Quick note about my shopping encounter . . .

Had an interesting coffee break yesterday afternoon . . .

Several weeks ago J and I were invited to one of our friends husbands 50th (the evening of J treating me to some new outfits at Brent Cross actually). We knew most of the other couples at the party, but were introduced for the first time to their neighbour. He was very nice and of a similar age to us and J and I spent quite a while, in the course of several conversations that evening, chatting to him about children and universities etc. as he had a daughter the same age as our son, who was also away at her first year of uni. He’d recently lost his wife after several years of illness and so we talked a lot about that and then about family holidays we had all had in similar resorts in Spain. He was very charming and very easy to talk to . . . and as I remarked afterwards to J “quite dishy”.

Last weekend as I was loading my shopping into the car in the Waitrose car park I heard a “hello, I didn’t know you shopped here?” I turned to find him standing by his car several spaces away. We chatted for a few minutes and he asked if I’d like to join him for a coffee in the coffee shop. I explained I had freezer things I’d just bought and so had to get them home. We said our goodbyes and I didn’t think anything further of it . . . I didn’t even mention it to J when he got home that evening (he’s been working for the last three weekends in a row).

And I didn’t even think of it when I pulled into Waitrose again yesterday afternoon. But as I stepped out of my car I saw him approaching from the next section . . . smiling and saying hello. I was rather taken aback, and he could obviously tell the thoughts running through my mind. “No you’re right, it’s not a coincidence” he said. “I just took a chance you might shop around the same time and hoped I could talk you into joining me for that coffee”. I pointed out that it actually wasn’t exactly the same time that I’d shopped last week . . . and that, anyway, I hadn’t planned on such a big shop this weekend and was going to have to do a dinner for J when he got in from work, so I didn’t really have time. His blushes, and apologies, and good humoured acceptance of my refusal immediately made me feel guilty though . . . so I quickly changed my mind and said “yes, ok then, just a quick one would be nice”.

We chatted for 30 minutes or so . . . and I found myself completely at ease with him and instantly likeable. I was constantly bringing J’s name into our conversation though, so much so that afterwards I had those twinges of embarrassment and thinking to myself “why did I say that” and “I shouldn’t have kept mentioning him so often”. We finished our coffees and he said “I’ll let you do your shop, otherwise your husband will be complaining that his dinner is late”. I felt like a giggly teenager again actually as we said our goodbyes and he said “might see you again next week then”.

J couldn’t stop talking about it as soon as I told him when he got in from work. “Obviously he fancies you!” he kept saying. “I could tell that at the party, just the way he was looking at you”. I told J that he always says that about other men looking at me and, on that occasion anyway, I hadn’t noticed it. But I have to admit that it did get me going . . . he is very, very dishy . . . and J and I had wonderfully passionate “cuddles” last night. And again this morning when we woke up !!!

As he was going out the door this morning he left me with “I can’t believe you didn’t ask him for his number, why don’t you ask (our friend) for it?” I swore at him . . . “I can’t do that !!! You’ll just have to be thankful for what you’ve just had !!!”

But . . . now I am sitting here thinking whether we need anything else from Waitrose tonight . . . !!!!