I got home and felt pleasantly content. My flat wasn't its usual mess and the world around me seemed to be picking up quite well.

I sat down with a cup of tea and opened the jobs section of the paper. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just something. Something that could bring in the pennies. My savings account was drying up and I needed to start making money for rent.

I found a few interesting positions - admin clerk for a travel group, receptionist at the local hospital and data input clerk for the amateur swimming association. All rubbish, all dead end but all offering to pay quite well. I circled the prospective jobs and sat back to take a minute. Could I really see myself in any of those jobs? Truth is, of course not. But, would I have to bite the bullet and try one of them out? Truth is, most probably.

I got up and moved over to my sofa, lit a cigarette (I'm still trying to quit...unsuccessfully) and switched on the TV. Jasper came bounding onto my lap as soon as I got comfortable, making me jump and spilling my tea all over my legs.

"JASPER! You bloody cat." I yelled, as the burning sensation started to kick in.

I got up and moved into the kitchen to wipe myself down, when I got a phone call. My brain quickly processed the age old question "Who could that be?". Who are all the people in the world that would want to call me? Zoe, Sarah or Will? Possibly. Nick? God, I hope not. Robin? That would be nice, but I only saw him an hour ago, and I never gave him my number. If it did turn out to be him, that would be slightly creepy - even though that's how Nick got in touch with me, but let's forget about that for now! Could it be my Mum? Do I have another lecture about how I'm wasting my life in London in store?

After the fifth ring, I answered. Well, at least one of my guesses was right. It was Zoe.

"Hi Annie. I'm just ringing to let you know that the police have tracked down Wills attacker. They just notified us, and I thought you would want to know too."

"They got him? You're kidding?"

"No. Not at all. They were following a suspect for 48 hours, and then last night, apparently, they caught just before he attacked someone else. He was in a different park this time, waiting for someone to walk by. Of course, the only person that did was an undercover police man, and when the attacker jumped out of what ever bush he had concealed himself in, hoards of policemen appeared out of nowhere and pinned him to the ground. Will has been asked to make an identification. He's a bit worried, because he hardly saw the guys face, but he reckons he could try. He's going down to the police station in about an hour, and Annie, he's asked if you would go with him."

"Really? Why me? I mean, of course I will, but why not you or Sarah?"

"I don't know. He just said that he wanted to you go with him because he feels like you're the only one that won't judge him. I took a little bit of offence to that, but it's what Will wants."

"Well, if that's the case, why didn't Will call me himself?" I asked, starting to feel a little under pressure.

"He was going to, but he's been on the phone all day to the police and to his mum, and he's exhausted. He's just having a power nap now before he goes to the station."

"Ah right. Okay. We'll, do want me to pop round to your house then? We can go from there?"

"Yes, that sounds fine."

"I'll see you in about fifteen minutes."

With that I hung up the receiver. I couldn't quite believe that the attacker had been caught. Thank god. Will might actually start acting normal again now.

I thought back to the way he was to me in the park earlier on today. There certainly a vibe that didn't feel right between us. He was quiet in general, and didn't say much to any of us, but he seemed especially strange towards me. I figured that he has had alot on his mind recently.

I quickly got showered and changed and headed out of the door. Stepping onto a bright, sunny London street really makes you feel good about yourself. Most probably because the sun rarely shines this time of year in London.

But, as it was such a nice day, I decided to walk to Zoe's house. It wasn't all that far really, and besides, it had been a while since I had been for a walk. It seems like these days all I sit in is a bus or a taxi or a train.

I arrived at Zoe's house and knocked on her door. Will had been staying here since he left hospital. The main reason for this was because Zoe's house was literally round the corner from the hospital, and if anything was to go wrong during Nick's healing process, he could be quickly transported there without any fuss.

Zoe answered.

"Hello Annie. Will is in the living room. He's all ready to go, so there's not much point in you coming in." She called Will and he appeared at the door, looking slightly forlorn, but for the first time, not exhausted.

"Hi Annie. Thanks for coming with me. I needed someone to...be with me, ya know?" explained Will.

"Of course. No worries. Lets call a cab and get down there shall we?"

"Well, it's a nice day. I was going to suggest that we walked down? I could do with the exercise and, in all honesty, it's been a while since I have gone walking anywhere." He presented a good case.

"Okay, fine. We'll walk. It's not too far."

"Great." Will turned to Zoe, "I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course. Don't rush back though. Make sure you get this bastard."

"Of course I will."

Will and I walked through town to the police station. It had been a very long time since we had done anything together, and I missed him. It was so nice just to hang out again, and better still, we didn't discuss the attack. We talked about all sorts of things - just like we used to. I told him about Nick and brought him up to date on Robin. He was interested and happy for me. I asked him what was wrong in the park, and he just said he was tired and in pain. His stab wound still hurt. It was difficult for him to walk, but he still managed to do it.

Eventually, we got to the police station. It was incredible how soon it was all over. We walked in and the desk sergeant ushered us into a large booth with a window. A DI walked in and introduced himself, saying that he was grateful for this and that Will was a very brave man for doing what he was doing.

"There's only one problem." started Will. "During my attack, I never really saw the mans face. I got glimpses of it underneath his hood, but nothing totally clear."

"That's fine. Don't worry about that. We are 95% sure that we have the man. All we need is for you to take a look and just tell us if anything comes back to you. Anything at all."

They brought the man out and stood him in front of the window. Will and I looked at him straight in the eyes. The DI told us that he wouldn't be able to see us. Thank god...this man was scary.

I looked round at Will and saw a blank expression on his face. Then, I noticed a little bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face. He moved up closer to the glass, almost pressing completely against it, and looked at the man for what seemed like an eternity.

Will stepped back looking frightened. He turned to the DI.

"I am pretty sure that's him. The build looks similar. I can't be sure though."

"I understand. It was worth a shot though." the DI replied in his broad Scottish accent.

"Hold on a minute." Will interrupted. "Does this room have microphones in it?"

"Yes, there's one built into to every observation booth."

"Sir, do you think you could get him to say one phrase down the microphone to me?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Listen, when I was attacked I didn't really see a face, but I certainly heard alot of words and speaking. I remember the tone and style of his voice as clear as I can hear yours right now. I am sure if you get him to say something, I will know if he is he right man." Will explained. It sounded like a good idea to me.

"Very well. I'll get it sorted now." the DI said as he left the room. He was gone for all of 1 minute before returning to us. "Right, the microphone has been turned on. What I need from you now is what you want him to say. Maybe there is a phrase that you can remember from your attack that would trigger some kind of recognition?"

"Ask him to say 'You shouldn't have done that'." Will said.

"Okay. Done." said the DI as he wrote the phrase down on paper and took it outside.

About a second later, an officer entered the booth with the suspect in and handed him the paper, giving him clear instructions to read the phrase out loud when he was told to do so. I could hear what was going on because the DI turned the internal speakers up on our side of the window.

The suspect said the phrase.

I looked at Will.

His skin turned slightly pale.

He looked down towards the floor, then at me, then at the DI.

.....

"That's him." said Will, after a long pause.

I went over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He had done so well. He was so brave and I was so impressed.

Before too long, we were out of that station and walking back home. The sun had started to go down slightly and the traffic was getting worse and worse, obviously reaching rush hour.

On the way home, we stopped off at a bar and had a stiff drink each. It had been quite a day.

"Thank you for coming with me again, Annie. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Hey, Will, that's fine. What else are friends for?"

"I know, but I just wanted to thank you. You've been a really great friend throughout the time that we have known each other, and I have always known that I could trust you. Today you solidified that even more."

"Well, you know that I am always here for you, Will."

"Thank you. You have no idea how good it feels to finally have this weight lifted. I was so sure that was him. Positive. And now he's been caught, I can start trying to get back on with my life. I can maybe even think about moving back into my flat...or better yet, get a new flat. Start a fresh." said Will, as he planned out the next big steps of his recovery.

"It all sounds great to me. But I think we should be heading back now. I need an early night, and I think Zoe might be wondering where we are."

"Yeah, alright. But, can we arrange to meet again soon? Just the 2 of us? Sometimes, I get sick of Sarah and Zoe. They just wind me up sometimes. But, when we are hanging out, it's all good."

"Of course we can. I will call you tomorrow."

"Great, we can arrange something then." said Will.

At this stage, it was dark outside, and unsafe to walk home. I called a taxi and it picked us up. It first took us to Zoe's house and then on to my flat.

It was probably the longest day I have had in a while, and as I climbed the stairway to my front door, I certainly felt the strain take its toll. My legs started to feel like lead. I just couldn't wait for my bed.

By the time I reached my front door, I noticed that something was different. Then I realised that the bouquet of roses lying on the floor probably had something to do with that! Someone had left me the most dazzling and wonderful looking flowers I had ever seen. They were just sitting there, outside my front door, waiting for me to collect them and let them into my life.

I picked them up happily - I adore red roses - and read the card that came with them.

"I'm sorry. Let's talk soon. N x"

Nick.

My heart started beating and I felt myself getting all excited. Nick had been here and left me roses. He wanted to talk to me again.

At the point I heard my phone ringing from the other side of my door. That had to be him! Talk about timing!

I grabbed my handbag and fumbled for my keys. I couldn't find them anywhere. I could hear my phone going crazy on yards away from me. Damn this door...whoever invented doors?

Finally, I found them, buried underneath my purse. I quickly opened the door, placed the roses on the kitchen side, and literally dived on the phone, grabbing it at the last second and trying desperately to say "hello" between breaths...

The best thing about meeting someone new for the first time is, without a doubt, the fact that you can just completely be yourself with them. You don't have to worry about them knowing all the little sordid details about your history - who you've slept with, who you haven't slept with, who you've insulted, who you've assaulted, how you made a drunken idiot out of yourself at your bosses birthday party and how you casually winded up unemployed.

Robin was a really sweet guy, but more importantly, he was really really funny. Hilarious actually. The way he spoke to me, the way he mocked others around him and even the stories and anecdotes he told me - he said them in such a way that made crack up every time. I always liked funny men. It's almost been important to me, but recently, looks and general gorgeousness had taken priority. Normally, I wouldn't have looked twice at Robin - he's no Orlando Bloom - but, once I got chatting to him (rather awkwardly in the park) I realised that despite his non-Orlando Bloominess, he was a really great person.

We walked out of the park and round the corner to this little cafe that had just opened up called "The Cheesecake Shop". It sounded and looked really quite sweet, and boy, do I love cheesecake.

"Have whatever you would like." Robin said. Wow. I had never been offered that before. Not even when I was a child. My father was always strict on how much one child should ever get...lets just say a lump of coal and a cotton bud would've been his idea of a merry Christmas.

I browsed the menu and was amazed and the diversity. It wasn't just cheesecakes, although the displays in the fridge suggested that cheesecakes were there speciality. There were sandwiches, panini's, soups and all kinds of drinks. It was a very good looking menu. I decided to pick a BLT panini. I have always had a soft spot for bacon, lettuce and tomato combo's, but on a panini? Now that was something new.

"That sounds great, I'll have the same." said Robin to the waiter, who was either Albanian or Polish, but either way, didn't speak much English.

"Well, this is rather pleasant, isn't it?" commented Robin, as he sipped his coffee.

"Yes, very. I had heard about this place but never got around to testing it out."

"Well, being a critic of literature, I tend to be quite harsh when it comes to things like this. Okay, sure, I don't make a living out of critiquing restaurants and cafes, but even so, it's good practice all the same!"

"So, you are a book critic?"

"Indeed I am. I also write a rather hard hitting column in the Evening Post about local plays and shows etc. It's quite a good deal. I am invited to go to different types of performances, then the paper pays me 5p per word. And I am always honest. The more people who read my column, the better, because I get a certain percentage of paper sales for that day, so it all comes back to Robin. One way or the other." he explained.

"How interesting. Sounds like you lead quite an exciting life."

"Well, I'm not so sure if I would describe it as exciting. But, at least I get paid to do something that I enjoy. I most certainly am in a minority when it comes to that."

That was true. I can only dream of what it would be like to get paid for doing something that I enjoyed.

And then the dreaded question...

"What do you do for a living, Annie?"

He had to ask that didn't he? What was I suppose to say? I was an unemployed bum that had been too busy dedicating her time to her failing love life to even look for something new? Well, I guess so...

"I am actually in between jobs at the moment." I finally said. "It is really just a case of, my last boss fired me because he thought I was the weak link in his chain. It was some dumb old call centre anyway, so it didn't really bother me. I just have to find myself another job. I can only live off my savings for so long." There. As brutally honest as I could make it. Will it put him off me? Well, if it does, then is he really a man that I want to be associated with? No. Not if he can't accept me for who I am.

"Well, it was only a call centre job. Besides, if I worked in one of them, I am sure I would get fired within a week!" Was that him accepting my truth? "Do you have a degree, Annie?" This one I could answer with pride!

"Yes, I have a 2.2 in fine art."

"An artist you say? How very cultured. Do you paint or draw?"

"Well, both really, but I would say painting was my strength. I have always dreamed about having my own exhibition, where I could display my works and have people looking at them, trying to figure them out. Getting paid to do what you love again!" I explained.

"Indeed. Well, do you have any paintings at home?"

"Yes, tons. But, I doubt anyone will want to see them, let alone buy them!"

"Oh, don't be so negative. I'm sure they are better than you think. You must show them to me. I am a great lover of art, and can appreciate it on many different levels." See? Cultured. Sarah was right. This man was the human definition of the word.

Our food arrived. The BLT panini's looked lovely. I picked mine and sighed discreetly - they had burnt it underneath. Nevertheless, I took a bite out of it, and started eating it. Robin was doing the same. About 5 chews later we both stopped, looked at each other, looked at our food, looked back at each other and exchanged what was looks of horror.

"What is in this panini?" I enquired.

"I think it's mustard." Robin replied.

"Mustard? In a panini? I thought it was always served with mayonnaise?"

"Yes, it is. But, obviously to these people, it's not." He got up with the menu and walked over to the counter. I overhead him speak to the waiter, saying that he did not want mustard on his panini.

"There is no mention on the menu that mustard is included in this sandwich, and therefore, I am not sure you should be putting it on, are you?"

I couldn't quite hear what the waiter said, but I heard Robins comeback.

"Well, you will care. Do you know what I do for a living? I write a column in the Evening Post. The critic column. I hope you can look forward to your first piece of bad press," at which point he placed his dish on the counter turned around and ushered me out of there. As we were leaving, the waited uttered something in foreign at us. God knows what he said, but I can only assume it wasn't "Have a good day, come back soon."

After the argument that Robin had with the waiter in the cafe, I was a little worried that I was with a man who lost his temper easily. When you are with a man who you have only known for the best part of 2 hours, these kinds of things pray on your mind. However, on the flip side, I have to admit, seeing him ripping the waiter to shreds and saying he would write his "first piece of bad press" sort of turned me on a little. There's nothing better than seeing a man with power. No, sorry, there is - seeing a man with power and then using it. Robin was becoming more and more attractive in my eyes, and I was starting to feel like meeting him in the park was meant to happen, in some bizarre way.

"Well, that was a disappointment. I am sorry. I had no idea it would be a sham. But, you have to try these places out to really know for sure. Now, I know for sure that I will never be going back there again." said Robin. "By the way, don't worry about the argument I had in there. I wasn't really angry. It's just my way of exerting authority. It's quite fun actually. I will of course be writing a terrible review on that place. If you would like to read it, it will be in tomorrow's post."

"Really? I'll be sure to buy that then. I would love to see your work."

"Great stuff. Well, I'm sorry that this has had to end on a down tone. But, we'll just blame the dodgy panini's!" he joked. "I am afraid I have to go now. I have some work to do at home, but it was very nice meeting you. I have to admit, it was rather random, and 10 out of 10 for your impressive ice breaker in the park by the way!"

"Oh, thank you. I am glad to have been of service." I said, glowing red.

"Me too. If you would like to do this again sometime, here is my card. You'll see there are two number on the bottom. Call the first one. The second one will just ring out if I'm not in my office."

"Oh, great. Thank you. I will call you sometime."

"Great. It was nice meeting you, Annie Ball. Take care now." he smiled as he walked down the street. He seemed to have an air of cheekiness to the way he walked. He seemed to have a certain bounce that made me want to walk by his side all the more. But, instead, I turned around and walked away in the opposite direction, towards the bus stop that would take me home, with a discreet smile on my face.

I spent the afternoon telling Zoe, Sarah and Will about Nick and the events of the night before. I ran through a few times, just to get their opinions and to, eventually, reassure me that it wasn't my fault.

Zoe said that he was afraid of commitment, Sarah said he was gay and Will said he wasn't worth my time, especially if he is just going to up and leave whenever anything gets slightly more serious.

All good advice, but none of it was what I wanted to hear. I wanted them to tell me that it was okay and that it was still worth chasing him. I wanted them to tell me that I should arrange another date and try and be less full on (even though I was about as full on as a broken down train last night!) but they didn't say anything of the sort. They just fulfilled the perfect friend role - once you get hurt by someone else, they will chew them up and spit them out to try and make you feel better. Sure, making me feel like I am too good for him is a nice way to put it, but I can't stop thinking about the tosser...seriously. It's like I've taken a Nick pill and I am just constantly trippin'.

"Ya know what Annie, you should try a more intellectual type of man." said Zoe. "Someone who is deep and literate and enjoys cultural things like museums and art galleries. I'm telling you, those are the type of men who treat you well. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything, because half the time Henry makes me feel about as cultured as a toothbrush, but nevertheless, I still think that is the way to go."

Poor Zoe. Henry really treats her badly. I mean, for an oldie, he could do an awful lot worse. He must be considered a hero by his mates that he has a woman who is so much ounger than him, but still, he takes advantage. Bastard.

"Zoe, that sounds wonderful, but lets think about this for one minute. Me? Culture? When was the last time I did anything remotely cultured? My idea of culture is switching onto BBC 1 on a Sunday afternoon to find "Songs of Praise" in full swing, only to mock it for about a minute before flicking over to Eastenders or something." I exclaimed.

"That's where you're wrong, Annie. You are an ex-art student. You studied culture for god sake. There must be something inside you that could latch on to some book worm..." insisted Zoe.

"Latch on? Oh, thanks very much Zo, make me sound like a leech why don't you? And, besides, I didn't study culture. I studied too much alcohol intake and ridiculously late nights and living in squalor. Fine art was right at the bottom of the priority list in those days, so, in turn, I know as much about art as Hitler does about being nice to people."

"I think what Zoe's trying to say here, Annie, is that you should raise your standards a little. Don't just go for the first guy that is willing to look at you for a few seconds of his day. I mean, really, the way you met Nick was slightly unconventional, and lets face it, a tad creepy." added Sarah.

"Well, maybe creepy and unconventional is okay. Maybe that's how I want to fall in love. Leaving things like this up to fate is always a good idea." I defended my corner rigorously, quoting the knowledge I got from my "What Men Want" books.

"Just try nicer guys. Don't just go for the hunk of the pack, ya know?" she added.

I had noticed that Will hadn't said anything. I looked over at him, sitting on the grass, looking slightly vacant. He still had bruising around his cheeks where he had been punched, and he had some cuts on his arms that would soon become scars, forever reminding him about the ordeal, but in general, he was getting better.

"Will, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet." I enquired.

"Have I? Oh, sorry. I was just listening to the conversation."

"Well, what do you think?" I asked.

"I think he is a closet homosexual to turn you down, Annie."

Has crude as his phrasing was, I found his comment rather sweet and touching. I looked at Will. As he spoke, he looked up at me and a slight softness took over his bruised face, and his familiar smile began to emerge again. I had been a long time since I had seen that.

"Aww, Will. Thank you. But, I very much doubt he is gay."

"Well, that's just what I think." He mumbled. I was getting some strange vibes from him today, but before I could ask him what was wrong, Sarah piped up again with a rather interesting idea.

"Look over there Annie. You see that man sitting under the tree? Reading a book? He looks very intellectual and cultured, not to mention, rather good looking. Why don't you go and talk to him?"

"Yeah, right." I replied.

"Oh, what's the worse that could happen?"

"I could introduce myself to him."

"Well, I think you should at least try. Go on. Forget weirdo Nick who walked out on you. Go talk to bookworm man under the tree!" Sarah always had a way with words.

Before I knew it, Zoe was encouraging me to go. Will was staying quiet. Zoe and Sarah got so annoying, eventually, I just decided to go for it. I started thinking to myself that it could be quite fun going to talk to a complete stranger. I mean, it was always on my list of things to do before I turn 30, and that isn't all that far away now, so I may as well begin ticking things off.

I got up off the grass and brushed the blades off my trousers. I casually began to stroll over to the tree where this stranger was sitting. I looked over my shoulder at my friends who were whispering and giggling whilst looking at me. When Sarah caught my eye, she made a WHOOPING kind of a sound that made my freeze on my spot and shoot evils in her general direction, in an attempt to make her shut up. Friends, honestly. They will look after your own interests, until they can embarrass you at the first opportunity.

I closed in on the stranger under the tree. I started noticing details. He had short, cropped hair and quite rounded features. He wasn't what I would call drop dead gorgeous, but he was attractive, no doubt about it. He was quite rounded all over in fact. He wasn't fat. He wasn't even chubby. But, he had the kind of figure that you could see getting fat in later years. He was wearing blue jeans and a brown corduroy jacket. The white shirt underneath finished off the look and one singular pendant hung round his neck a fell down to his chest level. That was a nice touch.

He seemed very engrossed in his book. What was I supposed to do? I was only a few metres away from him now, and I knew that if I went any closer he would look up at me. How do you disturb a man who is reading a book under a tree? I started thinking of ways to break the ice...all were pathetic, but I could only stand in the middle of the park on my own for so long before people began thinking I was a physco, so I just bit the bullet and took my chance on the first thing that came to my head.

I marched up to him, walking right past him in fact. Almost passing him completely. He didn't even look up. As I walked past him, I 'accidentally' noticed what he was reading. Something called "The Age of Man". I stopped, turned around and opened my mouth.

"The Age of Man? Oh, I love that book. It really makes a great read, you know." I blurted out. He look up at me. Stared at me for a few seconds. It felt like years. I was just stood there, smiling like a geek, waiting for this stranger, who I had disturbed, to say something in reply. Eventually, he did.

"Oh, you like it do you?" he said with a sly smirk. "That is strange. I have never met a woman who enjoys this book. I have always wanted to though."

"Well, you're in luck then! I am your woman!" I joked, nervously. What in gods name was I doing? "The Age of Man is where it is...at." IDIOT! DON'T USE SLANG TO COMPLIMENT A BOOK YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT!!!!

It is indeed where it is...at. Tell me, what did you think about chapter 7? I have always wanted to discuss it with someone, but there's never been anyone around. Would you mind?" he said as he gestured to me sitting on the grass in front of him.

"Really?" I said nervously. "Okay." I sat down on the grass and started trying to think up something clever about chapter 7 in a book I had never heard of, let alone read. "I would say that Chapter 7 was interesting. Slightly...slow, though. I mean, the story line is a bit...unimaginative. Plus, it could never really, erm, happen. I mean, the man in the story is obviously at an age where, erm, he, is, ya know? slightly, erm, older than he was, ya know...before? and I think chapter 7 is good, erm, for...that." What a 100% carrot moron I actually was. That didn't even make sense.

The man in front of me put his book down, raised is hands and started to clap. Then he started to laugh. Then, he was clapping AND laughing.

"That is the best load of bullshit I have ever heard about a book! And I should know, I critique them. My whole profession is based on bullshit, but you...you have just surpassed all known levels! What an ice breaker. Bravo!" he carried on laughing and clapping. I felt my cheeks getting hotter and hotter. Damn it, I had completely blown my chances of a good first impression. As usual.

"Well, you sussed me out. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." I said morbidly. I started to get up, when he stopped me.

"Where are you going? C'mon, don't tell me that's it. You spend at least 5 minutes of your day coming up with something as colourful as that, just so you can have an excuse to talk to me, and then decide to leave when you think it hasn't been successful? Well that's not very good is it?" he said, all the while with a massive smile on his face. He had blue eyes that lit up when he smiled. I quite liked that.

"Well, I've just made a complete fool out of myself, so I won't bother interrupting you anymore." His smile faded.

"Don't be silly. You walked over here, by yourself, and hit with rather a terrible, albeit imaginative, line. I think that at least deserves a coffee. Dont you?"

Was this stranger offering to take me out for a coffee? Had I actually cracked it? Could I finally talk to strangers without being an idiot?

"Well, erm, that would be, ya know..." SPIT YOUR WORDS OUT WOMAN...

"Great? Fabulous? Lovely?" he said, trying to finish my sentence off for me. I sighed.

"That would be lovely."

"Excellent! Well, there's a lovely new place round the corner that only opened last week. It is supposed to serve a mean coffee and cake. Shall we stroll over there and test it out?" he proposed.

"Yes, that sounds great."

"Very glad to see that you are enthused about my suggestion." He stood up and offered his hand to me." I'm Robin, by the way." he introduced.

"Hi Robin, I'm Annie." I said, shaking his hand.

I nipped back over to Zoe and Sarah. I had noticed that Will had gone. When I asked them where, they told me he wasn't feeling too well and just wanted to be by himself. Odd that Will would act like that, but they told me not to worry. I quickly told them what happened as I grabbed my bag and jacket. They were happy for me, giving me the usual friendly lines of "Go get him girl" and "One more name for the old black book then." but despite their comments and friendly jabs, I was happy. Happy that Sarah had suggested it, happy that I had gone through with it and happy that this guy, who seemed really lovely and had a wicked sense of humour, was about to buy me coffee and cake from the new place round the corner! He knew the way to a woman's heart, that's for sure.

I said goodbye to Zoe and Sarah and nipped back over to where Robin was waiting. As we turned around and started walking towards the park exit, I looked over my shoulder to see my friends smiling and winking at me.

I had a good feeling about this. I don't know why. I just did.

What a night that was!

Okay, so firstly, I am not in the best states of mind this morning. That'll be thanks to my good old friend, Jack Daniels, and yes, I know, last night was supposed to be a classy, romantic and mature evening where Nick and I really hit it off and realised our feelings for each other. Was it? God no...

First of all, Nick arrived in a really gorgeous looking black shirt with baggy/slouch jeans. He had black boots tucked underneath the flare of his jeans which really completed his image. He walked through the door with an air of grace and underlying confidence that REALLY did it for me! In his hand was a bottle of red wine and in the other, one single rose. Very nice touch! Brownie point going up and up and up some more! Seriously, if Nick had been a football team right then, and brownie points was what he was competing for, he would finish top of the league every time! (my football knowledge comes from my Dad and an unfortunate ex boyfriend who thought it was polite to jump on the coffee table screaming at the top of his lungs when Chelsea either scored a goal or were "unfairly" fouled. A grown man shouting "REF!" every 4 seconds is not really the best turn on, but albeit, I learnt about the sport.)

So, after I had dished a billion brownie points for the wine and the rose, he took his boots off and walked into the lounge, where he just rested himself on my sofa. It was almost like he floated down to the sitting position, he was that smooth. Maybe I was just hallucinating as I watched him move. I made sure that my gormless expression of lust, complemented with an over salivated mouth, was quickly gone by the time he looked at me. I didn't want him to see me drooling like some pink haired member from Grease, did I? No, Annie...composure, classiness, maturity and grace...hopefully that will be enough to get him in between my bed sheets...oops - there goes the classiness. Still, I had been thinking about Nick and my bedsheets for quite some time, so why change now?

"Would you like some of this wine?"
"Sure, that would be great."

I proceeded to the kitchen and uncorked the bottle, letting the aroma fill the air. It was very posh wine. Quite expensive looking and smelling...this guy must have a pretty penny or two. I poured 2 glasses and went back to the lounge, where Nick was standing up, looking at the pictures dotted around the wall.

"That's my family. My Mum and Dad. And, obviously, a very young looking me." I explained, trying to sound less and less embarrassed.
"Only child?" Nick replied rather monotonously.
"I'm afraid so. This just means I'm spoilt and bratty when I can't get my own way!" I joked in a rather unfortunate manner. Nick just turned around to me and let a grin dance around his mouth, obviously the type of grin to "humour the nervous girl" but nevertheless, a grin is a grin.
"Who are these people?" Nick asked, pointing to a rather modest frame, hanging above my television.
"Oh, they are my closest friends. Zoe, Sarah and Will."
"Ah right, I see. This Will looks a bit familiar. Does he work in a cafe?"
"No. Not that I know of. But, I wouldn't put it past Will to have a secret life on the side! He's like that sometimes...quite theatrical." I explained. Was I going to tell Nick about Wills recent accident? No, why would he care? And, besides, I didn't want him to think that I was friends with a bunch of loons.

The night kicked off to a wonderful start. We chatted, relaxed, drank wine and laughed alot about all sorts of things. I told him what I used to do as a job and he teased my about it, and then I told him what I did for a degree, and yet again, he teased me about it. I didn't mind though, because I fancied him so much, it gave me an excuse to turn the flirting up. But, I realised halfway into the night, that the flirting was just one way. On my side...why wasn't he being overly flirtatious? I mean, how many times does a woman have to "accidentally" touch a mans thigh for him to get the message? Well, if tonight is anything to go by, many many times. By the time the dinner was ready, I must've gotten to know his leg more than him, the amount of times I casually dropped an eager palm onto it! Still, when a guy doesn't get it, he just doesn't get it.

In many ways, men are like hard drives from computers. They claim to be reliable, secure and safe, but they never are, and they take a very very VERY long time to repair when they fail. Not only that, but when you buy a computer for the first time, the hard drive is empty. There is nothing there. You need to add different files and folders and programmes to make it worth using...hard drives don't know what to do unless you tell it exactly. So, here I was, dishing out a pasta dish that I had cooked to, what was turning out to be a typical hard drive man.

"I hope you like pasta." I said hesitantly.
"Yes, of course I do. My mother is Italian, so I spent most of my childhood eating the stuff." That'll explain the olive skin. I just thought he was well tanned!
"Wow, Italian huh? That is rather exotic." I said in the most provocative and alluring way I could. God, was I really that desperate to get this guy to kiss me? Well, looking at my track record for kisses and how long the guy hangs around afterwards, I would say, yes, I am very desperate indeed!
"Well, exotic is one word. I would say it was just an annoyance. Most people think that being half Italian is really amazing. All those holidays to Rome to see Grandparents and not to mention being fluent in the beautiful language. But, it's not all that great. My Mother was a very a strict catholic and if I ever stepped a foot out of line, that would it. Out came the cane or the slipper or the soap. Not pleasant." Nick explained with a degree of upset.

Suddenly I felt all awkward. So, he was telling me that when he was a naughty little boy his mother used to use old school methods of punishment and discipline because she was a fanatical catholic Italian woman? Well, that doesn't sound all that bad.

"It couldn't have been all that bad Nick. I was lucky if I got yelled at for something when I was a kid. My parents' barely even noticed me. I may as well have been invisible to them. I didn't know what discipline was when I was a young girl. I just did what I pleased and noone got in my way. It sounds great, but looking back, it really wasn't. I would've killed for some attention - some acknowledgement. But I never got any. So, I would be naughty to get them to see me. But, they never did." I explained, trying to find some common ground to break the awkward air.
"Well, I would've chosen invisibility over regular beatings any day. And it wasn't just my mother. My father...why am I even telling you this?" Nick suddenly said.
"It's okay Nick. You can tell me anything." I lied. Of course, I wanted him to open up to me, but I wasn't really sure if him telling me anything was a good idea. At this stage...
"Well, seen as I started, I may as well finish. My Father used to beat my Mother, and then later on, my Mother would turn her frustration and sadness on me. She didn't have any other way of dealing with it."

Nick carried on telling me his life story. He had left home when he was just 17 and ended up living in B&B's across London. Luckily, his Father was wealthy, so he had a large savings account from the pocket money he had accumulated. At this point, I had moved my chair around to his side of the table. I thought it would be a more...understanding place to listen. Of course, this was utter rubbish. I felt sorry for him and his story was slightly heart breaking. I wanted to console him. He was upset. He didn't seem angry. He was perfectly normal, just sitting back with his wine glass in one hand, casually telling me about his life. I guess he was just giving me some background, I don't know, but for some reason, I was compelled to offer him a friendly hug.

This is when the disaster struck.

He accepted the hug. Thank god. He moved in to my embrace and nestled into my shoulder. He felt warm and very comfortable. His ruffled hair was tickling my face, but I didn't care. He smelt really good - fresh and cool, almost as if his cologne was mountain air itself. Then, as he started to pull back and return to his previous position, I stupidly let my female ways get the better of me, leaned in, placed my lips on his.

He immediately pulled away, looking stunned and slightly uncomfortable. He stood up, mumbling something about the time and his last taxi home. I got up to try and intervene his panic, but he continued to spiral out of control, moving down to the door, grabbing his boots in his hands and leaving my flat in his socks. Well, he didn't just leave. He did say goodbye and that he would call me. For some reason he told me that it was nice to meet me, even though he had met me once before.

In the space of 5 minutes, this dream man had vanished from my evening as quickly as he had entered it. I just know it was my stupid attempt at trying to kiss him, but I couldn't help it. It was the perfect moment. We were hugging, he had just opened up to me about his childhood and I was getting high off his man smell!! no wonder I tried to kiss him.

But I did not expect him to freak out like he did. Perhaps he just didn't want me as much as I wanted him. Typical. It's always Annie who makes herself look like the easy one...

I always read things about how men over jump the mark and try and take advantage of you on the first date, but that never seems to happen to me. It's always me who carries that responsibility. The responsibility of making a fool out of myself, especially in front of men I really like. No wonder I'm single. Men won't come near me, not even if I was the last female on the planet. Oh, why did I have to try and kiss him? ANNIE!

Well, after he left, I felt so low and humiliated, I cracked open some JD and mixed some coke with it, settled in front of the TV with a glass and channel hopped all night long. What an end to a potentially perfect evening.

Of course the glass of JD and coke turned into 2 glasses, then 3, then 4 and finally a whole bottle. This is why I feel like the London underground is running through my head this morning. Commuters, foreign kids and lost individuals clumped around through my skull this morning as I slowly started to come to terms with what an idiot I was last night.

I fell asleep and woke up on my sofa, with my cat looking staring straight at me thinking "What a looser." See? Even my male cat hates me! Anything with a penis and I automatically repel it...all men, far and wide, flee the streets when they see me, Annie Ball, the great penis repeller walking towards them.

At around 9 thirty I got a phone call from Zoe, saying that Will wanted to get out for a bit. The girls and Will were going to St. James' Park for the afternoon and wondered if I wanted to go. Of course I did, but I had to shake this hangover first.

I showered, got dress, left my flat in a state and caught the tube to the centre of town.

All I could think of, though, was when or if I would ever see Nick again...