Lansdowne Moveable Feast

After Cookie had been talking about how she needed to meet new men while she waited for her current boyfriend to figure out the dissolution of his current marriage, I offered to bring her along to the Lansdowne Moveable Feast happening this evening.  Plus, such events are always fun.

When I arrived, during the wine reception I randomly found myself talking to a guy named Adam who worked in commodities.  He was cute enough, and had just turned 30.  He almost seemed to have potential, except that he was a bit hyper about using the club for networking.

The Young Dutchman arrived, and as usual he brought a smile to my face, although he was in quite a funny mood.  He obviously took an immediate dislike to the commodities guy, and so started talking absolute sh*t to him, but in a way that made the commodities guy think he was genuinely engaging him.  Hard to explain, but in short, the Young Dutchman was obviously telling wild lies, just to see how far he could take it, and how much he could get this guy to buy it.  Kind of like guys hitting on a dumb blonde in a bar, trying to tell her that he's an underwater firefighter, and seeing if he can get her to believe it.

I wasn't quite sure why he was in such a funny mood, but I'm hardly one to spoil his fun, so I didn't blow his cover.  Not quite sure why he so thoroughly disliked this guy however...

Soon enough dinner was due to begin, and I found myself with a blank spot next to me, as my friend Will, who I'd gotten a ticket for at his request, was late.  I nearly had the serving staff clearing away his plate, but I was able to show them a text that assured them he was arriving at any minute, and he managed to arrive just as the first course was being served.

I spent most of the first course talking to him, and only a little bit to the guy on my other side.  As the rotation worked out, I turned out to have a blank spot next to me on one side, as the guy who was supposed to sit there had failed to show up.  I swear, of all my pet peeves in life, that is one of my biggest.  (Hence why the guy from Google the Young Dutchman had me bring to the RAC ball made such a hideously bad impression).  I swear, I want to reserve a special spot in hell for people who just fail to show up at seated dinners without cancelling like that.

I only had one guy to talk to as a result, who I only got his attention for half the time anyway.  Turns out that he designs video games, and was rather nice, but utterly dull.  I wasn't too sad to see him move on at the next rotation.

On the final rotation, I couldn't believe it when I ended up with a blank spot next to me again!  Argh!!  Seriously, I took note of the name of the chap who was supposed to be there, as I think I shall have words with him should he ever be so unlucky as to encounter me.  Seriously, it's just the height of rudeness!

The one guy that I was then left with on my other side was sweet and nice enough, but really hideously dull.  I figured I might at least be able to drink enough to make him more interesting, but the serving staff couldn't seem to trouble themselves to come over to our side of the table, so my glass remained empty and my throat parched.

God bless the Young Dutchman, who I think must have picked up on my distress due to his magical ability to read my mind.  Although dinner was now finished, nobody had yet gotten up from the table.  That didn't bother the Young Dutchman however, who became the first one to get up from the table, came over to me and asked, "Shall we?"  He must have been as bored as I was!  He didn't need to ask twice, and I happily escaped with him.

To my surprise, the dull guy I'd been sitting with at the last course came with us to the bar, and even bought me a drink at the bar.  Cookie came over to join us with the guy she'd been chatting to, who turned out to be a friend of the nice-but-dull guy.  Given that the nice-but-dull guy had bought me a drink, I stayed chatting with them for as long as I could stand it, but finally I'd had enough.  I was just too bored to tolerate any more.

Using the guise that I was excusing myself to go get my jacket (it was a slightly chilly evening), I went and got my extra layer, and then went outside where I had spotted the Young Dutchman smoking with a young filmmaker he'd introduced me to earlier.  Although I shot him a quick disapproving glance for the cigarette, I was too desperate for his more interesting company to risk really taking him to task for it.

We stayed outside chatting for a while, until it really got too cold to be outside and we figured that we'd been anti-social for long enough.  We went back into the bar, and got to chatting with Cookie, Will, and a few others.  Will bought me another drink, and then I got a bottle for Cookie, the Young Dutchman and myself.  I have to admit, at this point I was pleasantly tipsy, and just enjoying chatting to the Young Dutchman, who had me laughing as he showed me photos on his phone from his trip to the Isle of Wight with Kellogg Boy and Canadian Balliol Guy.  Although I was sad I'd missed them, I understand that sometimes those "Three Musketeers" just need their boy time.

Although I can't remember how we got onto the topic, the Young Dutchman then started talking about the Tall South African, except horribly mispronouncing his name.  Which made me realise that in all of the time the Young Dutchman has known the Tall South African, he has never even bothered to properly learn his name, he regards him so little.  Given how the Tall South African regards the Young Dutchman with a bit of hero worship, I'll bet he'd be horrified to know the sentiment is not returned.  Ah well, he'll never hear it from me, at least...

Finally, getting a bit tipsy towards the end of the evening, I figured it was time to go before I missed the last train home.  It seemed easiest to walk towards Bond Street, passing the Young Dutchman's house, so he gave me his arm and walked me along home with him.  We parted at the corner of his street with a hug and a kiss, and then continuing to shout the rest of our conversation at each other as we walked off in opposite directions.  The rest of the company might have been dull this evening, but there's one boy who is so interesting it's hard to end conversations with him!