The Love Diary

Saturday 27th January

This morning I headed out to brunch with my friend Abbie and was telling me about a party she was throwing for her work colleagues.

"So it's going to be a police party?"

"Yes." She sighed frustrated.

"So there's going to be a lot of police there?"

"Yes."

"In uniform?"

"No Alice. They will not be in uniform because it's a party. Do you want to come or not?"

"Fuck yes I want to come. A man in uniform is sexy…" my sentence drifted first to calendar-esque policemen and then slowly to George. And I felt bad. But only a little.

"You better behave yourself woman. There's not going to be many civvies there" She exasperated.

I laughed at her and winked. I always can get my way with Abbie. From no civvies to not many…

After brunch I went home and spent most of my time trying to figure out what I was going to wear to the party later.
I settled on a black strappy dress that flows gently down my torso and spreads out around my thighs.

I then took the boys out and hopped into the shower to prep myself for the evening ahead.

Abbie introduced me to people as they arrived and I was walking back out to the party from the kitchen when the doorbell sounded. I glanced around and saw Abbie chatting with her boss and so I decided to answer the door.

I opened the door to three men standing on the doorstep. The one in front. He's unbelievably attractive. Tall, broad, salt and pepper grey with a light bread and vibrant blue eyes.

He locked eyes with me briefly and then looked around behind me.

"We're Anna's colleagues..." He was looking straight at me and raised the bottle of wine for me to see.

"Of course, come in come in, I'm Alice, her best friend." I opened the door wider for everyone to come in and I watched as he spotted Abbie and headed straight for her. He handed over the wine and then the three guys dispersed into the party.

I rushed straight over to Abbie as her boss turned away.

"Who is he?" I tried to subtly point in his direction. I'm not sure how subtle I was but I grabbed Abbie by both shoulders. "He's something."

"What Jimbo? I didn't realise you would be into an older man…"

"Jimbo? What's his actual name?” I was worried she was going to say it is his actual name.

"Oh it's James."

"Fuck me dead he's fucking everything. Is he nice? Funny?"

"Well why don't you go over and chat to Scott, you know him and James' his partner so that'll probably get you in.
I straighten myself up and turn heading over to Scott.

"Mate, how have you been?" Scott embraces me with a smile. Before I can respond he's talking again. "You met Jimbo yet?" As he asked I could feel someone coming up close to me. I turned to find Jimbo, James, had come up to my left.

"We met at the door briefly." I held out my hand to him and as his hand touched mine I felt a warm tingle in my hand and fluttering in my stomach.

“How do you two know each other?" He looked between us and gestured with his beard.

"Just through Abbie, you've been to a few of our parties before right Alice? Oh and she brought you to our team building paintballing that time didn't she?" He asked, smiling at me and then looking back at James.

"The time I annihilated you, you mean?" I teased.

"I don't remember that part…" Scott trailed off and then laughed before taking a slug of his beer.

We stood there chatting and at some point Scott left to use the bathroom. James and I continued chatting and laughing and every time he looked at me it was as if he was reading my soul.

"I love these things, you chat shit with your partner all day but some of the other lot you only speak to when here.” Abbie and a few other people headed over and quickly me and Abbie were chatting separately from them.

“So? You like him?” she flicked her eyes slightly towards James. We had been dancing together for a while, originally with a group but then we were left alone for a while.

“There's just something about him. Even beyond the heat.” I fanned myself with my hand and pretended to swoon. Abbie laughed at me.

The party had started to thin out and so I went and grabbed my jacket and said goodbye to Abbie before heading out to walk home.

Before anyone panics. I literally live down the road. If Abbie stood at the end of her path she could watch me get to mine.

"Hey Alice.” I turned and saw James walking towards me. “Before you head off. If I grab your number I can let you know about the concert?" We had talked about going to see Coldplay as a group earlier.

"Oh shit yeah sure.”  He typed it in then dialled. I held up my phone so he could see it ringing.
"Great. I'll text you tomorrow. But you're definitely down if I get the tickets?"
"Absolutely!" He smiled and turned back towards the guys he had arrived with. I watched him for a moment and wondered what I was doing.

A date or two with George doesn't mean exclusive right?