My train arrived into London Liverpool Street station at exactly 4.05 PM on a Mid-December Friday afternoon. Thoughts of my weekend with girlfriends in Bath lingered in my head as I weaved across the concourse to the tiny chic cafΓ© just behind the newsagents. I sat at the last empty table which was crammed into the corner of an already brimming room.
No sooner had I reached my seat when a tall dark figure of a man appeared in front of me. Not bad I thought as he gesticulated.. "is this seat free?"
Before I had chance to reply he promptly sat down. Keen, but didn't moan as he was six foot three tall and definitely my type. He looked intensely into my eyes as we discussed my plans for my trip to Bath via Paddington railway station.
Conversation flowed and we soon lost track of time.
An announcement over the station loudspeaker interrupted my gaze into his deep blue eyes. All trains through Moorgate underground had been cancelled due to an incident.
"Typical" he muttered . "I'm Tom by the way... would you like to share a taxi?" "I'm off to St Pancras you can catch the tube on from there."
I didn't need encouraging as I grabbed my bag and joined Tom at the taxi rank.
Our conversation intensified as the taxi shot out of the station and snaked through the busy pre-Christmas traffic.
Tom had an easy manner and I soon found I was staring into his eyes whilst listening to his experience of erotic business trips in the red light area of Amsterdam.
Not somewhere I had been or indeed knew a lot about.
Our warm fuzzy moment was abruptly shattered as a voice announced from the front of the taxi..."That will be a tenner guv if you don't mind."