Meeting Nicky - Part Two

To be honest, I dont know what I was thinking that morning. I've already said I thought I fell in love the night before, but I didn't realise it at the time. I hadn't been in love before (or since) and I didn't recognise it at the time. And it wasn't sexual at the time, I didn't and wouldn't just jump in to bed with some girl I'd only just met. Even if I thought she would let me. It just felt 'right' that she was with me. She felt right, even if I didn't think she felt the same.

So I went to work and I left her, alone, in my flat. Of course, on the bus to work I kept telling myself "Oh my god, you're such an idiot to let a stranger stay in your flat.", I kept on telling myself this over and over. When I got to work I told a friend, I have an unknown girl left in my flat alone. I don't know now if it was because I was worried or excited or something else. But I didn't expect it to go any further, then our personnel manager called me into her room. And said she had heard about it and that I cannot leave a strange girl in my flat. I said that I trusted her, and they that was all well and good but you can’t leave a strange girl in your flat.

They offered to send someone around to remove her, and I said no. I said no so many times. What if my trust wasn’t misplaced? I didn’t want her kicked out if I could trust her… But they kept on, and said if my trust wasn’t misplaced then she would understand why she had to be kicked out. I was dubious and argued against it for a long time.

Eventually, I gave in and two women from the company visited my house to remove her with money for a taxi ride wherever she wanted.

I still wish I had trusted her.

That night, when I went home I still half expected her there. But she wasn’t, she was gone. And I cried, because the night didn’t feel right without her there. And I cried the Thursday night and the Friday. The weekend was hard, but I survived and I was almost back to normal the next week, though something still felt wrong.

The following Friday came along and I went home, I began playing “Black and White” a recently released game. Then I received a phone call, it was my team leader from work. “There’s a girl asking for your phone number. Should I give it her?” he asked.

I was shocked, and excited and happy. “Yes.” I told him.
“Is this ‘the’ girl?” he asked
“Yes” I said.
“Are you sure you want me to give her your phone number?” he asked
“Yes, give it to her.” I replied.
“Ok” and I hung up the phone.

I received a call only a minute or so later. It was Nicola (though, at the time I thought her name was Beth). She was in the pub we had met outside the week before (called ‘Flares’ at the time). She asked If I would like to go for a drink. Of course, I said yes. And I rushed there. God knows, how I rushed. I sat at the table opposite her. We talked briefly and then she said to me:

“I’ve wanted to do this for ages.” And leaned across to me, then put her hand around my neck.
Now, I wasn’t actually sure what was going on I even thought she wanted to whisper something to me. So I leaned closer, and she kissed me. Which wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I think I will always remember that kiss. My first real kiss, though I wasn’t expecting it.

She stayed in the double bed again that night, with me in the spare room. She stayed on the Saturday and the Sunday. But she left the Monday morning, because I had work. She promised she would phone during the week.

She didn’t until the following Friday.

To be continued…