Before i begin describing what happened next regarding alan i feel it's important to first explain something that was happening at the same time, as it's relevant to the next part of our journey.
As things were coming to a head with my elderly boyfriend, john was in the process of changing jobs. He had been finding it difficult for a long time to work the weekends.
Friday and saturday nights were the big money nights but at the same time it was long hours, right through the night.
Worryingly he was having trouble concentrating while driving and had even fallen asleep at the wheel, albeit briefly, and thankfully with no passengers in the car.
The problem was getting worse.
Also one of the other drivers had been robbed recently, at knife point.
It worried me sick when he did a weekend.
What he wanted was a more stable, regular hours job.
Days or mornings, anything but those long nights.
After many months of talking about it, john decided it was time to do something about it after bumping into an old friend of his while we were out shopping.
This friend had been a fellow taxi driver but had decided like john, that the long nights were getting too much.
This old friend had gotten a job with a furniture distribution warehouse on the edge of our village. He told john it was the best decision he'd made.
Although the work was hard, loading furniture onto a truck and delivering it to customers homes, the pay was very good.
More importantly, it was a regular 8 to 5, monday to friday job.
A rarity these days.
Apparently they had a separate team that just worked weekends.
It was perfect, and, a position had become available.
The guy would put a good word in for him if he fancied it?
John did.
And just like that he applied the next day.
The application was successful.
So, at the time we were arranging to meet alan, john was leaving the job he'd been in most of his working life.
It was a little emotional for him on that last day, the other drivers all bought him a present and gave him a big card signed by them all.
It's surprising how quickly something so familiar can change like that, just because of a chance meeting with an old friend.
John actually started his new job just one day after we met up with alan together as a couple, for the first time.
Anyway, back to that first meeting.....
It turned out that alan was more eager to meet john than what I'd dared hope for....it appeared that the seed I'd planted in his imagination of us being watched by my husband.....had grown and borne fruit.
During the coming days after our little chat in the bedroom he texted me with suggestions and ideas about where and when we could all meet up.
It was a little tricky getting the meeting timed just right to please everyone.
What with johns new job and alan having to tell lies to his wife and family.
Eventually we got it worked out.
Although alans first suggestion of a little quiet café tucked away in another obscure village was rejected by john, who happened to know the place alan had chosen.
Johns objection was that the café was too quiet, what we needed was somewhere big and busy with lots of people where we could just blend in.
So, there is a chain of pubs here in the UK that anyone from here will know what I'm talking about.
Usually big places, cheap and cheerful and very popular.
We chose one of these.
It was arranged for a tuesday morning, we would meet alan at 10am.
I cannot accurately describe the tension and excitement that dominated the days running up to that meeting....
Tuesday morning finally arrived and we got ready. Alan had texted me that morning saying everything was ok and he was looking forward to seeing us.
I decided to tease alan a little by dressing up quite formally, as i had done on our first meeting.
Although at that time i hadn't known that he was very turned on by the 'secretary' look.
I put on what I'd worn on that occasion, right down to the undergarments, white stockings.....french knickers.
The object here was that alan would know what i was wearing underneath......get all those recent memories.... flooding back.
I know we'd arranged to just have a friendly chat.....but you never know.
Perhaps my powers of persuasion may work.
John was prepared too, more than prepared actually.
Although nervous, he was chomping at the bit to see me getting it on with this old guy.
We had discussed the possibility of alan coming back that morning to our house.
John was buzzing with nervous excitement at the prospect.
And then the moment came, to set off.
We were both a bundle of nerves.
John even made 2 wrong turns as he tried to find the place he himself had suggested.
He knows the local area very well, and still....
like i said.....bundle of nerves.
Again, i will not attempt to describe the tension and excitement combined that flowed through us both that morning, as we pulled up to a stop in the car park....right next to alans mercedes which i recognised.
I'm not normally good with cars but alans merc was very distinctive.
I pointed it out to john saying, "he's here", rather dramatically.
John was very impressed with the car
"That's..his?", He asked sounding surprised.
He reversed our car up into the next space to alans and sat there for a moment admiring the merc.
Johns a car nut and will happily drone on about them for hours.... until i tell him to shut up that is.
He began quoting letters and numbers that were supposed to mean something, horsepower etc, this that and, as they say around these parts....t'other.
Which of course meant nothing to me.
Although i do recognise quality when i see it, and i knew that alans car had plenty of room in the back and a nice comfy backseat....
We'd tried it out just once when steve was unexpectedly off school with a minor illness.
Unable to use our bedroom i was taken for a ride down a quiet country lane instead.....for a small guy alan could really make that car rock on its springs....
