Saturday, June 23, 2007

Wild Child

Thursday, though he didn't get off work as early as he'd hoped, American Boy did still take me to dinner in Chinatown. He did not like sending me home past midnight in the bus, and always pays the taxi fare.

So there I was yesterday thinking we'd meet at around 7 for dinner on Friday. However, mid afternoon he called to ask if I'd be ok getting off work at 5 or 5.30. I was fine with that. At 4.30 I got a text saying to meet him now! So, at 4.35, I walked out of the office - that was clever, giving me a double fare yesterday in anticipation of today. He was already at the restaurant - Tuttons, where we had been last week at the opera. When I asked how he had managed to get out of the office so early, he said he'd "just up and left". We sat at the bar with drinks and olives until our 5.30 table reservation came up with a nice view over the square. He doesn't really like olives and fed them to me, so when I said he should have mentioned that when the barman gave me a choice of munchies, he said it was alright because if I'm happy he's happy. How cute is that?

When we got our table, he ordered wine and a plat de charcuterie; I guess his German side rules there. W & his wife O were nearly an hour late, so I was already nicely mellow by then. R said they were lovely, and they were; very sweet, slightly shy, with an air of innocence (though R says W has a raunchy sense of humour - well, don't all military boys when they are together?); a nice couple. I had ricotta and sweet potato tortellini, R had rare tuna steak, O had grilled sea bass, and W had pork loin. They enjoyed the food and O filled out a comments card. When it came to dessert, only we girls ordered, which is the wrong way round, isn't it? I had a brownie with ice cream and she had a sticky toffee pudding and licked the plate clean, whereas I, having had a head start on the eating with the charcuterie plate, halted halfway through and remained full for hours afterwards.

Covent Garden was unusually dead for a Friday night, and that was definitely not because a few thousand people had gone off to Glastonbury...and surely not because there was a bit of rain. Where were the tourists? We were at a loss as to what to do - W was sure he would fall asleep if he sat down at a show or the cinema, so we stopped in a very pretty pub with high ceilings and amazing plaster friezes along the ceilings. O and I sat on a very high, slippery banquette and the only thing keeping us on it was the fact that we were leaning on the table. At first when we sat, a group of 3 guys oohed and aahed at us until W and R came back with their beers.

As we walked up the road with the boys holding the umbrellas, I backchatted R, and we got into a scuffle in which he lifted me up and I whacked him with my jacket. O and W, walking behind, threatened to report domestic violence. :)

Then we parted ways and R took me to a casino, the wicked boy. A nice one with no tourists, and a jazz singer. It was the first time I've ever used my Texas drivers license as ID in this country. What would I have used otherwise???

Anyway, we ordered G&Ts and found a blackjack table for about an hour and won a bit. When W called to say that Glastonbury was live on TV, R actually made me answer the phone which discombobulated both W and me for a couple of seconds! I rarely answer other people's phones. I was somewhat out of it for about an hour or so also, because I really had eaten too much and was unpleasantly stuffed and slightly queasy.

After blackjack we moved to poker. I have played blackjack before in the past at a spring formal but with no money: we were given an allotted number of free chips and I won an imaginary $40,000. By the time we got to the poker table, I was coming back to myself, but have never been able to grasp the concept of poker. So R tried to teach me with utmost patience because although I began to get it after a while, sort of, I think I am a hopeless case. He was impressed that I kept us going for a couple of hours though. It's nice winning on someone else's money. He cashed in the chips and gave me a cut, and forced me to admit that I found it "vaguely interesting" because he noticed the point at which I got this look of concentration on my face...

Good lord have mercy, the boy is just a bundle of mischief and really keeps me on my rusty old toes. And he wants to know why he gets so many dark looks shot his way?!

So anyway, I have won £50. What should I do with it???

P.S. I have a headache.

24 comments:

MattJ said...

I think you should buy a tent like I did with my unplanned extra 50 pounds I got last week! hehe.

MattJ said...

Though they are technically ill-gotten gains, maybe you should hand them over to me so as not to sully your conscience? :p

Sounds like you are going to have lots of devious dates, this is no bad thing - planning them is fun for him and you get to be surprised a lot!

Dan said...

What to do with the £50? Buy some aspirin for the headache!

Feeling better? :)

programmer craig said...

You are having way too much fun! Glad to see you enjoying yourself, though :)

AmitL said...

Hi,Olivia..American Boy seems to be full of mischief,indeed...:)Though,why u refer to urself as 'rusty old toes'??hahaha.:)And,hey,u mentioned one of my favourite lines:If you're happy,I am happy...I say it to people I like,pretty often-it solves so many argument-line situations,too,don't you think so?(I'm a peace-loving guy,u see.Ahem).Hope ur Sunday is as great as Thursday was.

Lotus Reads said...

Oh, I always have dessert when we go out to eat...my meal would not be complete without it! Glad American Boy is showing you such a nice time, enjoy! Why weren't you at Glastonbury? The rest of England was! :)

Olivia said...

Matt - don't need a tent, and I am grumpy because I had to stand all the way in the train from Reading with the muddy people coming back from Glastonbury, I guess...

***

Dan - someone suggested paying for a nice dinner for him, but the only money I have spent in his presence was pound coin for a tip.

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Craig - ah, about time, as you would know from reading my blog in the past.

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Amit - rusty old toes because it's been a long time since I sharpened my wit on anyone.

Saturday I went to a friend's BBQ out of town and just got back this evening.

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Lotus - we've had rain, and Glastonbury was the usual muddy pit. I hate mud.

MattJ said...

Amitl brought up something I forgot.

I do say 'if you're happy, I'm happy'. I do say that myself. I say it to people who's happiness I care about enough that the absence of it upsets me. That isn't to say he will always do it, and that is a very good thing - the last thing you want is a door mat, what you want is someone who appreciates that some things are more important than others, and some of thoise things are your needs rather than his.

Sorry, it was a bit of a ramble and not very coherent - point is I am pleased he appears to be treating you the way you so clearly deserve and this pleases me ;) (I can't admit to happy, it would affect my grmupable image!)

Anonymous said...

Hey Olivia,

Sorry I haven't stopped bye in a while. Seems I have missed so much! Sounds all very exciting! Am happy for you. :oD
Also are you moving out or did I get that wrong? Are you getting your own place now?

Um Naief said...

sounds like you had fun.... which is nice. did a few different things than you might have done.... that's american mischief... that's for sure!;)

so... have you mentioned the state that he's from or did i miss it? he sounds very polite so it makes me wonder if he's southern.

Olivia said...

Matt - that's uncharacteristically nice of you!

***

Rox - hey, I thought you'd given up blogging. Good to see you here again. Yes, I am moving to a bigger place and my mother will be joining me from across the pond.

***

Um Naief - yes, I did mention it but may have taken that post down as being too detailed. He is from Nashville. Yes, southern manners rule!

Beenzzz said...

That sounds like a fantastic evening. I'm sure the food ws fabulous. I'm a sea bass girl. I think you should take the money and treat this exciting guy to a few drinks.

ML said...

Sounds like a lot of fun! I know what you mean about eating a bit too much and having that horrid feeling in your gut.

MattJ said...

Yeah well, don't get used to it :p

Miss Dallas said...

Always order dessert and eat half, but never order it with ice cream, that way you can tuck the other half away in your purse and when you have the drunk munchies when you get home, you can have the other half!

Anyway, sounds like you and this American boy are getting along quite fantastically! I'm glad that you're so happy Liv! :)

Olivia said...

Beenzzz - I wish had ordered the sea bass. I don't remember seeing it on the menu...! I had my back to the specials board though...

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ML - ugh, and today with this nasty weather and a bit of family stress, my indigestion is back :(

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Matt - I think you were born on a gloomy day like this.

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Luna - you are naughty. It was a brownie with the softest most crumbly centre I'd ever seen. No hope tucking it into anything, no matter how it's wrapped.

MattJ said...

'Liv, I was born in Wales, if it wasn't raining I would have been hailed as the second coming.

The Moody Minstrel said...

Good ol' Nashville. There's no place like it on Earth!

I think you're having too much fun, m'lady. You need to remember your cynicism before you hurt yourself.

(I know, I know...I'll put the bucket back on.)

MattJ said...

No way! I cynicise (it's a word, IT IS! :p) so she don't have to ;) lol!

Olivia said...

Minstrel - goodness, yes I seem to have misplaced my trusty old friend Cynicism. Matt, did you nick it?

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I promise, I started a blog yesterday afternoon from all the tags I received last week, but before you know it, I am going to have to blog about tonight's event anyway.

Anonymous said...

Donate the 50 pounds to a charity and tell the Queen I said "Hi".

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful evening out. I too cannot understand the concept of poker, when we were in Vegas, I would stand around the poker tables desperately trying to follow it up, at no avail.

I personally like the slot machines…. I sometimes get lucky playing them.

Do keep the 50 for the next time ;)

Olivia said...

Paul - thanks for dropping by.

Actually, I bought him a pair of antique silver rod cufflinks with tiny cabochon carnelian on the ends, very well received.

***

Hashim - I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't get it and at least it's not because I am a girl.

Anonymous said...

I like your American boy! Kolohe means mischevious in Hawaiian (among other things). Kolohe is good!

Hugs,

Alohalani