11:50 PM, NYE at The Electric; a glitter sandwich of sequin-clad bodies on the dance floor. The countdown began; 4-3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR! An annual carte blanche to intimately collide with total strangers. For a moment togetherness lived in the place where urbane separation normally prevails.
Much to Amelia’s chagrin her Ibiza based boyfriend had booked her onto an 8 am flight from Gatwick on New Year’s Day. She was convinced he had done it to punish her. We had agreed that we would hang out at her apartment after the party. I would stay the night in her room to avoid the standard NYE taxi scrum.
Theo arrived back from his party. He had that foppish soft caramel English public schoolboy charm, with a laser-sharp sardonic edge. His bright eyes consumed you like blazing blue meteors. We chatted and drank the three of us. Amelia chastised him playfully. The buzzer rang, the taxi had arrived.
“Don’t come down Theo”, Amelia shouted.
As I held the front door open, I saw that their parting kiss was one of lovers, not friends. I felt a twinge of discomfort. I helped Amelia downstairs with her bags to the taxi, biting January cold and Espresso Martinis pulsing through us.
“Safe journey back to the island beautiful!” I said.
“Thanks, darling, remember you should definitely stay here tonight. HAVE FUN!”
“Message me when you’re island side. It’s been amazing having you in London these past few months.”
I called the lift, a little nervous about the scene that might ensue. Theo was in his room with the door ajar. I knocked gently;
“Hey Theo, how about a drink?”
Sitting at the kitchen table, we spent the next 4 hours cocooned in an erotically laden pre-amble, enjoying the expectant frisson. I didn’t know if Amelia had shared anything with him about our little plan. I didn’t think so.
9 am, New Year’s Day – blindingly bright sunshine, I reached in my handbag for my ‘kohl & kaftans’ shades.
“Shall we go to bed now?” he said quietly, eyes wide with hope
“Sure, 9 am seems like a perfectly reasonable time to go to bed.” I laughed.
The thousand dollar question was whose bed were we going to? I don’t think I’d ever been to bed with someone who I hadn’t even kissed.
