antics
Wednesday night was when I encountered a low point that I'd not hit in a long while, and strangely, I could not cope very well with it on my own. Which was slightly embarrassing, to say the least.09.03.05 23:23 From: White Teeth D
Sounds like you need my calming influence. I am coming over... A problem shared is a problem halved.
I had a multitude of problems accumulating and causing undue stress, but I rather obstinately refused WTD's offer as it was late, he was unpacking after having just got back from Bermuda (lucky bastard), my hair was a mess etc.
09.03.05 23:43 From: WTD
As you wish despite your poor excuses. See you at Forecasting. Good luck with the ICA. What time is it?
I happened to be rather lucky, as the in-course assessment went well, except for one dodgy odds ratio which I effectively pulled out of thin air (unsurprisingly this is not the first time I've done things like that out of total desperation on exams). In light of me so rudely turning down WTD's offer the previous evening, it was decided that we ought to have dinner on Thursday night instead. To have my very own therapist! Excellent indeed.
10.03.05 15:18 From: WTD
Shall we shoot for around 8? I feel like going somewhere a little nicer than usual...have somewhere in mind so will see if there is space. Is that ok with you?
(No, of course it's not ok, I'd prefer somewhere dodgy and grotty instead, but if you insist.)
We never did obtain a reservation at this mysterious venue as it was fully booked, and I still do not know where he had wanted to take me. WTD is being ridiculously obtuse and refusing to shed some light on where it might be, although I will be able to find out this Friday, when he plans to make another booking. We instead had drinks at Shochu, before taking the tube to South Kensington where we went to a lovely authentic French restaurant called Racine. Its simple decor consisted of deep chocolate brown leather banquettes in an intimate dining room, which was illuminated by kind, creamy lighting. The food was delicious - no trace of fusion cooking - it was traditional French cuisine, and it was a restaurant that simply is very good at what it does.
The problem was (as it usually is): the alcohol. And the way WTD kept refilling my glass, even ordering me my first glass of port after we had dessert. (I actually really enjoyed the port, as well as the white wine, although he refuses to believe me - and all because of an unfortunate grammatical error I made whilst in a totally inebriated state. His bloody fault entirely.) When we finally left the restaurant (00:30? 01:00? No idea), we were faced with our next problem - getting home. I drunkenly declared that the tubes ran till at least 1 am, and for a good ten minutes we argued about this until we reached Knightsbridge station and I discovered that it was...closed. And more embarrassingly, that he was actually right. There is, obviously, a first time for everything.
The long walk home - which we later discovered took over an hour - was quite amusing. We walked on Park Lane and ogled the cars (I am not fussy about cars, as long as one can get me from Point A to Point B, but I have to say that the Aston Martins were...oooooooooooh); ogled dodgy adverts in the phone boxes; ogled dodgier lingerie in a shop window; and spent a fair bit of time ogling the zebras, elephants and sunglasses in the window display at Selfridges. I think I was home at 02:00, at which point I got roughly two hours of sleep and rolled out of bed just in time to greet WTD at the door at 10:23, who had come armed with strawberry jam, bacon and sausages. We had a nice fry up, albeit a rather quick one. The subsequent Actuarial Science lecture that we attended was a complete disaster - I can safely (and proudly) say that I had absolutely not a clue what the lecturer was rattling on about. (The maths was also making me somewhat dizzy.) Again - I blame it on WTD (who, if you can believe, nearly managed to convince me to have yet another drink at another bar on the way home. I am glad that at least one of us is sensible/clever - delete as appropriate).
I'm naturally a slightly wary person, and do not tend to put my trust in people very easily. I have been told that I am a very good judge of people, however. I can sit on the sidelines for a long while, observing, contemplating, thinking, and then forming friendships on a very instinctual basis. I've said it very recently, but I'll say it again. People are fascinating. But the process of getting to know someone - which is a very organic sort of process - I find to be of equal fascination. It usually takes years for me to feel completely comfortable in the presence of people I'm getting to know. I find it rather surprising how quickly I've been able to feel this understood and comfortable in WTD's presence, and in such a comparatively short period of time. Part of the fascination that lies herein is that there is always more to be learnt about a person; it is a never-ending, yet constantly fulfilling, process. It's also a connection and a mutual respect, I think, and I can count on one hand the number of people in my life with whom I share this sort of bond. It is wholly unexpected and really a rather strange feeling. But also, dare I say, a really rather lovely one too.
L'Esthete @ 02:14
