Chapter 4: Round Two

So - there is a round two, I thought later, remembering her parting shot! I have to say as I'd chosen Dares we were done now, and was genuinely surprised when she said it was her turn and she was choosing 'Date' and I was to go first. And, as you'll be wondering, I'd avoided 'date' as it was too risky and raw if she didn't feel the same way as I was beginning to, as I believed she didn't. Bit of a double-edged sword and I knew who was about to get cut to ribbons.

Rules turned out to be roughly the same - only you get twelve hours and need two meals and two or more activities - cost ceiling was still the same, she says as it makes more of a challenge. Again she suggested best to go simple, not extravagant and rely more on what you know of that person - particularly if they aren't aware that you know. But maybe surprise them with something they'd not known they'd enjoy. And I got to go first this time, so no clues from what she would choose.

I'd met some of her friends but didn't ask if it was breaking the rules to get them involved. I figured if I didn't ask then it wasn't breaking a known rule, at any rate and spent an afternoon with a very flirtatious Naomi who runs the shop that she got me to visit a few weeks back, for some shirts that she said didn't remind her of retired policemen. Anyway, Naomi was useful for tips on likes and dislikes and I had a reasonable game plan in my head for activities by the time I left - I think that Naomi had one in hers too, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out exactly what it entailed ...

Harry was surprisingly even more helpful - having somehow heard about what was happening - I do wonder how much she and Sherlock talk behind my back. She was so definite that a little old fashioned gentlemanly touches would go down well that I took onboard everything she suggested. "Honey, it's your style - but don't go for anything that can be taken as patronising - forget opening car doors - women these days feel insulted and not taken seriously - that thing you do with the hand on the back ... forget that one, like she's not capable of sitting down without you guiding her there ... nice touches like find out her favourite flowers and bring a small bouquet - not the flash ones, she's much more likely to go for something quirky - lily-of-the-valley, irises, violets - that kind of thing. Ask a friend of hers, or I'll find out for you - just ask, little brother.

"And if you're bringing chocolates, then very small number - three or four at most really good ones, hand made, preferably by you - nothing says 'I think you're a glutton' more than a huge box, so don't be tempted to be flash. She likes truffles made with Cognac, by the way." Now how does she know that?

Harry wasn't wrong about the flowers - have you any idea how hard it is to get primroses in London this time of year!? No! Well neither did I until I asked. But I got them, thanks to a contact of Sherlock's, plus I made a small selection of chocs and a pretty box, ribbon the lot - didn't know I had it in me - could really go for the whole craft-scene ...

I had a few favours to call in from old army buddies. Frank and Ray were both in prime positions to help out ... So neither of my activities would cost a penny, leaving my money for food and miscellaneous expenses.

Text read Be ready 10am Fri - smart-casual, comfy shoes - await further instructions Jx

Yeah, I know the x was corny, but otherwise it read too formal somehow for a proper date this time. At 10am I rang her bell rather than sending a further text. She looked slightly distracted when answering the door, but then genuinely pleased when she saw it was me. "Don't like being rude to Jehovah Witnesses," she said. "I thought I was going to have to get rid of whoever ..."

Harry was right about both the flowers and the chocolates and I was rewarded with my second kiss on the lips - heaven! She took a tiny bite from one of the truffles and held the rest up to my mouth. "Those are for you!" I pleaded. But it was too tempting to eat from her hand to refuse.

We walked through London streets that, thanks to her, I was seeing very differently. She talked about the design and architecture of everything from the office blocks to the sweep of a curb or the choice of what she called street furniture - lampposts, signage. She knew all the font types and the materials used, down to the percentage mix of the concrete in some cases or where various bricks were sourced. Funnily enough the way she talked about those things it was neither nerdy nor tedious.

She was particularly excited about some garishly ugly post-modern buildings that, to me, stuck out like sore thumbs in amongst the older more sedate London buildings. Apparently they were so ugly that they were beautiful and, though she said she'd never have designed them herself, the contrasts between all the other styles of building - and there were at least a dozen that she could distinguish - was what made London such a joy to walk through. I dropped getting the tube - all I could afford on my budget - as we were enjoying this unexpected part of the 'date'.

And there we were at the art house cinema that Ray had bought with an inheritance and his disability pension. Just for one morning he was playing an old copy of Casablanca - I take credit for knowing she loved that, and remembering she'd said she'd have loved to have seen it in a proper cinema. Ray had begged, borrowed or stolen - I wasn't about to look a gift-horse - for the occasion.

This time my bag contained pop-corn for two and a couple of chilled cans - having first checked my sources for what she went for. Given we had the run of the place she got to choose where to sit and shyly asked if I'd mind sitting on the floor in the aisle - after all we had the place to ourselves - once in a lifetime opportunity. She sat in her usual strange position with her feet together and knees right out to the sides - balancing the bag of popcorn on her feet.

As the film progressed I found she was sitting progressively closer to me, so that by the time it was obvious that the films protagonists weren't going to get together after all, she had her hand on my thigh, which was making it rather hard to concentrate on the plot.

It always stuns me when I come out a matinee that the suns is still shining outside. And it really was unseasonably warm that day too. Walking to our next destination was a pleasure - though I doubt I'd have noticed a hurricane approaching when with her.

Frank turned up trumps with dinner. Simple, intimate and incidentally very tasty. Naomi had tipped me off about her love of Nepalese cooking and it went well. Frank and his wife run Salsa classes too, so ready made activity afterwards with the prefect excuse to touch her again. And then Frank's son, who works as a cycle rickshaw driver for a local supermarket, gave us a lift back to her place. I got coffee - but who knows, I'm beginning to think that anything is possible ...