that damn smile

Today is Summer Bank Holiday here in the UK. It is also my second anniversary. Two years ago I spent the summer taking Garden Boy around Europe and had just sent him back to the States a week prior. I had decided that would be the end of our relationship. I also decided that day to go to The Royal Academy of Arts to see The Aztecs exhibit. The museum was packed due to the holiday. After wandering around enjoying the exhibit I realized I was famished and headed to the restaurant. The buffet menu there changes to reflect and coordinate with the exhibits. That day they served Mexican.

After getting my food I managed to find one of the few remaining empty tables. I buried my nose in a book I bought at the gift shop and attacked my enchiladas. I was lost in my own world until I heard “Excuse me ... there don’t seem to be any empty tables, do you mind if I join you?” Startled I looked up into the bluest eyes I have ever seen. Normally I don’t like my space invaded and usually would have agreed only to bolt down my food and leave. But those blue eyes were on the face of a gorgeous man with a terrific smile.

I invited him to sit down. He asked what I was reading and reached across the table and turned over my book to see the title. What a cheeky bastard I thought. But that damn smile kept me from getting pissed off. He kept plying me with questions, “Are you American? ... Do you enjoy living here? ... What did you think of the exhibit? ... “ I had to finally shut the book and begin talking. The conversation was free and easy. I’m usually standoffish meeting new people until I relax but he put me at ease immediately ... and then there was that damn smile. We sat and talked until I realized the restaurant had emptied and the place was closing. Then I look down and realized we had barely eaten our food and I was still hungry.

We left the museum and headed to the Atlantic Bar & Grill where we ate and sat talking until it closed at 3am. After that we walked along the Thames Embankment until dawn. The entire time we talked, laughed and told each other all about out lives. I can’t believe I talked that much. We parted at his hotel. He shook my hand in both of his and then leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. All the way home I could not get that damn smile out of my head.

The next day he called and we met for dinner and more talking. Day three I stayed overnight at his hotel. Day four we moved his suitcases into my house where he stayed until he left for LA. I ran up a whopper of a telephone bill over the next few weeks until I grabbed a plane and followed him to LA. And the rest as they say is history.

Today we went back to The Royal Academy of Arts in honor of the occasion to see the Impressionists by the Sea exhibit. The restaurant served seafood crepes. Tonight we’re checking into his old hotel, The Royal Horseguards, and reenacting the night of day three. Now I’m sending this to Blogger so I can find my bf with that damn smile.