They Were Strangers To These Ways
Julia thought that she was imagining things.
She looked at her iPhone's screen and saw that there was a text message sent by the agency that she had been registered with for some months and who had not been in contact for all that time, except to reassure her that 'someone is sure to like the picture you have posted.'
The website, or agency it was managed by, put lonely people, or singles, in touch with each other and then dropped out of the loop, their work done. They screened applicants before making contact with those who were eager to meet people. So, some care was taken before the privacy of those registered was compromised.
"What's his name?" Julia asked, once the excitement at the news the message conveyed had quietened down, somewhat.
"Todd Walton," was the reply. "He's thirty-two and new to the area. As you can see from his picture, Todd's fit...he's a rugby player...and his work in IT has kept him on the move until now. He's set up on his own and wanted to start somewhere new. He's rich and successful I gather."
"But how can that include me?"
"You'll have to ask him, Julia. He hasn't told me that, but I guess time's precious and he wants to meet someone outside of that world he moves in."
"Well, he will certainly do that with me."
"Believe in it," she was told. "Todd must have seen something in the picture of you for him to want to make contact with us, and soon with you. I'll email you the details. Is it okay if I give him yours? Todd was very particular, he wanted to be the one to start things off and not the other way around."
"Quite the gent!" Julia laughed on hearing that, but she felt thrilled at the prospect of meeting the man she had already heard so much about. "Yes, go on, give him my name and contact details."
"Well, you will soon have the chance to decide for yourself what to do with him! Good luck!"
♥
Julia had to pinch herself, now that they were together and not talking on the phone to get a sense of who they were in contact with and to arrange a meeting.
Todd was polite, attentive, and not the least embarrassed to have arranged for them to meet under circumstances that others might well think were tawdry and rather desperate. He was only too honest in answering her questions.
"I liked the picture of you that I saw on a website, but I guess that was the whole purpose of you or the agency I called putting it out there."
She met his unwavering glance and wondered what Todd would make of her, dressed as she was in slacks and a loose-fitting blouse. It was quite unlike the one on the website, modest and yet feminine. The riotous mop of her blonde hair was just as in the picture on the website and her smile was just as happy as when the picture was taken, her hopes for success to be seen in her eyes and smile.
"Which website was it, remind me?"
"That's a secret for now, Julia. I'll soon tell you when we've met a few times, which I hope we will." He seemed to tower over her as he stood up from the table set out on the wine bar's terrace that gave views of the river and passing pleasure craft, large and small. "I'll get us another drink..."
"Make mine a spritzer. I've not eaten anything before I came out to meet you."
"Then I'll bring out a menu as well."
Juia watched as he gathered up the glasses in his large hands. He really did look fit and rugged in appearance, with his wavy fair hair brushed to one side from a parting on the left side of his head. He had a strong, square chin, and hollow cheeks, and his work suit fitted him perfectly.
"You will come back?" she asked with doubt to be heard in her voice.
Todd leaned in and met her stilled look. "Yes, of course I will. I'd have stood you up if I'd had the slightest doubts, but I would have called you to do that."
"Sorry," she now said lamely. "I had to ask. I'm a stranger to these ways of it...meeting someone as we've just done and through an agency. I did wonder what I was doing by putting that picture on the web."
She kept from confessing that she had felt a little desperate from feeling so lonely and unloved.
"Well, I'm glad that you did. We've been adventurous in our ways."
"And now I'm embarrassed to talk about it," she said nervily.
"Don't be embarrassed and it's okay. I'm as surprised as you are that we are meeting but, as I said, that picture of you got to me and there's no one else to hold my attention. So, it's up to us to make what we can of being together."
She was taken by their easy banter on a subject that had concerned her. But, his jokey ways had succeeded in lifting her spirits and she was pleased that he had not made too much of the picture he had seen of her in a figure-hugging long-sleeved cotton shirt that left nothing of her to imagine. As for Todd Watters, the name of the man and his picture that the agency had sent had set her heart racing.
