Thirty-Four
Saturday 31st October
I’d written back to Henrik to accept his date but had no idea if he’d received my letter. How had people ever got together in the eighties – or ever, in fact – before technology existed? I suppose you just had to marry your neighbour in those days and that was that.
I was completely out of my comfort zone as I walked into the restaurant at The Soho Hotel and anxiously scanned the crowd. Even though I knew Henrik, it still somehow felt like I was on a blind date. The bar was packed with beautiful people supping cold beers and cocktails and singing along to ‘Pink Pony Club’, but I couldn’t see Henrik anywhere.Was I in the wrong place?Was there another Soho Hotel? Had he changed his mind? Was I too late? Too early?
‘Are you joining us for dinner?’ A lady in a smart cream suit interrupted my spiralling thoughts as I hovered by the door.
‘Hi!’ I said, wide-eyed. ‘Er… yes. At least, I think I am. Nilsen at eight o’clock?’
She scanned her iPad to check, as I felt his arms around my waist.
‘Hi,’ Henrik breathed into my ear, spinning me round.
I was completely stunned. ‘Are you really here?’
He kissed me gently on the lips. ‘Looks like it, doesn’t it?’ he said with a cheeky smile. His hair was loose and lion-like as hetowered above me, sexy and stylish in faded cords and a well-cut suit jacket. He looked like a rock star.
‘If you’d like to follow me.’ The maître d’ took us to a candlelit table in the corner, away from the noise at the bar. It was decorated with tiny pumpkins and beautifully laid with black and white plates and fresh flowers. ‘We have a special Halloween menu tonight, or you can stick to the ala carte,’ she said, handing us menus. ‘Can I get you some drinks?’
‘Shall we start with a glass of champagne?’ Henrik asked.
I smiled and nodded. ‘Another special occasion so soon?’
‘Yes,’ he said, giving me one of his slow smiles.
The lady left us to it as his feet scooped mine up under the table.
‘Well, this is a nice surprise,’ I said. ‘Having you all to myself in London town.’
‘You forget I was once an international jet setter. I have no issue with hopping on a plane and I’m a big fan of London, in small doses. I used to stay here a lot in my past life.’ He poured us both some water and an Omega watch peeped out from under his sleeve, reminders of his past life suddenly everywhere.
‘I’m worried you’re a mirage.’ He grabbed my hand under the table, tangible proof that he was real.
‘How has it been being back?’ he asked, staring at me in wonder.
‘Noisy,’ I said, as the singing at the bar reached a crescendo. ‘I found the silence stifling when I first arrived at Firefly and now I crave it.’
‘I’ll record the meditations for you if you like. Then you can close your eyes and pretend you’re back in the Sun Hut.’
‘Sure,’ I snorted. ‘And then I’ll lie underwater in the bath with a fish and pretend I’m in the Maldives.’
He laughed. ‘It might work! It’s good for the nervous system to immerse yourself in calm, however you choose to do it.’
‘True. Your meditations were working like a charm at Firefly, so it’s worth a shot. You could record them straight into my phone.’ I liked the idea of his throaty voice lulling me to sleep each night. Deep and sexy.
‘Sure. I’ll do it for you tonight. Meditation and spending time in nature are both good habits to cultivate. Even if you got nothing else out of the retreat.’
‘Oh, I got plenty out of it. I can light a fire with my eyes closed, for a start.’
Henrik laughed. ‘I’m pretty sure our insurance doesn’t cover that.’
The champagne arrived and the waitress took our order.
‘I’ve missed you,’ Henrik said, holding his glass up and clinking mine.
I couldn’t stop smiling. ‘It’s going to take me a minute to get over the shock of you being here.’
