Good Lifestyle

The first time I saidMore words couple In Richard, he was clouding in the kitchen at work, his knee in a splint and crutches stuck in his armpits. "HelloI say highly. He marked an answer and, while waiting for the kettle to boil, I saw her clumsily climb a bowl of cereals and milk. I laughed, looking at his precarious breakfast, realizing that it would almost impossible to recover it at his desk. " Need a hand? I offered him, picking up his bowl for him.

I had met him a few weeks earlier, after his team moved on our floor of a magazine editor in Sydney. "Hi, my name is Josie, I am the editor underAustralian GeographicI said cheerfully. "Richard", "he said back, a tight pen between his teeth, come back to his computer screen, sullen but handsome.

My colleagues and I talked about himself pale, slim guyMoney magazine. I discovered that it was English, that he was injured on the knee playing football, and he had an Americangirlfriend he was regularly at war with.

Over time, the first sour Richardstarted to sweeten. My colleagues and I could wear it enough to join us on trips to make a coffee or a pub after the deadline, even a few beers on a Friday in a neighboring bar. So far, if collegiate.

This summer, I went for a month with my brother and a friend in South Asia. On my first day back to the office, a conversation in my skipped inbox:

"What can you tell me about Rhinos? Richard asked.
"Not much," I replied.
"Do not write forNational Geographic? »
" I am writing toAustralian GeographicBut we tend not to write on Rhinos because we do not have Rhinos in Australia ".
"Oh," was the answer. "No matter."

So began aavalanche of messages, Funny and strange. Throughout the field of partitions and computer screens, I could see his dark hair, but not his face. I felt odd to be in the same room, chatting without speaking, but he made my working days much more enjoyable.

I think Richard hadbroken with his girlfriend while I had been absent. We regal each other with unfortunate attempts of dating. I thought I could play the intermersers with my friend and colleague Natsumi, who tends to be attracted by strange men.

I invited them both along a weekend hike, which Richard turned into an old pair of vans and with nothing to eat, but a banana and a pack of mini cupcakes. I am confused by his strange collection of tattoos of a head of the skull here, a heart of love he and his apparent reluctance to leave me alone long enough for Woo Natsumi.

After hiking, we ended up warm and sticky and tried by the cool sea. There is a game we play in Australia that children have called "under or over": like a big, the wave approaching approaches, a barrier an instruction-on or under-commanding others to dive at the bottom or attempt to jump he.

"More!" I shouted, jumping on the ridge. But Richard did not move and the wave dropped me without care on the top of his head. I thought I heard a crack, but after a panic moment, Richard came, shattering for the air. I was afraid and said that if he had tingling in his extremities to go directly to the hospital.

A few hours later, at home and with dinner on the way, I received a text: "In the hospital. I asked "which one? And was on my way.

There he was in Saint Vincent, in a miner this time, waiting for the results of an MRI. I spent time talking to him about my last fling- "What kind of guy sends care packages and spend more than two hours on the phone? "- And finally, Richard gave me the green light. "You almost broke my neck," he said. "The least you can do is now buy me a burrito. I laughed and opened the way.

As we ate and talked, I realized that it was the first time we really hadhanging on onefor more than half an hour. I felt like I was slowly awakening anesthesia me; A little confused, but seeing Richard in a new light. I already dreaded at night.

As he accompanied to my bike, I found myself would kiss me. But he made no movement towards and, shocked by thought, I can not wait on my helmet. He was quite against the guy for me. Usually I was gone for guys who played rugby, or had to wear business shirts at work, which he enjoys golf. Later, I discovered that he thought I'm gay.

For the coming weeks, I tried to keep my distances and threw me into work and hang out with my roommates. I had a trip away for the magazine, and when I returned a Sunday, tired, I ordered a pizza and sat in my pajamas. Then, I'm a text:

"Can you die of paint smoke?" Richard asked.
"Are you inhalants?" I answered.
"I'm thinking about it."
"Why?"
"Bad date."
"I am sorry."
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"I'm in my pajamas and ordered a pizza."
"Okay, I will come to you. I'm on my way."

Before knowing, Richard was on my sofa and we were looking atBeetlejuice. Then his friend came out of watching football with him. Then he lacked the last bus. And then I offered him to share my bed "as Amis." But we were not friends, no more.

It was one of these nights where time did not apply and the world shot without me and him. We were in a cocoon, speaking and laughing, then, finally, he kissed me.

It was pale light, the gray light of dawn and as the sun got up, so also my realization. You can not go back a kiss. Were we still friends? Did something more? Where are we going from here?

Like Richard and I sit on a coffee and eggs fat in a coffee Dodgy that morning, I had a text of another work friend, who I said the night before Richard was on his path that was happening:

"Is Richard going well?"
"Seems to be. I'll call you later."
"OMG that you kissed it, is not it?"

My silence was all the confirmation she needed. Now, someone else of work knew. A four-letter pile of words crossed my head. Suddenly, I was resolved to stop this train before leaving the control. Everything was going well for me professionally and I did not want to risk being contaminated or judged because of a romance.

But it was almost impossible for me to ignore Richard. He made me laugh and I found his persistence to see me disarm. It was overwhelming that someone wanted to be with me so bad and mecould not help but fall for him. We were going to sneak to look for literary gold in second-hand shops and cheap dumplings in Chinatown. Once we both called sick and spent the day rising around the city of my motorcycle, eating tacos and drinking cheap beer near the beach.

We hid our colleagues, acting vague and distant, even if we had just spent the night together. I would file a few blocks from home so we could not go together. He would hide pastries for me in the photocopier room, sending an email to the instructions on how to find them, like a soft treasure hunt.

As it is more serious, I told him that I did not want a relationship to work. (But if I'm honest, it was not only that. I also protected myself to be hurt.) When I said to Richard, I could not go out with a colleague, he seemed to understand. He nodded, but did not say much.

However, the next day he had some news via a text:

"So, I left my job."
"WHAT?"
"Well, you told me that you did not want to go out with someone at work, so"
"So you stopped?"

The gesture wasincredibly romantic. Suddenly, we no longer have a reason not to commit each other and I realized that someone ready to do that for me was worth leaving my guard.

In one year, we moved to London. In the third, he proposed while ice skating outside the London Tower. And now, we are married with two children. I am so happy to have helped it with this bowl of cereals, which I almost broken in the ocean and that it was brave enough to leave his work, all these years ago. And for even more unexpected romances, do not miss I divorced after 40. Here's how I found love again .