I remember when I first heard Erik play the guitar. We were sitting in the living room of his incredibly spacious flat in Belgravia, a few nights after we got together at the AOL staff party. By this point, half my toiletries were already in his oversized bathroom and I was mentally packing up my flat in West Hampstead and getting ready to move in.
He started playing ‘if we never meet again’ by Jules Shear and I sat and watched him and drank wine. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. I know, it sounds a bit kumbayah-ish and maybe it was, but it beat sitting around at my place listening to my neighbour’s TV on at full blast or drinking Ernest & Julio Gallo with my sexually dysfunctional pretend-friend Stella.
That was over 9 years ago. Erik doesn’t pick up the guitar as much as he used to, but he did this afternoon and he played me the same song. He does know lots of other ones, but it was at my request. It was just a wonderful ‘take you back’ moment and it hit me with an overwhelming sense of love. And a bit of a hankering for that old flat.
I’m just off to skin and boil a rabbit.
Not really, but this was becoming a little nauseating. So tonight we’re going out to dinner, it’s a fancy one because we’re celebrating my birthday. Actually we’re celebrating my last two birthday’s, because I was too grumpy to do so on the actual day. I’ve starved myself for the last 3 hours in preparation. I’ll be wearing a dress. And possibly some make-up.