10 January
‘How are you doing ? You were going to call back’
7 January
Patrick is over for his annual work trip. I meet him and his friend at the Coat & Badger in Putney. It’s always good to see him. As usual he is drinking loads, telling funny stories and flirting with me.
I ask him about his girlfriend. This is the first time I have broached the subject.
‘She is working now. She has to… to stay in the country. When we get married it won’t matter.’
Aha. Marry me! Marry me!
His weird, scanky, skinny IT mate is as attentive as ever. He says his ‘fiance’ is coming later. Fiance? Her name is Jessica so I really want to know what she looks like. With a name like that she has to be hot, right?
A fat, short, pikey arrives. Yep. It’s Jessica. They make a good couple. And he was trying to crack on to me. I always find these scenarios hilarious. While girls primp and preen, gym and diet needing to feel good enough, men think we’re all game.
Jessica has just seen Tinker Tailor at the BFI.
‘I saw that a few weeks ago,’ I say. ’I had no idea what was going on.’
‘I can imagine you coming out at the end..,’ Patrick says. ’Saying “what the fuck was that all about?”‘
I smile.
‘You haven’t changed. That’s what I love about you.’
5 January
‘Hello.’
‘Hello.’
‘How are you?’
‘Good. How are you?’
‘Can you talk?’
‘Yeah… for a bit. I’m at work.’
‘How have you been?’
‘Well. India was great…’.
‘What job is this that let’s you go away for a year?’
‘I do contract work.’
‘Oh…’.
‘Did you have a good new year?’
‘Yes… I went to The Box.’
‘Goodness! That must have been amazing! I’d love to…’.
‘Yes I was invited.’
‘Wow!’
‘I can tell you can’t talk… at… Call me when you have a moment.’
‘Ok… Bye.’
‘Bye.’
Guess who.
About
‘When I grow up I’m going to marry a prince, Granny.’
Fast forward 27 years. I’m a hot, successful, kind and affectionate, officially ‘grown up’ girl-about-town. Still in search of The One. It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m in bed. Alone. Tanked up on Valium.
The quest has been active now for the best part of 20 years. I know he’s out there. I just need to find out where and how to find him. Things have got to change.
This is going to be my year. I just know it. So I have decided to document my experiences to amuse more than anything else. In so doing, the creative process may provide some kind of personal enlightenment and help face my demons too. And who knows. The journey may lead me to my prince. And where the chronicles begin.
