Dear Judith,
It was good to have that brief chat together in the interval at the concert the other evening. I would certainly like to know more about you, but 'breaking the ice' in a noisy and crowded theatre crush bar is not the best place to do it! I've only been a member of the local Singles Society for about three months and you are the first person I've really had a chance to interact with. Would you, I wonder, be interested in coming out for a pizzeria supper one evening next week? There's a new place which has just opened in town called 'The Air Raid Shelter' (very trendy but rather noisy, I gather).
Sincerely, Nicholas
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Dear Nicholas,
Thank you for that short (but not very informative!) note, following our chat at the choral concert. Yes, supper at 'The Air Raid Shelter' sounds fun. Shall I wear my tin hat and do you suppose Dame Vera Lynn will be signing for the diners? To 'break the ice' as you put it: I am now a committed singleton, after two disastrous engagements, one to a control freak and the other to a two-timing (multi-timing, probably) cheat. Thank Heaven I didn't marry either of them! I've tried social website dating - from the staid to the downright raunchy - but it looks like the Singles Society will be the most promising place for me to hook up with someone interesting. See you Friday!
Sincerely, Judith
PS: If it's ok with you, I'd much prefer our correspondence (if it survives our first date) to be by this old-fashioned form of communication. I just can't be doing with texting and emails. I much prefer to see hand-written words on notepaper!
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Dear Judith,
I greatly enjoyed our supper together last night, even though we were reduced to lip-reading at one stage! Next time (if there's to be a next time), I'll try to choose somewhere a little more sedate.
Your work for that international children's charity sounds fascinating, though I was alarmed to learn that you might be posted to Africa for a year. And just when we were getting to know each other. My own three love affairs - as I hinted at supper - were hardly roaring successes. All intense romances which ended in tears. Two upset me greatly, causing me to retreat into my shell for several months. The third was a merciful relief, as the woman in question was a deranged red-headed plate thrower - with an extremely accurate aim (ouch!), though physically she was unquestionably the best lover I've ever known. By way of recuperation, I took myself off to a tiny Greek island, spending most of the time on a naturist beach with a very attractive local youth (more details of which I will reveal when we know each other better).
Looking forward to seeing you next week for our trip to the cinema.
Yours, Nicholas
PS: Entirely agree with you about the dying art of letter-writing!
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My Dearest Nicholas,
I can't wait until Friday to learn more of your sojourn on that Greek island and what you got up to with your youthful companion! To tell the truth, I had you as bi from that time we first met at the choral concert. Don't get me wrong: I don't have a problem with that. In the same way, I imagine you aren't the sort of prude who would be shocked if I told you I'd had a brief fling with my secretary at work (as it happens, I haven't, even though she's extremely fanciable). Live and let live - within mutually defined limits - is my mantra. Nevertheless, I'm dying to know what you two got up to on that naturist beach (I'm sure it wasn't restricted to rubbing sun oil over each other's shoulders!). If it's too difficult to whisper about it in the cinema, save the graphic details for your next letter.