The Third Date 01: Clueless of Cotham

"Oh, that's why you weren't here on Tuesday."

So she'd been in looking for me. This looked promising.

"So, Priya, I was wondering if..." I began.

"You Priya, yeah? Nade's friend?" a tall, shaven haired guy pushed past me and slumped into the chair, legs spread wide. He had red-rimmed eyes, a nose piercing and a fine collection of spots. "Bit posh this place, innit?"

He seemed rather oblivious to the look of horror that was spreading on Priya's face. He was called JT apparently and stank of weed. This looked like a bigger car crash than her last one. I was beginning to wonder whether her flatmates secretly hated her.

Priya:

I slammed the front door behind me, and stalked into the kitchen angry and upset. "What the hell Nade? Like seriously? If that was a joke, it wasn't funny!"

"Oh God, no babe it wasn't, trust. What happened?"

"Well, he was quite clearly high. He was loud, obnoxious, and he spent half the time trying to persuade me to give him a blowjob in the toilets! Shut it you!" I yelled at Melissa who had burst out laughing.

"Oh babe, I'm so sorry. I'm totes gonna kill him I swear, for real," Nadine wrapped me in a hug, while Melissa continued to snicker to herself.

"The worst thing was," I began as I blew Nadine's curly hair from my mouth, "was that Kate - you know that waitress - was there: she had to rescue me! It was mortifying."

Melissa started laughing harder. "I'm texting Jenny. She is going to have her work cut out to top this!"

"Oh Priya, I'm mega sorry. For real, I'm gonna kick him so hard in the balls next time I see him."

"Ugh! I need a shower! I need to wash off the smell! Stop laughing Melissa!"

I stomped upstairs, slightly mollified by Nade's apology but still angry.

Stripping, I jumped into the warm shower, willing the tension to start draining out of me and down the plug hole. I just wanted to wash this whole experience away.

As I climbed into bed, I tried to focus on something more positive. I was still angry with Melissa and Nadine; the only person who had come out of this whole disaster with any credit to their name was Kate. She'd been so calm and collected, cooly ushering JT out the door, despite his size. She was so nice. If only I could have a date that was as easy to talk to as she was.

Kate

"Priya," I called out.

I was just coming back from evening swim training at the Union when I saw her coming out of Sainsbury's.

"Oh hi Kate!" The way she said my name sent a little thrill through me. This was dangerous.

"Nice to see you," I replied, trying to hide my enthusiasm.

"You too! Thanks again for last night... and the one before."

"You're welcome. One more to go huh?" I added with a grin.

"Don't remind me!" she groaned, "Listen... what are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, why?" This sounded promising!

"My friend Nadine is playing at the Academy down in town and she asked me to put you on the guestlist. Would you like to come?"

"Yes, sure, that sounds lovely... Hang on, wait, why does she want to put me on the guest list?"

"Well..." she paused as she moved aside to let somebody pass. We were kind of blocking the pavement. "Listen, which way are you headed?"

"I live up the Hill," I pointed up past the Lounge.

"Oh, perfect, well, look, if you aren't in a rush, do you want to come round? My house is just there. It's hard to explain, but it would be easier to play it to you."

"Play it to me? Ok, now I'm intrigued! Lead on!" This sounded really promising!

"Great!"

Turned out she only lived 5 minutes away. It excited me to think I might be making a new friend who lived and worked nearby.

Her infamous flatmates weren't home and she gave me a quick tour of downstairs.

"Do you need to put anything in the fridge or freezer? Would you like something to drink?"

She played hostess for a minute, making us both a ginger tea, then asked me to make myself comfortable in the living room.

"Ok, so my friend Nadine is this brilliant singer-songwriter, and I often record cello and harmonies for her," she began, "and the other night, after we met, I was improvising on the cello and..." She was gazing at me intensely and I was feeling a little hot under the collar. Her eyes were so deep and warm.

"Sorry, I think it'll make more sense if I just play it to you..." she pulled out her mobile and did something, then music started coming out of the stereo.

Priya

I sat down in the arm chair to the side of the sofa. I didn't want to stare at her, but was incredibly conscious of her reaction, and kept glancing her way. I really hoped she'd like it. She started leaning forwards, elbows on her knees, cupping her mug in both hands. As the first chorus hit, her eyes closed. Her right hand began to move as the refrain came in with the verse, and she cocked her head, a smile creeping over her face. As the song progressed, I found myself biting my lip; she seemed to be enjoying it, but her verdict really mattered to me, which was odd. She was a stranger, somebody I'd meant twice, three times if you counted today, but I felt like I needed her approval.

As the song came to an end, she opened her eyes and smiled at me. "Wow! That was brilliant: I'm going to have that stuck in my head all day. You play beautifully."

"Thanks," I blushed, feeling slightly disloyal to Nadine, "though, obviously Nadine wrote that."

"Yeah, but it's the cello part that sticks in your mind. It's so graceful, so positive, so... I don't know... I want to say energetic, but that doesn't seem quite right."

"I'm really glad you liked it. So, will you come tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure... but I'm still a bit confused about why your friend... Nadine?" I nodded. "Why Nadine wants me on the guestlist?"

"Ah....ok... so, um, ok... I hope this doesn't sound weird, but," my words are almost wincing, "um, that cello part was inspired by you."

She nearly choked on her tea, her eyes bulging.

"What?!"

I couldn't help it, but I laughed a little at her reaction. "I was improvising and found myself thinking about how you moved..."

"How I moved!?" Her eyes were wide, fixed on mine, her body turned towards me, a huge smile on her face.

"Yeah... you were so..." I tried to remember her words, "graceful, positive and... energetic... so in command of the space... so... quick quick glide step glide step," I sang those words to the tune of the refrain, sending her eyebrows skywards and her mouth opening into a perfect O, "and Nadine had only recently written that song, and I just knew it would work. I recorded it for her straightaway," her eyes were glistening and I realised I was starting to babble, so I got up and started pacing, my body demanding I move somehow but also needing to escape her gaze, "and we re-recorded it the next night. When I told Nadine what inspired it she insisted I track you down and invite you and..." my voice trailed away and I bit my lip, risking a glance at her. She was smiling.

"I'm so sorry, it was weird wasn't it..."

"No, no!" she cut me off, "It's just I can't believe it. That song was so beautiful and nobody has ever said anything like that to me," she managed to get out, with a heavy emphasis on "ever". "Thank you, I'm so, so touched." She paused. "Just wow! You two are so talented."

She asked for details of the gig, and we swapped numbers, arranging to go down together. I also shared the file with her. Suddenly, I didn't want her to leave.

"Listen, I'm on my own. Do you have plans? Or would you like to stay and have some food with me? I'm a pretty good cook."

"Well, you're certainly pretty," she said, seemingly to herself, "yes, I'd love to, if you are sure I'm not imposing."

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

I made up some saag paneer and spiced rice, which went well with the leftover peanut and yam curry. We both had a couple of beers and the conversation flowed. I discovered she was the eldest of three (unlike me, the accidental baby of the family) and her parents lived just outside Guildford, and after I'd praised Jenny to the roof, she talked about her own inspirational Chemistry teacher.

"Here, let me help you."

"No, no," I insisted as I started to clear away, "you're the guest."

"Yeah, and the quicker I help, the quicker I get my hostess back. Can this all go in the dishwasher?"

"Yes, but not that bowl. It's a bit delicate. I'll wash that with the pots."

We moved easily around each other in the kitchen, and she grabbed a tea towel to help dry, resting a hand on my back as she leant past me to grab things off the draining board. That was sweet of her. It felt like I'd known her for years.

Once we'd finished, she seemed in no hurry to leave, so we moved back to the sofa, sitting side by side. Our conversation ranged from our work, her swimming (she was training for a big outdoor swim in a couple of weeks), music and books. When I told her about my love of Historical fiction, she asked if I'd read any Sarah Waters, which I hadn't, and she promised to lend me Fingersmith.

"You'll love it!"

"What's it about?"

"Nope, not telling. It's one of those you can't go into with expectations otherwise you don't get the full glory of it. No spoilers here. I'll drop it round."

"Oh, thanks," I felt buoyed up to think she already felt close enough to me to lend things, which also spoke to future friendship.

My earlier intuition about dancing was spot on - she'd done lots of salsa dancing in Cambridge and we noisily agreed to go out together soon. She then made me blush massively when she told me that she'd spent the previous weekend tracking down and watching programmes I had scored. I was so flattered I didn't know what to say.

Finally, she fell quiet.

"So..." she said looking at me. I felt a pang in my stomach as I realised she was about to leave. It was only 10. Still earlyish for a Saturday. Still, I didn't know how busy her day had been. "I know you said you get stressed playing live... but could I get you to play something for me?"

"Oh!" That wasn't what I expected. "Um..." I hesitated. I didn't want her to go, so this seemed like a good way to keep her here a little longer. She was biting her lip, looking at me nervously, which seemed at odds with her usual confident air.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she began.

"No, no!" I broke in, "it's fine, I can play for you." Not the cello, but I could probably play piano for her. I stood up and moved past her, brushing gently past her legs as I moved to Nadine's electric piano in the corner. "Any requests?"

"Whatever you feel like."

"Ok." I thought for a second. What to play for her? I was still slightly in awe of her - she was so smart, so capable, so trendy - I decided I wanted to impress her. Hmmm. I had exactly the right tune in my repertoire.

Have you ever seen that film Shine with Geoffrey Rush? If so, there's a scene where he walks into a restaurant looking like a tramp. The waiter moves to get him out, but he sits at the piano and starts playing "The Flight of the Bumblebee". My parents showed it to me when I was 12, and I spent the next two days learning the piece. I've never forgotten it and it is a great piece to show off.

I don't know if she knew it or not, but I felt her move to a chair nearby. It's a piece that does require concentration, especially as I was coming at it cold, without warming up, so I didn't look at her while I was playing, but when I finished she burst into applause.

"Oh my God Priya!" she half laughed, half shrieked, "you are so ridiculously talented! Wow, just wow! I'm actually quite intimidated by how amazing and lovely you are."

"Pish. Nonsense! You're the Cambridge graduate curing cancer! Stop being silly."

She waved this away. "Can you play me something else?"

I could. I was surprised. It had taken me a while to even be comfortable playing for Nadine. University had been hell in many ways because of my hang ups with performing. But around her I felt completely safe and at ease. It was rather wonderful. Perhaps it was her reaction.

Suddenly, I remembered why she was here and knew what song I wanted to play for her.

"I've got it!" I reached over for my folder of sheet music and quickly found the one I was looking for. "Seeing as I brought you here to play you a song you partly inspired, it seems fitting to sing you a song about inspiring a song."

"Huh?"

"You'll work it out, I'm sure."

I knew this one quite well and would only need to glance at the page occasionally, so I began the song singing it to her.

It's a little bit funny,

This feeling inside...

She was giving me such a strange look, I nearly faltered and glanced back to the lyric sheet to cover it. My performance anxiety was hitting me hard as I felt a flush creep up my neck. I wanted to just stop, but I thought that would be even more mortifying, so I ploughed on.

I hope you don't mind,

I hope you don't mind,

That I put down in words,

How wonderful life is

While you're in the world.

I risked a glance. She was rapt, watching me with a blissful expression on her face.

I decided I needed to make it clear why I was singing this particular song to her, so I turned my head to face her again as I circled back to the key lyric and increased my volume slightly.

And you can tell everybody

This is YOUR song.

There was a smile on her face that I hoped signified that she'd got it. My body was hot all over as I came to final chords, improvising a little piano outro to allow the lyrics to die away and try to avoid the awkwardness that was sure to come. Finally, my fingers stopped moving and I just sat there, willing the incipient panic attack away, my skin on fire, my stomach in knots. I didn't dare look at her. I wondered whether I could just go straight into another song to cover it, or if I could beg a toilet break, but in my indecision a hideous silence was growing.

"Priya, are you..."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a key in the lock, and Jenny and Tom's voices came through.

"Hi, is anyone home?"

I jumped up like I'd just been caught going through my older sister's underwear drawer, moved away, still unable to bring myself to look at Kate.

"Jenny! Tom! Hi! HowwasyoureveningthisismyfriendKatehaveyoueatenareyouhungry..." Words were spewing out of me. I felt like I was 14 again. What the hell was the matter with me? This was why I didn't perform!

"No we just ate..." replied Tom.

"Oh, are you Kate? I'm Jenny." Jenny moved past me, hand out.

"Yes, that's right. Nice to meet you."

"The waitress with the PhD?"

"Yeah. Er..."

"Oh, don't be embarrassed. Priya hasn't stopped talking about you."

"Oi! Not true!" I protested.

"Just joshing. Cup of tea anyone?"

"I'll make it," I squeaked, seizing the chance to get out of the room.

Making tea calmed me, helping me shed the lingering panic performing had brought on. When I came back the three of them were sitting and chatting. I handed round the mugs. Jenny and Tom had been out for a meal on Whiteladies with some of his colleagues, so it made sense for them to stay here so they could both have a drink, rather than go back to his house in Filton. I was relieved, and slowly the tension dissipated. Jenny monopolised Kate's conversation, wanting to know all about her and was thrilled to discover she planned to come to the concert the next night. I caught up with Tom - he was a nice guy who Jenny had met on her first trainee teacher placement - but noticed that Kate kept glancing my way and frowning. I tried to smile back as often as I could.

Jenny then proposed a game of RummiKub - no bets this time, thank God! - and soon that took our focus. Kate won the first game with a multi tile move that I could barely follow - go figure she'd be good at this. Tom seemed particularly delighted by this outcome, accustomed as we were to Jenny winning. The second game was closer, with Jenny just pipping Kate to the win, and we were midway through the third game when the door opened and Melissa and Nadine came in. I hadn't realised it was so late.

The game was soon abandoned as Nadine and Kate instantly formed a mutual appreciation society, with Kate quizzing her on her inspiration and demanding a breakdown of the lyrics. Melissa sat back and watched with her lips pursed. Shortly after, Jenny and Tom (after some not so subtle hints from Tom) made their excuses and headed upstairs, with Jenny hugging Kate goodnight. Melissa then started telling Nadine that perhaps she should get to bed soon, given she had a big gig the next day. That struck me as odd, and Nadine looked surprised by it too. So, I was quite shocked when she suddenly looked at me, then said "Oh! Yes. Of course. Good point." She turned back to Kate, "Lovely to meet you. See you tomorrow I guess?"

"Definitely."

"Great to meet you Kate," said Melissa, "come round any time."

That was weird. They had barely talked.

So, suddenly it was just me and Kate in the room.

"Well..." she said, "I feel I've overstayed my welcome."

"Don't be silly, that's not it at all! Though I grant you, I don't know what got into Melissa just then."

She looked at me strangely. "Don't you?"

"No."

"No... you don't, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Anyway, I'd better get my stuff. Thanks for the lovely food and the music."

We went through to the kitchen and she retrieved her shopping.

"Will you be ok getting home? It's quite late," I began, wanting to fill the somehow awkward silence.

"I only live 3 minutes away. It'll be fine."

"Ok. Well can you text me to let me know you're home safe?"

She laughed. "Ok Mum, I'll text you."

"Thanks. And thanks for coming over. It was a really nice evening."

"Yeah," she paused, "yeah, it was. Really lovely. You're really lovely, Priya."

I blushed. "Come on, I'll see you out."

We paused in the doorway, so close we were nearly touching. I had the door open for her, and the cool night breeze made me shiver. I tilted my head up, and found her intense blue eyes studying me.

"So, meet here at 6:00 and go down together? Doors are at 7:30, but the four of us were going to get food at the tapas bar on Park Street first, if you want to join..." I found myself saying.

"Are you sure you want me to, Priya?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I? You're great company, a great listener and Nadine is really keen for you to be there. Jenny and Tom liked you. I'm sorry that Melissa was weird at the end."

"I don't think she was weird." She looked doubtful for a moment. I couldn't work out why. Sure, I'd nearly freaked out when I'd been singing, but the rest of the evening had been great. "Ok, yeah, I'll come."

"Great!" I smiled. I was happy at the thought I'd see her again. "Remember to text me when you get back!"

"Ok, I will, goodnight."

"Goodnight!" I hugged her, though with her bags of shopping it was somewhat awkward. I watched her down the street then shut the door and headed upstairs feeling strangely empty.

Kate

Just leaving now. See you in a minute.

Her reply came back instantly.

Great! x

Is that a kiss at the end of the text message? What did it mean?! Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I let myself out of my apartment to walk round to Priya's for the gig, my mind still in a whirl. I really didn't know what I was doing. That I was attracted to Priya was without question. What I really wasn't clear about was how she felt about me. After I'd texted her last night to let her know I was back safe, we'd texted back and forth for almost an hour before saying goodnight. None of it was obviously sexual or flirtatious, but it was all sweet, and the sheer fact she was texting at all spoke volumes - who has an extensive midnight text conversation with somebody they'd just met if it's purely platonic? I'd tried to distract myself with more swimming and housework, but the texts had kept coming throughout the day.