Flying Penguins

So in my loved-up haze this morning I completely get taken in by the BBC’s hoax news item this morning about a colony of flying penguins. It’s a lesson that I really do need to be more alert; completely forgot for a while today what traffic lights are for too. Hmmm… Careful, Mike.

Anyhoo, back to work today and of course I’m totally not in the mood. Lots and lots of emails and remainders waiting for me on my return to the office: I love my work but today is not the day. But, my date’s not till 8 (though he later texted to bring it forward to 7 – joy) so there’s plenty of time to take a good long run up to the day. My arms and legs and everything are killing me, I’m ravenously hungry, and who knows what tonight may bring ;-) ? So I don’t push myself and head off for my date in good time.

Tonight’s date was with ‘N’, who is a lovely, slim, guy from the highlands of Scotland – very nerdy (exactly my type) but with eyes I could just get lost in. He was endearingly keen to meet, and has a kind of vulnerability about his looks (he texted me to let me know exactly what he was wearing, and signed off with ”please don’t run away”. For the moment that’s really cute.). He takes me to a nice pub, and we end up reclined together on a large leather sofa at the back of the upstairs bar just talking and talking about families and music and work (international wholesaler of precious stones if you don't mind). This wasn’t the rather stilted “tell me about you so you can see how good my poker face is getting” small talk, but genuine conversation; vanishingly rare in my limited experience (I’m not winning prizes either, of course). And before I knew it the hours had just flown by, and it was time to head home.

No date, though, is perfect; accidentally locking myself inside the toilets was perhaps not the most scintillatingly gorgeous thing I might have done…and of course juggling the arrangements for my two dates tomorrow at the same time was just not common sense (or strictly good manners, but moving swiftly on). But when we finally have to make our move and go our separate ways I texted him on the way home to say straight away that I wanted to see him again. He seemed to like that idea.

Tomorrow’s dates with ‘E’ and ‘A’ are still on too, but after that I may take things a bit easier. Five dates over as many days; I'll get a reputation... Further updates as events warrant, gentle reader.