I met my Italian through a chance encounter. A last minute city break was in order and Florence happened to have the cheapest flights. It was out of season and bitterly cold so to seek solace we headed to an Irish bar. My Italian has since told me he tried speaking to me as soon as I walked in, but I do not recall this. The first time I saw him was when he asked to join our table.
We spent the rest of the evening laughing together and having a lot of fun. He called the next day to ask me for dinner. Whilst I refused dinner (I couldn't leave my friend alone) I agreed to join him and his friends for drinks. Another fun filled night followed and I left Florence happy to have met him.
Little did I know at that point that this was just the beginning. My Italian kept in touch and within 2 weeks he had booked his flight to visit me in London. It was a very romantic gesture and although I was apprehensive about spending the weekend together I needn't have worried.
Although he was 10 years older than me, my Italian and I had a lot in common and spent hours talking about our lives and over the months that followed developed a close bond. We'd save our money for flights to see each other. I loved the Italian lifestyle - we took road trips to Italian villages, drank red wine and enjoyed each other.
The last time I saw him was in London. Saying bye this time felt different. I was worried I was beginning to fall for him. Longer term we knew we were incompatible. He was happy to be the eternal bachelor whilst I wanted marriage and children. We ended it amicably before we got in too deep.
Although he wasn't my happily ever after, he was most certainly an unforgettable chapter and I'm still happy to have his friendship in my life.
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