Tuesday 3 August 2010

Eureka!

It was February 14th 2002, and I was sitting at my desk in White City, staring at my computer screen, and eating a soggy bagel, courtesy of the BBC canteen. I had just had the pleasure of brushing hands with Jeremy Clarkson in the canteen, as we both reached for the same bagel in the chiller cabinet. Now a conversation was going on behind me about the best film directors of all time. I slightly quivered in my seat, dreading my boss turning to me and asking me for my opinion on this. She did ask me, and I went bright red, and then muttered something about Top Gear. 

I slumped in my chair, feeling embarrassed and uncultured, when suddenly, an email pinged into my inbox from Tom, which just simply said 'x'. I was all a-flutter. Although we had spent the last two years building an extraordinary friendship, Tom had just single-handedly taken things onto a whole new level. It was Valentine's Day and he had sent me one single kiss by email. He really does love me!  To me this was far more romantic than being sent flowers, chocolates or being whisked off to Paris, and so I promptly sent him a 'x' right back. 


I then had fleeting moments of paranoia that perhaps I had read too much into it, or that his hand had slipped on the keyboard and the email was an accident. My paranoia was shortlived, because moments later he wrote back listing five of my favourite restaurants, asked me to choose one, and said he was taking me out. 


I called through to my boss 'Platonic Tom has asked me out on a date, AND it's Valentine's day!'


Written for Josie's writing workshop
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17 comments:

mummy bear said...

just too romantic for words!

Louise said...

Wonderful. This has made me smile!

Janet said...

lovely - I do like the way you write! I'm smiling too.

Elsie Button said...

hello ladies, glad to make you smile! I am still smiling (eew, was that a bit corny?)

Beccers said...

I bet that was the most nerve-wracking single letter he had ever typed!

sadie said...

that is just so sweet :o) Not in the least bit corny, just very, very sweet

nappy valley girl said...

Ahhh....he sounds like a true romantic. MUCH better than a flowery card or roses.

Elsie Button said...

Hi Beccers, yes, i never have really thought about it from his point of view, but yes!

Hi Sadie, yes, lovely to think that that's how it all began!

Hi Nappy Valley, yes, he did used to be very romantic....

Sarah (Chez Lee) said...

Awww, that's gorgeous! Very thoughtful and romantic. Your writing gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling :)

Unknown said...

I'm impressed that you realised it was a kiss! I would've have written back with a sarcastic post asking if he was feeling all right, as he seems to have misplaced the rest of the email.

Maybe I'm not the romantic type ;)

Anonymous said...

So, so sweet - I'm grinning from ear to ear - lovely x

Nickie O'Hara said...

Great stuff :D I did laugh at the pananoia bit though ;)

Elsie Button said...

hi all, thanks for your lovely comments. Goldfish, that's why the paranoia set in cos suddenly i thought it might not be a kiss!

Bronagh said...

Oh, that is so lovely - made me smile! :-)

Mummy Limited said...

That is adorable. Such a simple and subtle way of making his feelings clear. I'll bet he was really nervous when he sent it

Gappy said...

Ah... that is so lovely. Your man has style.

Iota said...

LOVELY story. Oh, your Tom is such a sweetheart.

I'm assuming it was pre-meditated, and not just because somehow he'd got wind of you brushing hands with Jeremy Clarkson, and was consumed with sudden jealousy.