Platform 4

It is 6:40am in the morning.

The middle of winter early January morning. I have just picked up a free paper to read while on the train. 

The train is due 6:43. I make sure to catch it. I need to be in the office by 7:30. I commute from the outskirts of London three days a week. The other two weekdays I work from home. 

'I must get an apartment in central London. I really don't like the early starts. ' I think to myself 

6:4am the train pulls into the station; luckily as we are one of the earlier stops, it is not so full. I find a seat and I don't bother to look up and begin to read my paper. 

The silence is a London thing. No one talks or looks at strangers. We could ride the same train for ten years, see each other night and day but still never exchange a word. Gosh! The madness of living in one of the greatest cities on earth. We are lonely, but we never cross the lines to break the ice. I wonder what will it take?

Today for some reason feels different. I don't know; I feel hormonal; I feel sensitive. May be my period is due? This us how I normally feel before it happens. 

The train doors open and a group of people push and shove to get seats. We are getting closer to the centre and it is getting busier. 

For some reason I look up from the fashion section I was reading and I notice directly opposite me a good looking black guy staring at me. Embarrassed, he quickly turns his stare elsewhere. 

Normally I would not give it a second thought and carry on reading just to show a lack of interest. 

This time I look at him; I study him and measure him. 

More than black he is dark brown with short neat curly hair. Beautiful teeth. 

He dresses quite causal: a deep blue Polo top and some khaki chinos and a suede pair of smart shoes. 

It doesn't look like he goes to the gym and he is not overweight. He seems to be naturally slender but not skinny. I guess 6 feet tall. 

He has a book: A mind for numbers' says the title. So is he a teacher or does he just like maths? I doubt it. May be he is carrying it to make an impression. 

But why? All these other guys are in suits and ties and work for the big investment banks. They make a lot of money!

He doesn't look like the fancy well paid city guy. 

I cannot date a guy who makes less money than me. I tried it before and it didn't work. 

Don't get me wrong; it was not about the money... Well it was. More than the money, it was a sense of self esteem. 

I dated two old fashioned guys who refused to let me pay for anything because they believed as men they should pay. 

Once we got into an argument and I told him I earned twice as much as he did and I didn't need his fancy manners or money... That put a stop to our romance - it crushed him. 

The other guy simply could not accept a woman earning more money than him. He had to be in control - so that ended that relationship fast. 

OK where was I ? In the train and looking at this black guy. 

We get to Black friars station, a lot of people are getting off and so am I. So is he as he stands he stands to but makes way for me. I politely thank him. 

I can smell him...oh my goodness to bury my head in his neck. A sweet, citrusy vanilla smell. He smells beautiful...

From the 18th floor I work the day through. 

I had a presentation to complete as I was giving one to one of our clients. We were making a pitch for more work from them.

We had delivered for them before and we sure could again. I was team lead so I had to put it all together. I enjoyed my work. It involved creativity and imagination. 

I was very intelligent in school and hardworking. Being Chinese, my father and mother wanted me to be a doctor. This would bring them great prestige. Sure enough I was accepted into medical school with full scholarship but I choose not to take it up. 

I had a gap year and spent it Cambodia working with a charity for orphaned kids. It was a great experience and I loved the beauty of the country. 

Coming back the UK, economics and advertising and marketing. I Loved the challenge of creating desire for products. 

I excelled. At one point two agencies fought tooth and nail for my services. I chose the smaller and it grew to be one the biggest and best. 

Once my parents saw how much money I made; I bought them a home and made sure they need not worry financially - all was forgiven for not doing medicine.

I am Chinese by the way...oh yes I have said. I am tall by ,Chinese standards or by any girl standards. My legs are long and shapely.. Maybe from all the tennis and swimming and cycling I do. I have curves, firm curves of a sports woman. My hair is shoulder length. My eyes are light almost brown - a mystery they say. My skin is porcelain but I tan well.

I think I am OK but my friends never stop admiring my beauty. It makes me bashful at times. The men turn their heads when they see me... Or am I just an oriental sexual fantasy?

It's 9:50pm. 

I have had a long day. The presentation went well. It went longer than we anticipated. It left no time for anything else. After 5pm my friend Sarah had a dinner date but she needed someone else to come along because her date was coming with a friend. So I agreed to go on this double date as Sarah is one of my closest friends. 

We were taken to French- Vietnamese restaurant. The food was delicious. Sarah clearly head over heels in love with her date almost forgot we were there. Kissing and touching throughout the meal. 

We went to a bar for a couple of drinks. My date clearly a very very handsome man, but also so full of himself thought I was easy. He didn't make an effort to try to know me. Cracked jokes which were not funny and preceded to try kiss me. I let him know that though he was a great looking guy I was not interested. 

From that point he didn't talk to me and left. Sarah barely noticed, so I told her not to worry I would make my way home - she must have fun. 

9:50 I am in Farringdon station as the train pulls up I get in, slightly tipsy from a few glasses of wine. I take a seat on a four seated with a table and directly opposite is the black guy from this morning...

Luckily there is just two of us. He does the best thing I can imagine.... He smiles at me as if he knew that I had just escaped a horrible date.

' are you the girl from the train this morning? '

I say ' it could be or it could be my twin sister?' I smile and laugh..the alcohol is wearing off as I have been drinking a bit of water.

The black guy goes ' not with those legs, not with that face and not with that smile...there is no one around here looking just like you. So it has to be you...)

'What a charmer you are' 

My Name is Mel and you are?' 

Denzel ' he says. 

For a moment we just look at each other blank. At a loss for words because just maybe the attraction is mutual. 

'I have to have this man...I have not spoken to him before. But I feel I have known him from a thousand years before. '

Even though we barely spoke. What is it about him...

A little cloud fills my mind. 

My mother used to say to me. Please my daughter marry a Chinese man. I know we brought you up in the UK but there a lot of good Chinese guys who understand our culture. 

She went on, fine if you marry a white man..it is not the best but we will accept as our son...what can we do. 

But do not ever try bring a black man into our family. We will certainly disown you.  Please don't bring shame on us.

Ever since I was young.. Something about black guys appealed to me but I could not tell you what. I had never dated or really hung out with black people.. So I thought this affection would die off. For a while it did and mentally I erased it out but I could not get it out of my bones, my heart....

Denzel at that moment said you have beautiful eyes.  I can see you good heart through those eyes.. 

What could I say? I was lost for words...I fumbled and stumbled for words. 

' what day are you free? Do you work in the area? We can meet for a lunch date if that is OK?'

Denzel replies ' how about Thursday? My dairy looks good. Couple of things in the morning and then free!'

 Take my card', as denzel gives me his card.

I give him mine. 

Today is Tuesday and Thursday looks so far away..