I'd spotted him as soon as he'd walked in the bar. Good looking; even if he was inappropriately under-dressed for this quite smart establishment, I'd thought. He was of medium build, above average height, short-ish brown hair and the beginnings of a tan, caught from the first decent sunshine we'd encountered during this atrocious alleged summer of ours.
Passing our table, he'd smiled down at us and Janice, my friend, knocked her knee against mine beneath the table and grinned devilishly at me, wiggling her eyebrows as he made his way to the bar.
I knew that I'd blushed slightly at him, a reaction not helped by Lindsay, my youngest daughter, who blatantly swiveled around to see what we were looking at and I was relieved that the guy had resumed chatting to the barman and had luckily missed her overt gawping.
I don't know why, but the more I looked at him, relaxed back on the bar stool, a knee against the counter rail as he rocked slowly, and dangerously I thought, back and forth; the more I was intrigued by him. Eventually I heard him ask the barman, who was getting busier and less able to gossip, (and they make out it's us women!) for the day's newspaper; and then sat quietly studying it, while I took longer and more frequent sips of my drink, eventually announcing to the girls that 'I'd go get another round before we ate.'
Janice and Lindsay swapped a knowing stare, and my friend even called after me that, 'surely it was her turn.' but I was already on my way.
Wouldn't you know it, he was so engrossed in the paper that he never even saw me until it was too late and I received my change from the barman before he looked up and we exchanged smiles. Damn!
According to Janice though, he'd kept his eyes on me all the way as I rejoined the girls, probably watching my own overt wiggling, though why I decided to do such a school-girlish thing like that I'll never know.
I'd hardly got my bum back on the stool before Jan' nudged me and he got down from his own perch and made for the bathroom.
Ding dong, giggled Lindsay and Janice almost in unison as he strolled out of the room and I frowned at them as my friend, who could hardly believe that I'd not seen what she had noticed from the first sight of him, cackled along with my daughter.
'Oh come on Carol, you're not that much of a goody-two-shoes,' she giggled.
"I honestly don't know what you mean." I'd pleaded.
"Oh come on mom," chuckled Lindsay, "I've only seen him once and it's obvious."
"Shhh shh he's back." They twittered and now I saw what the giggles had been about.
"You two are terrible," I said reprovingly and colouring up. I also found myself looking over again, wanting to confirm what I think I saw but he had his back to us again now and I was annoyed to see Lindsay slip off her stool and go fetch the menus off the bar, something I would have liked to have done
"That's why he's wearing long shorts," tittered Janice who was having a high old time of it.
"You don't think it could really be that long, do you?" I gasped, "I mean it was half way down his thigh."
"Well, why don't you find out?" she smiled and added: "Carol if I wasn't married I'd be trying to find out myself."
"OMG," giggled Lindsay as she rejoined us, and he looked back over his shoulder at her outburst and I saw him check out her legs and bum before he noticed my stare and we swapped another awkward albeit brief smile, before turning away at the same moment.
"Come on," said Lindsay, "Let's go sit outside, we're wasting sunlight in here," she pouted.
So off we went, but not before I insisted upon ordering the food, and as the girls chuckled I made my way to the bar.
Standing alone this time, he was still oblivious and chatting to the guy behind the bar about stupid football or something, then laughing loudly over some stunt they were performing with what appeared to be a bottle of chilli-sauce.
"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed to no-one in particular, until his eyes came to rest upon me.
As the guy from behind the bar took my order, he lifted a French fry on his fork, grinned, and said: "Don't let him talk you into the chilli-sauce."
"Is it hot?" I smiled, not really knowing what else to say. Of COURSE it's bloody hot Carol! I admonished myself.