A very brife encounter

“John?” I call to the back of a man’s head. “John, is that you?”
The man, let’s call him John, turns around.
“Catherine?” he reply with a big grin
“John?”
“Catherine?”
“John!”
“Catherine!” we rush towards each other
“Oh my Mother Fucking God” I screech. The sound echoes off the walls and amplifies in volume. This image of two people running towards, in any normal circumstances, would be conceded worthy of a second glance, no more. However, as I have just screamed a loud blasphemer which is currently ricocheting of every wall in the building and collectively gathering in the consciousness of all those around. What is worse is I have just place the words ‘God’, ‘Fucking’ and ‘Mother’ in the same sentence while standing by the holy water in the Sacré-Coeur. Hundreds of holy eyes look at me. I don’t care. John is here.

Let me explain. John is the one. Not ‘The One’ as in my one true love, the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t believe in any of that I once had a very messy break up with someone who I thought was ‘The One’ (John, coincidently). After the break up I was left having no faith in such thing as soul mates. No John is the ‘other’ the one, the one with no speech marks. You know the type of person. The person who, no matter how long you spend away from them, no matter if your with someone else, even in love with them the one can still induce those butterflies in your tummy. You secretly feel upset when you hear off the grape vine that they have met someone. The person you secretly check up on and get the mixed blend of excitement and dread in your heart. John is my the one. I’ve not seen him in 6 years.

“John, what are you doing here?” I ask.
“Well, you know, soaking up the religious atmosphere. I'm on a little tour of Europe before I start my new job.” Ahhh his voice is so dreamy.
“Really, what job have you got?”
“I'm now an official Copywriter for Microsoft, I know boo” he replies, oh God that smile. I feel like I'm melting, that cheeky little smile. “you know Rob don’t you?”
Ah Rob, Johns guardian, his right hand man. Get in with Rob and you get in with John.
I can’t stop looking at him, he’s nothing like I remember, he’s better. Age has done him so much; he looks dapper, smart, sexy and so manly. There is an annoying buzzing to my right hand side.
“So” I say “I’ve heard nothing about you (I’ve been stalking you on the internet for the last 6 years).” There is that buzzing to my side again, I try and shew it away, damn flies.
“No, no me nether” he replies coyly. “it’s good to see you.”
There it is again, that damn buzzing, turning around to look I see Alan. Ah.
“John this is Allan.” John smiles and shake hands. They exchange pleasantries and Allan goes and looks at the stained glass windows, not quite out of ear shot.
“is he your Boyfriend?” asks John. What was that? Was it, it thinks it was, was that a look of panic?
“No!” I exclaim quickly. Although I don’t think Allan, who has been sharing a house and room and life in no way sexual (maybe a bit sexual) will see it that way. Anyway, he’s been sleeping with his ‘friend’ and we’re on a ‘we can rekindle our relationship holiday’ so far the only thing he’s rekindled in our relationship is my complete lack of interest in him “Are you seeing anyone?” (No, no, no, no, no, no, no please no)
“No” he replies (YES!)
“So where about are you living now?” Please be close to where I live, please
“Oxford, well that’s where the new job is”
“Oh my God, I live in Oxford!” well I'm thinking of moving out of the house so Oxford is as good a place as any. Bit stalker like? Maybe a bit.
Alan walks up to me “can we go now; this place is giving of too much God vibe.”
Staring at him with a look of complete disgust I ask for a few more minuets.
I take John to one side.
“Everything ok?” he asks
“No not really, I'm with an adulterer who treats me horribly and emotionally bitch slaps me everyday.” Tears are starting to well in my eyes. This is not going to plan, years of imagining this moment, fire works, candles, romance. Not me crying and dripping tears into the holy water.
“Hay, you ok? Do you want a hug?”
Straight away I nod and move into his arms. He feels warm, comforting and like home. I feel a wash of calm flow over me. This is all interior, externally I'm a wreck. My body and mind are not working together. I’ve put up with Allan for the last year and I’ve always felt like the strong one, just brushing off his comments. However, here with the only guy who has treated me like a queen, it’s all come out.
“where in Oxford do you live?” he asks.
Damn, Shit, Damn (sorry God) “well I don’t actually live there, at the moment. I'm moving there, I think. I just can’t take Allan any more. He’s killing me, I'm so un happy.” This is rubbish, I give as good as I get, it’s like a game between us now.
John pulls back as Allan approaches.
“Oy! What are you doing with my girlfriend?” Allan’s is famous for his temper, so famous that even God and about 200 tourists are about to find out.
“Nothing, honest!” oh John, you’re such a sweet guy but you couldn’t punch a fly.
Rob moves closer towards the inevitable brawl. But Allan’s fury is like a lightning bolt and a punch is thrown so quickly that Rob is knocked down before he realised what was coming. Quickly John gets ready. As soon as Allan in punching distance John Kicks him in the chest. The Kick is professional, straight like an arrow, I didn’t know he could fight. This is so exciting, two men fighting over me. I wish that kid who fancies me in my office were here too. Maybe I could find some oil. Allan regains him self and moves back in more wearily. Throwing some bar room punches John ducks and weaves like a pro. As one of Allan’s punches swings wildly over John’s head John comes back up and clocks Allan on his temple. Allan falls straight down unconscious. I run up to John and ask him if he’s ok.
“just out of breath” he replies.
“I didn’t know you could fight” I say with both shock, awe and a certain amount of availability. Not to much, just subtlety saying, ‘hay, my boyfriend has just been knocked unconscious and suddenly find myself available.”
John goes over and helps Rob up. He then takes me by the hand, so romantically, stairs me in the eyes and says “you’re staying at my hotel, not with this monster.” All three of us walk out. it’s like a film, a book. I didn’t think this kind of thing really happened, not to me anyway. I'm so exhilarated. It would have looked amazing from the spectator’s point of view if it wasn’t for me running back in a minuet later and retrieving the keys to my hotel room from Allan’s pocket.
I guess the reason I never found ‘The One’ after John was because he was ‘The One’ right people wrong time I guess. Well I hope this time we’re the right people at the right time. Looking back I see a crowd around Allan, kneeling by his side, administering aid, is an old woman.