Do you remember Rocky? I doubt that you could forget Rocky – that is, assuming you have read my book. If you haven’t, well, Rocky was the tall handsome American I met at Heathrow Airport and sat next to on the plane going to Dubai (the first leg of my journey to Brisbane) nearly three years ago. To be honest, it was my gorgeous travelling companion who inspired my first book, “The Innocent Flirt Down Under” (now available in paperback from Amazon.com or amazon.co.uk – as you may be aware after all my recent plugs). Those of you who are familiar with the Rocky character (and how lucky you would be if you were!) might have wondered if he was pure fantasy or a flight of fancy? Rocky was certainly real and very fanciable but flirtations on planes are perhaps best left up in the air, sadly, especially when one is happily married already. Hence, we kept in touch occasionally by email and became “if only” friends.
Just before Christmas last year I sent Rocky a virtual “JibJab” Christmas card depicting me and family members as a rock group (well, it would have to be a rock group!) playing and singing “Happy Christmas” (Granny Porch looked great as a heavy metal drummer!). The funny thing was that the JibJab account is in Chris’s name so it looked as though the card came from my husband, and not me. Rocky was so touched by Chris’s kindness that he wrote back thanking Chris. Chris brought in Rocky’s nice email with my morning cup of tea – and was still laughing in the shower half an hour later. I emailed Rocky to tell him about the confusion… and the good laugh we had over it. Rocky didn’t see it as funny, he was just “embarrassed”. Chris felt so sorry for Rock that he wrote back with warm and hearty wishes; Rocky was so overcome by Chris’s good-heartedness that he wrote back that Chris was, “a bigger man” than he was (bearing in mind our romantic history); Chris replied that the only reason he was “a bigger man” was down to all the mince pies he had eaten in the build-up to Christmas!
By Christmas Day the guys were best mates and looking forward to meeting each other when Rocky next comes to England! I don’t mind telling you that I felt a bit sidelined. In fact it has never been quite the same since. Rocky has included his best wishes to Chris in all his emails… and some of the magic has disappeared. The “if only” aspect of our emails now refers only to Rocky’s lack of time for a holiday in Devon. I use the word, “now”, but actually I haven’t heard anything for a few weeks (if only he would write).
About six weeks ago Rocky wrote that he was seeing his first ex-wife (he has three) from 1986. A week later he had got to the kissing stage (nothing more – he didn’t want to rush things), and within a fortnight he wrote again to tell me that he was going to get remarried… Now don’t go thinking there are any sour grapes on my part, he is a lovely man who deserves a good woman and I wish them every happiness.
A couple of weeks ago another handsome admirer/friend, this time in Australia, was introduced to a nice lady and, although it is early days, something is definitely in the air – “I can feel it all around…” Honestly, I’m really happy for them. If only… if only… well… what can I say? Fancy that!