Page 85 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

GrahamLeeton:It does seem to be about more than just ordering a G&T these days. What gin? What tonic? What garnish? What flavour of ice?

MissGinFizz:What flavour of ice???

GrahamLeeton:Was just checking you were paying attention. :)

MissGinFizz:That actually sounds like something that could work. With the right flavour combinations, of course.

GrahamLeeton:Something you could explore? I’d definitely try that if I came across it in a bar. The flavour of the drink changes as you drink it – as the ice melts. So instead of becoming watery, your drink becomes fruity, or something??

MissGinFizz:I love that! Thanks for the idea. I’ll definitely look into that one.

GrahamLeeton:You’re totally welcome.

My fingers hover over the keyboard as I try to think of my ‘in’. How can I ask some of the questions I want to pose to him, without them seeming premeditated? I quickly become mentally paralysed. A top communications professional I am, but only if I have twenty or so minutes to think about things first. I don’t do top-class on-the-spot creations. Although, from my experience, neither do many of the people who think they do.

GrahamLeeton:You’re not doing it right now, are you? The ice will take a while to freeze.

MissGinFizz:Sorry, I was just thinking about something.

GrahamLeeton:Something good or something bad?

MissGinFizz:I’m not sure it’s either. Just… some questions I have.

GrahamLeeton:For me?

How do I do this? I don’t want to scare him off, or get his back up because I’ve broken our (sort of) unspoken rule. But I can’t not ask either. It’s eating me up. I need not to be a cheat, or feel like one.

GrahamLeeton:I’ll take that second long pause as a yes. Whatever it is, just ask.

MissGinFizz:OK… here goes…

MissGinFizz:Today I was talking about you with a couple of friends, and they laughed that I call you GrahamLeeton, rather than just Graham. But usernames are different to real names. I mean, my real name is obviously not MissGinFizz. And even though yours does seem like it’s your actual name, I can’t just assume and call you Graham, can I?

I sit back and read my words on the screen, screwing up my face in embarrassment. Never have I been so incoherent in the [virtual] presence of this man.

GrahamLeeton:You can call me Graham.

MissGinFizz:Oh, OK, great. And you can call me…

I pause, and suddenly panic. He can call me what? Gin? Hardly. I blink at the screen, stuck on what to say next. Should I give him my name too? What if he’s not actually a Graham at all? Dylan’s serial killer comments momentarily float into my mind. Thankfully GrahamLeeton’s perceptiveness saves the situation once again.

GrahamLeeton:I think I’d like to stick with MissGinFizz, actually. It’s rather alluring.

MissGinFizz:OK… great?

GrahamLeeton:Yes. Great. What’s your next question?

I take a deep breath. How do I even approach the whole meeting-up thing? Should I even do so after what Dylan said? Oh, shut up, Dylan. I can do the whole public place thing. It will be fine. And who says we’ll even be able to meet. I don’t know if he lives in Palawan or Preston. Yes – maybe that’s exactly where to start.

MissGinFizz:I know you said at the start there would be no sharing of personal details, but now that we’ve been talking for a while, I feel like I know you. But I actually don’t. I don’t even know what country you live in, or what age you are, even roughly – I’d never ask your exact age. Oh dear, I’m rambling…

GrahamLeeton:I live in the UK. And I’m old enough to drink, but not yet drawing my pension. Does that help? ;)

Does it? A little fizz of excitement bubbles in my stomach at knowing he’s in the same country, but we’re not out of the woods yet in relation to Dylan’s age-range prediction. I can’t really ask him to narrow it down though.

MissGinFizz:Yes, that helps. Thank you. I’m in the UK too, and also within that cavernous age range. ;) My friend thinks you’re a serial killer by the way.

GrahamLeeton:Sounds like your friend watches too much TV.

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