At Least We Have Good Weather: A Life of Love and Loss

Chapter 36

Content with where my career was headed, I once again felt myself ready to try the dating world one more time. I put on a brave face, and like the Terminator of love, I scanned my potential targets.

My well of options had seemingly dried up a long time ago, and I didn't know where my next interest would come from since I had become very much a hermit who didn't go out anymore, no longer had close friends to spend time with, and was just seemingly exhausted with the whole process, but when I am inspired, I seem to make the impossible happen. Or at least get close to impossible and then blow it at right at the end.

Enter, Akira.

I first noticed Akira back in late 2006 when I visited the offices of one of our creative partners. My introduction was nothing more than simply walking past a picture of her on the cubicle of her desk. Now obviously nobody has a picture of just himself or herself on display, so yes, it was a "couples picture" of her and her boyfriend of the time. I, however, couldn't see the image of her boyfriend in my peripheral vision, and only noticed the emo Indian girl with bangs to die for.

It took me a while to find out her name, and by the time I did she had long left the company. However, three years after first seeing her picture, I found her name on a popular youth website, as one of the content administrators. So I chanced it and got in touch with her.

Our common love for all things pop culture eventually got us talking, and we struck up a semi- decent friendship. We moved in a lot of the same circles in terms of our careers, and I offered advice where I could. Eventually she would lose her job with the website, and I helped her apply for related jobs where I could.

Coincidently, a writing job had opened up with my old employers, Heat, and she applied for it. I told her I would put in a good word for her, and I did. Going to bat for someone I didn't know that well, but had the utmost faith in her passion and ability.

Awkwardly, as a result of me getting in touch with my colleagues, Heat approached me to be a regular TV blogger for their website. Eager to do some writing again, and out of pure respect for Akira, I wanted to clear it with her first. Even though they were completely separate gigs, I didn't want it to be seen as a sneaky move on my part.

Well, no good deed goes unpunished, and it turned out that even the request itself upset her, and she took it very personally as she didn't get the original job. From that day there was a noticeable tension due to the assumption I had used the opportunity to try and get myself back in the spotlight.

A few months passed and she eventually did get a job at yet another of my old employers, the TV studio, and we started speaking again. At this point we had still not met in person.

Come later 2009, with a new season of Idols approaching, and because both our jobs now intertwined with the show, I organized us invites to the weekly shows, and we finally met for the first time.

The first time we met, I was still wearing a beard and long hair. And she made it known that I was in dire need of a makeover.

The next time I saw her, I had indeed undergone a complete change of look, because of the Lori episode, and she was now much impressed with my new appearance.

Soon after that, we attended the local gala premiere of the movie District 9 together, joined by her drop-dead gorgeous friend Tams, who, while shy, was just as much a pop culture junkie as us. This made the evening highly enjoyable and offered a faint glimmer of hope that maybe there was a bit more to come. But...there wasn't.

I had tested the waters by flirting regularly with Akira, but there was never much given back. I did then find out she was interested in another guy. I quickly became the guy who listened as a friend, and offered sage advice, till she decided the advice she wanted, and gave me (a lonely soul), in return was not good. Within one single night, the conversation became argumentative, and she deleted me. The dreaded and very deliberate delete was something I would feel the pain of many times over.