Darren and Richard

Chapter One: I’m Just Pleased to Meet You

So a bunch of us are getting together tonight at Steve’s place. I asked him who’s gonna be there. He ran off a few names.

“So and so. Yeah, I know him. He’s with Paul, isn’t he?”
“I think Darren’s coming”, he says.
“Who’s Darren?”
“Darren Hayes. Great guy. You don’t know who Darren is?”
“Should I?”
“Do you remember Savage Garden? ‘I Knew I Loved You’ ? That’s Darren Hayes.”
“Oh. Whatever.”
“He’s single. Kinda cute, too.”
“He’s gay?”
“Yeah”.

I Googled him. Hang on. Cute? He’s fuckin’ gorgeous!

“Do I look alright?”

Steve laughs.

“Does he really look like this? He’s hot.”

Steve says he’ll make sure to introduce us.

So anyways, a few hours later, I’m chatting with a few friends, more guests are arriving, and I hear Steve greeting Darren. He hasn’t made his way into the living room yet. Steve brings him over to the group I’m talking to and introduces him. I look up, and all of a sudden, everyone else in the room just disappears the moment our eyes meet. I think I gasped out loud. Oh God, I hope he didn’t hear that! He’s so...what just happened between us? That was weird. We started talking. He made me laugh in the first five minutes. I don’t even know when everyone else left the conversation, but for the rest of the night, it was just the two of us. What’s happening to me? I think I’ve met the man I want to be with forever. I’ve known him a few hours, and I feel like I’ve known him forever. There’s definitely chemistry. Definitely a connection here. He feels this too. I know he does. We ended up being the last two to leave the party. We walked out together, and he asked if he could see me again. My heart is beating so fast. I just can’t look away from those eyes. He asked if he could kiss me goodnight. I didn’t want that kiss to end. I think I closed my eyes when he stroked my face with his hand.

I’ll never forget what he said: “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Darling.”

And I thought, “No Luv, I’ll see you tonight, in my dreams.”

That’s it. I’m in love. I could barely concentrate all day at work. I’ve got Darren-on-the-brain.
Steve calls me around lunchtime, yeah? He tells me he just talked to Darren. Completely smitten, he is. Yes! How many more hours until I see my Darren again? Oh God, did I really just say “my Darren”? Steve is chuffed that we’ve hit it off. If I don’t bloody well stop re-living that kiss in my mind, I’m gonna get...

“Hello, Richard?”

I snap out of it. My boss is asking me a question.

“Oh, sorry”, I say.
“Richard, Luv, are you alright? You’ve been a million miles away all day.”
“I...yeah, I’m fine.”

By now I’m blushing furiously. Tina, the girl I’m working with on this project, doesn’t miss it.

“Look, he’s all embarrassed! Did you meet someone at this party last night, Rich?”
“Well, yeah, actually. I did.”
“Gonna see ‘im again?”
“Tonight.”
“Woo hoo, Richard’s got a hot date! Don’t forget your condoms, Luv.”

I bury my face in my hands.

“Are you quite through?”
“Just teasing you’s all. You really like him, don’t you?”

I give it right back to her.

“I wanna ‘ave ‘is baby.”
“He’s a hottie, is he?”
“Gorgeous, but it wasn’t just physical. We connected. We were talking for hours.”
“That’s so cool! Keep me posted,” she says.