I lived in Sweden for three and a half years. I went to Swedish school and my Swedish is pretty good. It appears that if there's the opportunity to learn a new language then I'm there. Little did I expect to get a date out of it.
Work were offering free Spanish lessons as part of their life long learning initiative. A few of us in the office thought it sounded good so over we headed to the classroom for a little Spanish fun. Now we turned up late to the first class due to problems with the tube which meant that one of our friends was already there waiting for us and already pretty fluent and us having to sit at the front of the class. Our fluent friend had managed to bag a seat next to a cute guy who all my friends appeared to know. This boy was very English and Swedish looking. Think the Boy-Who-Should've-Known-Better but without the tattoos and slightly slimmer. The class was fun, I was pretty good and two hours later me, my friends and Transport Boy, oh yes he works in Transport, how apt, are all huddled under umbrellas heading for the DLR.
We all jump on the same train and I introduce myself to the Transport Boy. I'm only on the train for one stop but enough for a bit of introductory small talk.
A couple of days later my colleague is on the phone to the Transport Boy and I hear my name being mentioned. I also hear her telling him that I'm 'young, free and single' which was technically true as everything had fizzled out with the Aussie and I was only only going to get hurt if I didn't step away. Once she had put the phone down I was treated to the full conversation and how I supposedly caught the Transport Boy's eye.
A week later and its Spanish class again. Forever to always turn up late, myself and the girls arrive with the Transport Boy worried that he's going to have to endure pretty much a private lesson. We arrive, I smile at him and the lesson continues. Two hours later and we're all walking back to the DLR. The other girls hop onto a train in the other direction leaving myself and the Transport Boy to travel alone. Now I don't know whether this was planed but what definitely wasn't planed was our crazy Spanish teacher running onto the train and sitting with us! We made conversation about the Olympics and I hopped off the train at the next stop.
The next day my colleague called me over to her desk to see an email she received from the Transport Boy. Laughing to myself I read how he was hoping to ask me out for a drink but couldn't because our teacher interrupted us and then spent the rest of the journey muttering to herself and telling him her life story! Amused by this I then emailed the Transport Boy to ask how his journey back home was and as to whether he was now fluent in the language. A bit of email banter back and forth and we've arranged a date for that evening.
Rather spontaneous and impromptu, we met at Canary Wharf station and walked round to the water to a pub in the area. It was cold we had to sit inside. Now the venue for the date wasn't great, pubs in Canary Wharf aren't but you've got to work with what you've got and we found a bench at a high table. Now this was actually quite a good seating arrangement, we both could sit next to each other and not opposite like an interview, it meant that we had to sit closer to be able to talk and hear each other easily, and if the date was going well, it meant that any tactile moments could be done easily without it all seeming a little try-hard.
The date itself was good despite the location. It was very obvious to all those in the pub drinking in groups of friends and colleagues that we were on a date and I admit, at times, I did feel a little self concious. However, the conversation flowed nicely, there were some flirty smiles and a few cheeky tactile hands on the arm. It was nice and fun too, possibly because it was all a little last minute and unplanned. I would however, make the effort for a possible second date to go somewhere a little more intimate and cool, the tapas bar perhaps, and how fitting seeing as we met at Spanish class!
Three gin and tonics later and the time is past ten and very much time to make a move. The Transport Boy walked me back to the DLR. As he dropped me off we both said that we'd had a fun evening and as we said goodbye we both went in for a little kiss on the lips. Very cute.
Second date? Potentially...
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Just one more...
Now I appreciate that normally this blog is reserved for first dates only. However, I feel that this second date with the Aussie is well worth a little write up...
So the Aussie and I met up after work at a wine bar by Embankment station. Its supposedly one of the oldest drinking establishments in town and it certainly looks that way. We were sat down in the cavernous wine cellar where its all vaulted and you can’t really stand up in it (well, I could, anyone else would have to stoop). Very cosy, lots of candles, a bit gothic.
The Aussie looked really good, no joke but I walked straight past him when meeting him there as I didn’t recognise him!
We shared a bottle of wine and conversation where at around nine we left to get some food – now this is the best bit! Not really having enough time for anything fancy pants or sit down, we ended up getting dirty falafel rolls from the place next door, walking to the Embankment before finding a bench in front of the river and eating them. Proper dirty, proper messy, not particularly attractive food!
Once the dirty food had been consumed we both felt the cold. In a most chivalrous way, the Aussie put his arm around me to keep me warm. We sat out there for quite a while just chatting until he looked at me and kissed me. We had a few snogs. It was very nice.
We both took the same tube back and I hopped out at Victoria. Before I did we had a few cheeky hugs and snogs on the platform and a quick kiss on the tube before I skipped off the train up to the main station and onto my train home with a big smile on my face.
So the Aussie and I met up after work at a wine bar by Embankment station. Its supposedly one of the oldest drinking establishments in town and it certainly looks that way. We were sat down in the cavernous wine cellar where its all vaulted and you can’t really stand up in it (well, I could, anyone else would have to stoop). Very cosy, lots of candles, a bit gothic.
The Aussie looked really good, no joke but I walked straight past him when meeting him there as I didn’t recognise him!
We shared a bottle of wine and conversation where at around nine we left to get some food – now this is the best bit! Not really having enough time for anything fancy pants or sit down, we ended up getting dirty falafel rolls from the place next door, walking to the Embankment before finding a bench in front of the river and eating them. Proper dirty, proper messy, not particularly attractive food!
Once the dirty food had been consumed we both felt the cold. In a most chivalrous way, the Aussie put his arm around me to keep me warm. We sat out there for quite a while just chatting until he looked at me and kissed me. We had a few snogs. It was very nice.
We both took the same tube back and I hopped out at Victoria. Before I did we had a few cheeky hugs and snogs on the platform and a quick kiss on the tube before I skipped off the train up to the main station and onto my train home with a big smile on my face.
The Aussie (Part 2)
"Just as an afterthought, if things don't pan out as swimmingly as you hope, feel free to call for a cheer up coffee."
The words of the Aussie when I told him it wouldn't be appropriate to go on a second date as I'd started to see the Ex-husband again.
Well things didn't pan out as swimmingly as I hoped and a month later, and after a couple of cocktails with the girls, I find myself asking whether the offer of a cheer up coffee still stood. It very much did and a few days later I find myself waltzing around the Science Museum with the Aussie on our second first date.
It was decided that we'd meet at Victoria station and head over to South Kensington together. The day arrived and I turned up wearing my favourite jeans and boots along with a cool black and white striped top with turned up sleeves. I admit, I was a little nervous but was looking pretty good, hair was straight but bouncy and thanks to a period of lenting, skin was looking all fresh and lovely. I hadn't seen or spoken to the Aussie for over a month and it all felt a little like this was a blind date despite meeting previously back in April.
We headed over to the museum and all the while the conversation flowed nicely. As we headed into the museum it was clear that a Saturday was going to be a busy day for scientific learning. The museum was busy but it was fun too. It was hard not to feed off the children's enthusiasm in there and hey, who doesn't like Launchpad?
We spent a good couple of hours in the museum where there were a few flirtatious smiles and fun conversation. I was glad I'd contacted him again.
After the museum we sat and had a coffee al fresco in South Ken. We proceeded to chat away about our families and home life, when we both moved to/back to the UK, what we liked about London and other possible future dates. I felt really comfortable with him and was definitely up for another date.
Our afternoon had to come to an end as I had dinner plans with family so after our coffee, the Aussie dropped me back off at Victoria. Now, on our first date we left it with a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye. I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, essentially this was a first date again but that doesn't mean that one can't enjoy a good snog. However, it did feel slightly more reserved than previous dates with previous boys and as it came to that point, we kissed on the cheek and hugged goodbye. Now don't think I'm disappointed, it was really nice and it meant that the snog we did have whilst shivering infront of the river two days later was all the more special...
The words of the Aussie when I told him it wouldn't be appropriate to go on a second date as I'd started to see the Ex-husband again.
Well things didn't pan out as swimmingly as I hoped and a month later, and after a couple of cocktails with the girls, I find myself asking whether the offer of a cheer up coffee still stood. It very much did and a few days later I find myself waltzing around the Science Museum with the Aussie on our second first date.
It was decided that we'd meet at Victoria station and head over to South Kensington together. The day arrived and I turned up wearing my favourite jeans and boots along with a cool black and white striped top with turned up sleeves. I admit, I was a little nervous but was looking pretty good, hair was straight but bouncy and thanks to a period of lenting, skin was looking all fresh and lovely. I hadn't seen or spoken to the Aussie for over a month and it all felt a little like this was a blind date despite meeting previously back in April.
We headed over to the museum and all the while the conversation flowed nicely. As we headed into the museum it was clear that a Saturday was going to be a busy day for scientific learning. The museum was busy but it was fun too. It was hard not to feed off the children's enthusiasm in there and hey, who doesn't like Launchpad?
We spent a good couple of hours in the museum where there were a few flirtatious smiles and fun conversation. I was glad I'd contacted him again.
After the museum we sat and had a coffee al fresco in South Ken. We proceeded to chat away about our families and home life, when we both moved to/back to the UK, what we liked about London and other possible future dates. I felt really comfortable with him and was definitely up for another date.
Our afternoon had to come to an end as I had dinner plans with family so after our coffee, the Aussie dropped me back off at Victoria. Now, on our first date we left it with a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye. I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, essentially this was a first date again but that doesn't mean that one can't enjoy a good snog. However, it did feel slightly more reserved than previous dates with previous boys and as it came to that point, we kissed on the cheek and hugged goodbye. Now don't think I'm disappointed, it was really nice and it meant that the snog we did have whilst shivering infront of the river two days later was all the more special...
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