An Unforeseen Affair

Sophia’s brow furrowed in frustration at the man staring back at her on the computer screen, her auburn curls rustling as she shook her head in an irritated fashion.

“Nope,” she muttered, and moved on to the next ‘eligible bachelor’ on the site. She repeated this for a lengthy 10 minutes before groaning and relocating to the couch. This was only a few steps away from her desk at which she was sat - in fact, pretty much everything in her small south London apartment was.

Sophia had been attempting to tackle online dating for almost a year now, and every date she had gone on had, quite frankly, been a bit of a flop. She’d met the boring, she’d met the creeps - she’d even met an avid circus fan. To make matters worse, the world had been plunged into a period of uncertainty and distress due to the emergence of a virus. It was already hard to encounter decent dates in her previously virus-free life - how on earth was she supposed to find her “special someone” in the midst of a pandemic? Not exactly romantic, is it?

Sat staring at the wall in a daze, her thoughts were abruptly cut off by the familiar sound of the key in the front door, and a click as it swung open. Sam, her forever bouncy and enthusiastic roommate, burst in with the boyfriend in tow, Akir.

Much to Sophia’s annoyance, these two were madly in love - and they certainly did not hesitate to show the world just how much. Now, don’t let this tinge your opinion of Sophia - she was incredibly happy for them, but what annoyed her even more was the fact that she simply could not dislike the guy - Akir was genuinely perfect for Sam - why couldn’t she find this for herself, too? 

“Any luck?” Sam practically screamed to the rooftops - she was so bubbly today that Sophia wondered how she hadn’t exploded into a bloody unicorn yet.

“Not yet!” Sophia beamed, then instantly dropped her face to a scowl.

“Cheer up, Soph!” The boyfriend butted in, “you’ll meet a decent lad soon enough, I’m sure of it.” He nudged her and winked, then the two of them practically danced out of the room, arm in arm.

“Good God,” Sophia muttered under her breath, and her eyes flew to the back of her head. 

Spotting her phone laying face down on the coffee table, Sophia narrowed her eyes. I’m becoming a bit obsessive, she thought, as she snatched it up to re-open the dating app. Tapping and swiping repeatedly for another 10 minutes, she was about to relinquish her search in a grump, when a particular image caught her eye and drew her thoughts. Looks like someone’s really playing the dog card, Sophia thought, as she clicked through different pictures of the same man hugging the same dog. Noticing he didn’t live too far, she grew bold and decided to drop a message - what harm could it do? Composing something rather crisp and clean (“Cute dog! What’s the breed?”), she smacked send and chucked her phone across the room with a squeal. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she muttered under her breath, “I’m really judging you right now, I hope you know that.”

To her surprise, the phone lit up from the floor, casting the room in a blinding white light. 

“Somebody’s a bit keen!”, she gasped, as she lunged across the room to grab it. 

Only an email about getting 50% off a new dishwasher - humph. Laughing weakly, she promptly switched off her phone and trotted to the tiny kitchen to whip up something palatable for dinner.

…

Surveying her reflection in the mirror, biting her lip, tilting her head. She smoothed a crinkle in her blouse and pushed her circular white frames up the bridge of her nose. Leo had ended up replying to her, and agreed (rather enthusiastically, she noted), to arrange to meet up. So I’ve got the date, now I’ve got to actually go and do the date bit. Brilliant. 

Sophia’s thoughts circled as she grew increasingly fussy and tense, and she considered changing her outfit for the third time. Checking her watch, she realised there was only 20 minutes to make her way to the park if she intended to be on time. This will have to do, she blinked at her reflection. Hauling her bag over her shoulder and fleeing to the front door, she waved goodbye to Sam and Akir who were sitting uncomfortably close (for Sophia, anyway) on the couch watching a movie. 

“Good luck!” Sam sang over her shoulder, looking genuinely excited. Sophia threw her a petrified look, followed by a grateful smile, before sprinting out the door.

Standing on the underground platform, she read the consistently dreary adverts splattered along the walls whilst twisting her rings round and round her fingers. Two minutes passed before an increasingly loud rumble began to emanate from the tunnel. Bright headlights emerged, and blinked at Sophia as if in curious observation. They flooded the tunnel with light, and the thunderous roar of the train temporarily deafened passerby’s ears as it soared into the station. The train settled humbly and quietly, waiting for passengers to board, and grunted as people climbed into its seats.

Emerging from the station exit, Sophia squinted at the sun rays which sprang into her vision. She turned towards the park, and felt herself relax as she became emerged in a sea of green; tall blades of grass standing like soldiers at attention and swaying softly in the wind, magnificent trees proudly filled with great bushes of evergreen leaves. She felt her mind ease, dancing away from the nervous thoughts that had preoccupied her seconds before, until she lifted her face upwards and saw a familiar one peering back.

With a rush back to reality, her heart began to race and her muscles tensed. 

“You must be Sophia?” He asked, and his face broke into a smile. She noticed he seemed very relaxed, leaning against the tree with one leg on the trunk.

“Yes, and you must be Leo?” She managed to respond with a steady, calm voice. If I can put it on, then he must be too, she noted, feeling a burst of confidence. There was a snuffling round her legs, and she looked down to see a small, fluffy dog beaming up at her. 

“Don’t mind her! This is my dog I was telling you about, Marla.” Leo spoke hastily with an apologetic tone, pulling the dog back towards him by the red leather collar. 

So he’s playing the dog card again, Sophia raised her eyebrow in a cynical manner, then realising what she had done, quickly broke her face into a smile and laughed.

“Well, hello Marla.” As she bent down to stroke her, she noticed Leo let out a relieved exhale.

“So would you say you’re a dog person, then?” He asked enthusiastically. 

Again with the dogs, he’s beginning to seem obsessed. 

“You could say that, although I love all animals, who couldn’t? Do you want to find a place to sit?” Sophia promptly changed the subject in fear that she had insulted the man who appeared to be obsessed with canines and canine-lovers alike. Yikes.

…

A few hours later, Sophia found herself waving goodbye and walking in the direction of the tube entrance. The date had been decent - walking, hiring bikes for an hour, then sitting on the grass with some drinks. Chill, nonchalant - she could work with that. Yet at the same time, she didn’t know how she felt about it all.

Have I been on so many crappy dates that I’ve lost the ability to feel? Her brow furrowed as she trotted down the steps and onto the tube platform, only to break into a frenzied sprint to catch the train sitting in the station before the murderous beeping ensued and the doors slammed shut in her face.

Back at home, she caught herself studying the photo of the grinning man she had encountered today. Why was it that, despite not coming out of the date ecstatic and swooning, she still felt intrigued somehow? She couldn’t explain it, and before she could analyse the following action, she was breathlessly constructing another message whilst her rings clinked against the glass screen.

Punching ‘send’ more aggressively than she intended, her mouth widened in horror as she helplessly watched the text sweep off to Leo. 

“Why did I do that?” She screamed aloud, and dug her nails into her scalp in desperation. Seconds later, Sam’s head popped out from the bedroom door to ask if everything was okay - as she did so, the phone screen lit up, and to Sophia’s surprise it was from Leo.

“Hiya, had a really great time today, would be nice to get to know you more and arrange a second meet?”, he wrote. Sam was still peering at Sophia with an expression of concern. Sophia continued to stare at the screen, anxiously re-reading his message. Silence ensued for a few seconds between the two girls, but the tension in the room was interrupted by Sophia’s phone lighting up once again - it was another text from Leo.

“Who’s texting you so much?” Sam’s face split into a mischievous grin, and she began working her way towards the phone that Sophia had put down on the couch.

“No, no one!” Sophia screeched, and snatched it up to read the second message.

“Well would you look at that,” Leo wrote, “we sent the same message at the same time! What a coincidence.”

Sophia chuckled, and noticed Sam growing ever more impatient and fiddling excessively in her peripheral. 

“Who is it?” She cried desperately, dancing in agony as Sophia winked and tapped out a response.

…

The second date was a fairly humble drive-in movie night, where Leo conversed with great enthusiasm - steering clear of the topic of dogs, Sophia noticed. They each bought small pizzas in cardboard boxes from a small caravan parked on the grass nearby, and had a cider in hand as the film played. As time progressed, the sun began to fall. The sky twisted into a warm orange and pink haze, lighting up the cars across the small field. By the time the movie had finished, the sky was an enormous black blanket dotted with billions of lights that seemed to sparkle in Leo’s eyes every time he looked over at her.

When Leo drove her home, Sophia felt warm and content. But to her disappointment, she realised she still was not swooning nor bouncing off the walls - but she felt something drawing her to his presence, asking for more. Distracted by these thoughts, it wasn’t until Leo leant in and kissed her gently on the cheek that she was dragged back to reality. 

There was a small electric spark - brief, but definitely there - as he pressed his lips against her skin, and her eyes widened slightly as he stepped back, thanked her for the good time, then got into his car and drove away, his arm leaning out the open window. 

Stunned, Sophia stood in the street under the yellow light of a streetlamp, her purse dangling loosely in one hand, and watched the headlights disappear into the evening London streets. 

For a few moments, she didn’t move. There were only two things which didn’t seem to stand still: the hair around her ears as it shifted in the gentle breeze, and her heart, which seemed to be going at a mile a minute. Blinking a few times, she released her curls from the bun she’d worn all evening. She turned, went inside and, feeling overwhelmed by the wash of different emotions from the night, decided to whip up a late-night bowl of pasta and couple this with her favourite trashy TV show, to distract herself.

…

The knife fell down to the board with an impressive slash, then sliced in quick, successive movements. His hands were calloused and rough, suggesting he was a hard-worked labourer, but the delicacy of his fingers as he picked apart stray wisps of onion before picking up the next ingredient led the mind elsewhere. Sophia’s eyes widened in wonder from across the kitchen as she watched him move with such grace and speed despite his broad figure. His eyes never left the chopping board, yet he seemed to simultaneously keep a relaxed conversation with no extra effort on his part. Holding his arm up high and drizzling oil on a pan in a beautiful circular motion, Leo lit the gas stove and flames burst alive. She continued to watch in amazement as he threw in the different ingredients and tossed the pan back and forth. The food seemed to dance as they jumped into the air, crossing paths as if in a choreographed manner. The flames spat and hissed, leaving flecks of orange reflected in the observer’s eyes. This was their third date together, and the first two had consisted of a reasonably humble set up. Leo had radiated kindness and a passion for telling stories, but Sophia had not yet seen his eyes so alive like they were now as he cooked. It was as if he was communicating in a different language, expressing himself through the rich aromas that lifted into the room. The scents sank into Sophia’s skin, and every inhale and exhale seemed to be in synchrony with Leo’s own breaths. How did he move so fast and skilfully, yet his body remained so calm and slow? She started to feel heavy and a wave of emotion swept over her, one she had not been familiar with for a long time. Her gaze rose upwards, studying Leo’s figure and stance as he cooked. One leg was crossed over the other, and his jeans were tattered and worn, sitting low on his waist. His shirt was loose, and Sophia noticed the arms protruding out from the sleeves were strong and well built. He had a warm farmer’s tan on the nape of his neck, and a cool shiver trickled down her spine as she imagined herself kissing it softly. Her blue eyes lifted up to his hair, which was thick and slightly messy, and her face broke into a smile. She studied the softness of his jaw as he laughed, his buttercup nose, and the small dimples that formed when his lips turned upwards. His skin looked soft and smooth, and as he scratched his head his shirt came up and revealed his waist, leaving Sophia to blush a delicate rose. These small details seemed to create bubbles of happiness in her thoughts, and she felt her breaths quicken and become shallow. The first butterfly settled in her stomach, where it spread open its magnificent but delicate wings and fluttered upwards, leaving a tingling sensation dancing all throughout her body. 

Sophia’s felt her shoulders relax, and she smiled softly. Taking a deep breath, she wandered over to Leo, slipping one arm round his waist and kissing his cheek. A look of surprise settled on his features. He put down the wooden spoon, turned around and kissed her - it was passionate but gentle, and just like she had imagined.

So maybe it isn’t impossible to find love in quarantine, after all.

…

Leo tried to keep his breaths steady as he chopped the onion, attempting to suppress a grin as he executed his skilful abilities in preparation of food and cooking. Leo had always adored food, and the moment he was mature enough to handle his own kitchen knife, there was no turning back. Cooking to him was like composing music: he could chop and slice in a sharp, staccato manner; sprinkling in herbs and spices were like adding unexpected grace notes to a sauce, the addition of which could create wonderful symphonies; and the finished composition was always interpreted differently by each person who tried it. 

He noticed Sophia’s eyes on the first date - they were the colour of the ocean in Greece, somewhere he had always wanted to visit. He secretly hoped that one day he could take her there, to where his great-grandfather had worked on the boats, and tell Sophia how her eyes matched the vast ocean of water in front of them. He imagined walking along the beach, the aquamarine water rising up and down the sand, and trickling over their toes. He would slip his hand into hers, and watch her eyes light up as she threw back her magnificent auburn curls and laugh. Leo knew he was going to fall in love with this woman almost from the moment they met - she held herself in a way that he instantly found attractive, and the instant he saw her smile for the first time, he knew he would never see anything as captivating on another person. 

As Leo cooked for her tonight, her presence felt different, almost more engaging. She looked at him more intensely, particularly when his eyes focused elsewhere, and he felt her vision rise up along his stature. He wondered if she could feel the tension in the air that he felt, or was it just the heat from the pan? To his surprise, he heard a creak on the floorboard in his left ear as she tapped over in her small white socks. Her arm went around his waist, and he felt her kiss his cheek. His skin instantly flamed red, and he put down the spoon and turned to face her, a smile slipping into his face.