| |
Purple Emails and Rosy Sunsets
by Wendy Freebourne
‘I’ll see you next week, darling,’ Alex kissed
her son, Jamie, as she left him with Luc in Winchester. He had to
start school. She’d hoped to sell her London flat by July.
‘My solicitor says we’ll complete in two weeks,’
she said.
‘Don’t worry. I can manage a ten-year-old boy.’
Luc taught Jamie’s age in a local school.
‘You’re such a good friend, Luc.’ Alex had grown
up with Lucas Simms. Unlike her, he hadn’t married. She’d
endured a bad relationship until Jamie was five. It ended in divorce.
There hadn’t been anyone serious since.
‘It’s nothing,’ said Luc.
‘Jamie will have to get the bus for now,’ Alex said. ‘Do
you know where I can find a second hand bike for him?’
Luc handed her a newspaper. ‘The local rag,’ he said.
‘Look in the classifieds.’
Luc looked like a schoolteacher, tall, not too thin, a pleasant face
and warm eyes behind his rimless specs. He had a caring, fatherly
way with Jamie.
‘Must go. I’ll miss the train.’ Alex stuffed the
newspaper in her bag.
On the train to London, she remembered it and dug it out. Searching
for the classifieds, she found a lonely hearts column. An ad caught
her eye. It said: ‘Sagittarian male, 36, into sport, travel,
romantic movies and sunsets. Passionate, seeks similar female for
stable relationship, slim, petite, 30-35. Email hogspot@hotmail.com’
Alex wasn’t athletic, but she liked the idea of passion. She
loved romantic films and sunsets too. Having just had her thirty-fifth
birthday, she thought she had something in common with this man.
At home, Alex emailed hogspot@hotmail.com saying, ‘I’ve
never done this before. I was looking for a second hand bike. I’m
interested in astrology. I have the Moon in Sagittarius, so I think
we might get on. I’m not into sport, but I love films and sunsets.
I’m thirty-five and slim. And I’m moving to Winchester
in a couple of weeks.’
She hit the send button.
In the next couple of weeks she was so busy packing, visiting Jamie
and measuring up the new flat she forgot about the ad. Luc found a
bike for Jamie in the town.
The day before moving day, an email arrived, typed in purple script.
It was from someone called Hogspot. What a strange name, she thought.
It irritated her when people didn’t use their real names. Probably
some time waster, but she thought she’d better check. After
all, purple was her favourite colour.
‘I’m so glad you’re into astrology. So am I. I haven’t
done any sport for years anyway,’ Alex read. He went on, ‘Let’s
meet up when you move. Send me your new address. By the way, my name’s
Rik Edwards.’
Alex was tickled he was into astrology too and replied, ‘I’m
moving tomorrow,’ and gave him her new address and ‘phone
number. ‘Ring me in a day or two.’
As she was sitting there thinking, Rik Edwards sounds nicer than Hogspot,
another purple email appeared.
‘That was quick,’ he said.
Do I sound too eager, she thought.
‘I won’t be able to see you for a week or two,’
he wrote. ‘I’ve got the ‘flu.’
Next day, Alex met Luc at the new flat. He’d collected the
key for her.
Luc had moved to Winchester three years ago. It had taken him a
year of inviting to finally drag Alex out of her post-divorce depression.
She went to visit him and fell in love with the old city and the
surrounding countryside.
‘I want to live here,’ she’d told him. ‘It’s
a bonus having you living here too.’
‘I came in earlier to check the place,’ Luc said. ‘The
previous owners took all the light bulbs, so I bought you some.’
‘Bless you, you’re so thoughtful,’ Alex said.
‘I couldn’t get the central heating working and it’s
getting chilly at night.’ Alex noticed a calor gas heater
in the hallway. ‘So I brought this round for the time being,’
he said.
‘I don’t know what I’d do without you, Luc,’
she said.
Apart from the usual junk mail on the hall carpet, there was a mauve
envelope. Inside was a card from Rik, welcoming her to her new home,
with a separate note saying, ‘Sorry about the ‘flu.
I realised I was going down. I’ll contact you when I’m
better.’
He must have got someone to post the card for him, Alex thought.
She was moved by his kindness. He must be sensitive, she thought,
that’s what I want in a man. She didn’t say anything
to Luc about Rik. Better see if it goes anywhere first, she thought.
She was so busy in the next few weeks, settling herself and Jamie
and starting her new job, she didn’t have time to think about
Rik. She was surprised when he rang.
‘How about a meal in a pub?’ he asked. ‘Neutral
territory.’ He sounded like he still had a cold.
‘That would be lovely,’ she said.
They arranged a time and a place. Alex felt excited and nervous.
It was a long time since she’d dated. She took her time getting
ready and made herself look pretty.
When she walked into the pub, Luc was there, sitting at a table
set for two. ‘Hello Luc, are you meeting someone,’ she
said. ‘I promise not to cramp your style.’
‘I’m meeting you,’ Luc said. ‘I’m
Rik.’
Alex sat down. She smiled at him. ‘You placed the ad?’
she said. ‘But I didn’t know you were into astrology
– or that you liked purple, and sunsets.’
‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me,’
Luc told her. ‘Like the fact I’ve been passionate about
you since we were at school, and how hard it was to see you married
to someone else.’
‘Oh, Luc, I’m glad it’s you,’ Alex said.
‘We’re so comfortable together. But you haven’t
had the ‘flu, have you?’ she added.
‘No. I invented that. I panicked when you answered my ad.
I’ve never done that kind of thing before,’ he said.
‘I’ve been wondering what to do. But I’m glad
now that you did answer it. What a coincidence.’
Top of page |
Short Stories
 Previous
Story | Next Story
|
|
About
Textile Art
Knitted Art
Recycled Art
Knitting
- & Crochet
Spinning
- & Dyeing
Design Portfolio
Patterns
Cool to Knit
Workshops
Relationship
- Fiction
Short
- Stories
Poetry
Blog
Contact
Links
|
|
