just sitting by myself in the bar. So when I spotted Kerty, and older guy I know through Doro, I was pleased for the company. He got me a drink just as Joel arrived, and so then got Joel a drink as well, and we all retired up to the roof terrace. (Thank goodness at the last minute I'd decided to bring a wrap, as it was rather chilly up there!)
I suppose on some level this was a miscalculation, as now Joel and I were stuck in company with somebody else, and with not as much of an opportunity to catch up, just the two of us. Plus, perhaps I was teasing him a bit much, although some days I can't help it.
Still I learned that Joel is still dating the girl who I'm not sure he wants to be in a relationship with (he'd apparently been out with her parents last night when he'd texted me at 1 AM), and the job continues to go from strength to strength, even as it keeps him busier than ever.
I then got another surprise of familiar faces when Oxford Boy showed up! He had a friend with him, who was very handsome in a rather boyish way. He was wearing a bow-tie, which looked a bit dorky, but nonetheless I liked it. I chatted with them for a bit, and when I realised I was completely ignoring Joel (I'm such a bad hostess!), as much as I wanted to keep chatting to the Oxford Boy's cute friend, I had to leave them and return to Joel. Rather amazing Joel was still talking to me, really...
I stayed for as long as I could, but when Big Ben tolled 8 PM, I had to go downstairs for the dinner party I was due to go to. Joel seemed heavily in conversation with Kerty and the friend of Kerty's that had joined us, so I figured they could keep chatting about the Greek debt crisis for a while. (I'd forgotten that Joel had lived in Greece for so long and speaks fluent Greek...funny the hidden talents my friends have!)
When I went downstairs for dinner, I wished I hadn't left so early, as we didn't sit down for another half-hour! Oh well, how was I to know?
Still, his lack of sight didn't seem to slow him down much, and I thought it rather charming how although we had some fun with his blindness (asking him to figure out what the menu description was of what we were eating, since he obviously couldn't read it), it was really almost not noticeable at all. He was charming, sarcastic, and really hilarious, and I don't think will ever have any problems charming girls, despite the fact that he can't see them.
We had a good time bantering back-and-forth quite a bit, although at one point he just outright asked me why Joel and I don't date. Apparently I'd been talking quite a bit about Joel, and so he just made that leap which really startled me. I mean, how about for starters the fact that Joel already has a girlfriend? (Ah, but we all think this one is going to last, don't we?) Anyway, I was so startled by this, and slightly tispy at this point as well, that I then did perhaps the one thing I never should have done, and texted this to Joel. Ooops. Still, Joel drunk texts me all the time, and I do the same to him, so I'm sure it was fine...
After dinner was finished, I slipped down to the loo, and was surprised to see I had quite a few texts on my phone and a missed call from the Tall South African, imploring me to call him. I couldn't get decent reception in the club, so I grabbed my coat and went outside to the street for a bit.
I probably stood out on the street for a good half-hour, where the Tall South African updated me on the tragic news of Lotte and her fiancee. Her fiancee's father was hit by a car this past week, and unfortunately has been in a coma ever since. And so I just paced back and forth, talking to him as we fretted over how there was nothing really that we could do, but how bad we felt about it. Once again though, one of the better conversations we've had in a while, reminding me that on some level, we really do connect.
Finally though, he realised he'd dragged me out of the party for far too long, and so insisted I go back in. To be fair, I was getting chilly.
When I got back inside, I was delighted to quite by accident run into Oxford Boy and his friend again. And then got the shock of my life when it was revealed that this guy wasn't just a friend, it was Oxford Boy's brother! Now I'd already thought this guy was incredibly cute, and suddenly he had an instant character recommendation, being the brother of a guy I already like a lot and count as a good friend. Now can I just desperately hope that he might be Oxford Boy's older brother?
Because then something great happened. Oxford Boy decided he was beat and wanted to head home, but his brother then turned to me and said, "Maybe I'll stay and stick around for a bit..." Too much to hope for that perhaps I might have had some influence on that decision? Admittedly they had run into some other friends there as well, so I do wonder if it was more to hang out with them, but when we sat down, he sat with me and talked only to me for the rest of the evening.
So we stayed, sitting in the bar in front of the fireplace, chatting until well past midnight. He seemed cute and funny and charming and I HATED myself for wearing such tall heels, as although I suspect he was taller than I am in flats, of course the extra inches were making me into a giant. Didn't help that when we sat down, I still somehow ended up in a higher chair than he did.
But oh my, this boy was perfect, in that he even rode horses and was able to tell me some silly stories about riding reliable eventing horses. I mean, how amazing is that? So we chatted about that for quite a while, and I found myself swooning over how stupidly good-looking he was, while trying to keep a handle on myself and reminding myself that I was more than a bit drunk.
Suddenly he and the assembled company realised that the last Tube was about to go, so after leaving me with his business card (and he taking mine), he dashed off. I decided to stay because I thought it was too close to the deadline, and so I could spend some time actually chatting to the birthday boy.
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