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My Very Own Clown

By Laura   6/10/2009

I wasn't going to make that trip to Manchester on 3rd May 2008. Really wasn't in the mood. But my friend needed to pick out her prom dress, so off we went anyway.

Besides, I really wanted my nose pierced. We walked down the street past the food court and shops, and I spotted a tall man with scary clown face-paint and a Garfield teddy stuck to his belt. Charity collectors. Went over and gave him some money, then after some banter and general silliness, we continued down towards the road. I spotted a guy in a brightly coloured clown wig, camouflage combats, a big colourful bow-tie and a long white 'doctor' coat. Another collector. Of course, the bright colours were bound to attract me.

Got to the guy and, despite the wig and his glasses obscuring his face, gathered that he was attractive. But that wasn't particularly relevant... ignore it. Ah, what the hell! "If I put a pound in your bucket, can I have a hug?"

Not exactly a chat-up line, granted... Thankfully, he didn't run. He laughed and agreed.

Weird, but hugging him felt.. right? Naww... he was a random charity collector. Odd thoughts, Laura. Stop it.

We talked to him for a while and I found myself noticing how beautiful his eyes were... grey-green, hazel in certain lights.. and his face.. so handsome!

Then... of course... typical of my friend decided to ask him to go and get herself some cigarettes (with her own money). Embarrassing? Yes.

Luckily, he (again xD) laughed. He agreed, despite me apologizing for her and saying he really didn't have to do that.

His response was to ask me to hold his bucket. I said I would, if I could wear his bow-tie and wig.

He said I could.

He took the wig and bow-tie off and... well. I would be lying if I said my mouth didn't drop open at least a little bit. He was stunning! I couldn't take my eyes off him at all.

My friend got her cigarettes, we talked to Paul (as I had recently learned he was called) for a while longer. Eventually (and to my great displeasure), we had to leave to go shopping.

Guess what?

I ended up back there after we'd finished. It was like I had an addiction; I couldn't stop thinking about him! He looked pleased to see me; possibly because I offered him some Maltesers.

Anyhow, we talked for a while, then I was (literally) dragged off by another friend we'd bumped into. I was NOT amused.

This is a bit too long already, so I'll try to shorten this bit.

Basically, me and my friends had a disagreement because; a) I didn't appreciate him (the other friend) picking me up and carrying me away (he wasn't trying to joke around)
and
b) I was getting annoyed with the female friend for sulking. She'd been doing it all day over nothing.

The long and short of it; we ended up apart. She stormed off and he followed. Childish, but I'm glad they did it. The next part may never have happened if I'd had mature people with me that day.

Anyhow, I ended up back with him again (I'm sure you guessed that). He asked if I wanted to go for a coffee, and I said yes. We talked some more, both wanting more than anything to kiss each other, but not knowing it was mutual. We swapped numbers, and I told him through a text (I know. Cowardly) that I liked him. A lot. He felt the same.

We met up again on the 5th (by this time I knew he lived at the other end of the country) and had our first kiss in Victoria train station. We got along amazingly and that chemistry from the 3rd was somehow intensified ten-fold. He had to go back to Kent the next day, and I've never been so sad to see someone go.

But there was a bright side. He said he was already looking for cheap fares to come and see me as soon as he could!

Two weeks later... he came, and we got on just as well as before, but with the added excitement and tension of both knowing we wanted a relationship but were both afraid to ask (we'd talked about a long distance relationship and whether it was worth it with the difficulties that come with this kind of relationship and had ultimately decided it was well worth it. We were smitten from the start!).

Eventually, we were sitting together in McDonald's (I know, very unromantic. Haha) and we were talking about it again. I put a message on the screen of my phone saying "Ask me out :)" when I felt sure he wanted to, and left it on the table. Told him to read it and went to the toilets (in other words gave him time to decide whether to take me up on it).

He asked me to be his girlfriend.

I almost exploded.

A year on and we're still blissfully happy and disbelieving that we've managed to find someone so perfect for each other.

Long, but that's it. He's perfect.

Laura



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