This story about a couple is true. I've changed the people and the situation, but the emotions, the love and the discovery all happened.
When I was divorced I bought a nice small top floor flat in the city of Glasgow with a wonderful view across the city looking at the beautiful tower of the Bute Hall of the University. It was quite a quiet area and I was very happy there. I had various girlfriends but no real serious relationships. After having been married, and quite happily, for 18 years, I got divorced for reasons too complicated to explain here. I wasn't ready for a new full commitment and, besides, I'd not met a woman who made me think of that, not yet at least. I was 44 years old and fit, working out regularly at my local private health club and cycling about 300 miles a week in the summer time, less in the winter.
Just down the street and round the corner from my flat was a ubiquitous Pakistani corner shop. There seemed to be corner shops owned either by Indians or Africans all over the city, and in every city for that matter. They were always useful because they were open when no other shops were open, early in the morning, late at night and during every public holiday. Very useful. This particular shop was owned by a very nice couple, both in their 50s, and they alternated their work, but it was always one of them in the shop.
One day I went into the shop and there was a new woman behind the counter. She was Pakistani like the owners, and probably about 40 years old but with an incredibly welcoming face and very pretty. She looked at me, sizing me up, and I looked at her, sizing her up. Actually, it's bad to say it like that but, in those few seconds, that's exactly what happened. There was a bit of electricity in the air.
Her pretty face was almost without any make up apart from a very small touch of eye shadow. I liked that because I hate women with too much make up on. I always find it so false and dread seeing them in their natural state without it. That and women who smoke turn me off completely and I'll ignore even the most beautiful looking woman because of that. Pernickety or not, that's me and the way I've always been.
This woman though, apart from wearing virtually no make up, had long shiny dark hair about a third of the way drown her back and it was beautifully brushed. She was wearing a very pretty green and orange sari that looked of good quality. I must admit, though, that I know nothing about saris apart from the fact that they make Indian woman look very attractive a lot of the time. This one was one of the bare midriff variety and it showed off her nice flat stomach and her tight fitting short blouse top showing off the fullness of her breasts. They weren't big but nice and round and the whole ensemble was very pleasing to the eye.
"Hello," I said. "I haven't seen you before."
She told me, in a lovely lilting and gentle voice, but in perfect English apart from a slight Indian accent to it, that it was the first time that she had worked in the shop. She said she was a friend of the owners, lived not far away, and she was going to work there a few times a week so that the owners could have time off.
I bought a couple of items that I needed, paid and looked at her before leaving and said "See you again soon then?"
"I hope so," she replied.
I went back to my flat, not thinking much more about it. A few days later I went back to the shop, just to buy some milk actually as I'd run out, and there she was again. I hadn't thought about her being there this time, but her face lit up with a smile when she saw me and I smiled back. Maybe she smiled at everyone who went into the shop. I was the only one there the last time I saw her there and I was again the only one there this time. This smile was more than just a polite smile though, it was done with the eyes as well and it lit up her face. I smiled back, showing my delight at seeing her too.
"Hello again," I said.
"Hello," she said. "I was wondering if I would see you again."
That gave me a nice feeling inside. I got my milk and went to the cash desk with her behind it and said "You told me you live not far away. I presume you mean that you live here in the city?"
"Yes," she said. "I have a flat just off Byres Road."
Byres Road was a main street just five minutes away by car or twenty on foot and it was a road I often frequented because there are lots of nice restaurants there, my bike shop (I love cycling) and also my bank!
"Really close then," I said. "Have you lived there long?"
"Just over a year," She replied. "My husband left me for a younger model. I can't say I'm sorry he's gone, and so I'm starting a new life and enjoying it at the moment."
"Well, that makes two of us. I've been divorced for five years now. I must admit that I was the wayward one, not my wife, but I had no intention of marrying the other woman. My life just came to a junction and I realised that I had to leave and I've not had a single regret. I hope that doesn't sound hard, saying it like that, even though I had, on the whole, a good marriage. As for other women," I said, "at the risk of sounding corny, the older models are often better and some are far more good looking. Most of the younger ones tend to use too much make up and God knows what they look like when they wake up first thing in the morning with no make up on."
She gave a little giggle at that and said "I've never worn much make up. I prefer people to take me as they find me and, if they don't like what they see, that's their problem. My husband left me for his secretary whom I have seen once and she's a giggly young thing with blonde hair (she's Scottish, by the way), but you can see the dark roots and she splashes on the make up. Each to their own, but my husband has always had an eye for gullible young things to fuel his ego and libido."
"It seems that you're better off without him then. That is unless you loved him completely and you were very hurt by the way he left. From the way you've just spoken of him, though, it seems that that wasn't the case, unless I've completely taken your comments the wrong way."
"Not at all," she said. "In fact I was glad when he went and he's not left me completely penniless. I'm working here to help my best friends and to pass the time for a bit. It's nice to meet different people as they come into the shop. Some are very rude, but others are a delight to meet and speak to," she said whilst looking me straight in the eye with a lovely smile.
"I hope I come into the second category then. I don't think I've been rude to you so far have I?"
"Not at all," she said. "In fact it really gave me a lift seeing you coming in the door just now. I was wondering if I'd see you again. Do you live close by then?"
"Yes, just a hundred yards round the corner on the top floor."
