If you have read my previous work then you must be knowing that I am married. My husband is kind to me but things can go really cold and how!?
I had tried and tried hard but the instability was growing and I desperately felt the need for switching my mind off!
It was the platinum week (my readers in the UK will understand) with days off merging in to the weekend and with the situation in my household I decided that I was going away for the evening (I had no idea where) and then my husband announced his plan of playing football and then his childhood friends meeting at the local place. At this point I decided that I wanted a break, possibly a break from me!
I chose to go to Leeds as one of my ex-colleagues was studying there, I did not call or intimate her about my arrival as I thought it would be a great surprise! (I am not against surprises but personally for me, they have backfired quite a lot of times!)
Moving on! I booked a hotel room in Leeds and took my train and checked in. My room looked fairly different as to what I had seen in pictures whilst booking.
I freshened up and since I paint a lot, I decided to visit the art gallery! It was walkable from my hotel and I was amazed with those intricacies I was looking at. Suddenly, I heard someone walking past to the other side of the room and I turned around to briefly notice this presence. He was about 6'3 and fit and had a friendly and warm smile to my look. I turned back concentrating on the painting I was looking at before.
After I finished my tour for the ground floor, I went to this beautiful and bright cafe getting rosehip tea and a croissant for myself. I sat fairly at the corner reading something about natural painting where I heard a strong and active "hello there!" and as I looked up I saw the same friendly smile, he asked "care if I join?" I froze for a second but I thought why not? Maybe he is in to art too and a lone traveller like me! So I agreed and we sat together. I hadn't noticed his greys on the side and his face this detailed the first time, little creases. He was in his early 40s. "I am Rob" he said, "and I am sorry if I startled you there before." I said it was okay and all good.
Rob was sipping his coffee somehow looking at me deeply as I asked him more about the painting he was looking at, he said it was just an excuse to be in the same room as me! To which I replied "and other 6 people?" he laughed it off and there was something deep about the way he looked at me saying "you were the first I stopped at" I don't know why I found myself feeling a bit proud and confused at the same time.
We talked about our work, how we liked painting and sketching and how he was married and quite unhappy with all the control exercised in his life and was on a business trip. Time went by and I got up thanking him for the company and wishing him all the best, to which he asked my plans, I told him that I was going to the museum. He asked "is it okay if I join you? I don't have plans and my two colleagues must be drinking now and I certainly don't want to join them; besides I think I don't want to miss you!" I know this was a lot for someone you have known for 2 hours but I just couldn't ignore it.
We found our way to the museum and wandered around talking about things and sharing what our lives are like and how some things are difficult. We actually connected there.
Rob gave me his number and I gave him a missed call so he had mine, I took his number and my steps back to my hotel.