30 October (part 2)
‘Omg, going nuts here! Have taken a permanent job (so I have payslips to show the mortgage company) and selling then looking for a new flat. I don’t know what to do with myself it’s so stressful! I have a buyer, just don’t want to lose her, and haven’t found the ideal property yet.
Gosh, it’s all happening in your family. I can remember something similar happening to us – my stepfather’s sister invited the man she was having an affair with to our house to stay then a few weeks later we had to go to a big family do where he was there with his wife. My mum was v unhappy about it.
What to do (said in Indian accent)?
I’ve booked a week off at Christmas and my office closes down over Christmas anyway. I can’t see I would have moved by then but who knows. Weren’t you going to go back to India? I was going to go for Xmas/NY but not sure that is the smartest thing to do considering I’m buying/selling. I’ll probably stay here but at least it’s time off – albeit dreary!
x’
13 September
‘I’ve had loads of interviews so am hoping work will pick up again – plus I was thinking of being in India at Christmas rather than going someone else now!’
Back to Victor.
8 September (part 2)
‘I’ll be in the Algarve as of next monday for 7 – 10 days, after that will be heading to UK for a few weeks and then off to India, i suppose? HOw come you decided to stay in London longer?’
So now he wants to talk!
8 September (part 1)
‘No problem. Sounds mega stressful. Your India trip sounds great. I was about to go on another trip to SE Asia but decided to stay in London a bit longer. If you go North you can meet some new friends I made in Daramshala. It would be good to see you. Let me know your movements. xx’
7 September (part 2)
‘hey, sorry for not having got back to you. i’ve not really been in one place for all that long (my parents ended up renting the algarve flat out for the whole of august right through until the 10th Sept). Also, my parents seem to arguing a far bit at the moment and so my sisters place hasn’t been the greatest place to be at all times (they are waiting for their lisbon flat to be gutted and redecorated before moving out of my sisters into their own place. So I have just kept moving around between, my sisters, lisbon, the algarve and UK. I shall be heading out to the Algarve next week and will spend a week or two there. After that, back to London. I’ll probably look into flights back to India when I’m there. Will try to get a 6 month visa, head out to SE India and work it out from there. Although I am also interested in visiting northern India (the mountainous parts) as well as Nepal. Not sure where you are or what you’re doing. Let me know. Maybe we can meet up at some point?’
27 August
I think I’ve blown it. The hunky, hot, cheeky chappie estate agent hasn’t responded. I emailed him to pull out a great deal he set up. A couple want to move in on Thursday for three months.
Him and I have been flirting outrageously since I got back from India. He contacted me when he saw my ad on Gumtree and did a rental valuation. It started then and there. Phone calls, suggesting watching fireworks on NYE together in my flat, cooking together…
16 July
Out with Chinese. He’s taken me for coffee at Cafe Aziz. I’ve given him a chance even though he did email Jessica too which we decided at work, at a very important conference I called, was all a bit weird.
‘You’re wearing glasses!’ I say.
‘This is the real me,’ he says.
This is the real me too. I deliberately dressed down, jeans and low heels. If he wants a 24 hour glamour puss he can go elsewhere. I’m over the pressure.
‘I really like your look,’ he says as we drink our coffees.
I talk about possibly going travelling again because of the work situation here. He is about to go to Hong Kong on a work trip. He suggest I think about Asia. Is the subtext we go together?! He even brings up the subject of marriage, not to each other, but in a roundabout way.
‘If you go to India I won’t see you for a month!’ he says as he drives me home.
‘If I go to India it will definitely be for three months.’
His face falls.
‘I’m not going at the end of my contract… It’s too hot… and it’s the middle of the monsoon.’
‘Oh,’ he says looking relieved as we pull up to my flat.
‘Let’s do something next week,’ I say completely out of character.
‘Great!’
It works. Being myself. And he isn’t unfanciable. Result.
18 June (part 1)
I’ve been in sporadic contact with Victor since we met up in Pune. I really like him. I really think he likes me. The subject invariably returns to going travelling again. Is it me or does he want to take me up on the offer to join him?’
‘Going away… me to. Just have decide on whether it’s going to be africa or India again. So how come you never told me about you know who?’
Oh fuck. Annabel, how could you? What do I say?
26 May
‘She’s going to send him a message to stop,’ Vik tells me at breakfast as he checks his Facebook. ’He sent her a message inviting her to stay in the mountains fora few days.’
25 May
Vik’s female friend who just arrived is sitting opposite me in Trek & Dine.
‘Have you met Valentino?’ she asks.
‘Yes.’
‘I went out with him for a couple of weeks.’
I nod.
‘He stayed and in the morning he kept saying “I hate myself. I couldn’t sleep last night.” He is messed up… can’t have a relationship.’
‘Dirty.’
‘I don’t think he’s dirty.’
‘He needs to be dipped into a vat of disinfectant.’
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.
