The One
Page 17
Mark looked baffled and he again began to mumble unintelligibly.
‘It’s OK, Mark,’ came Kevin’s voice from the doorway.
She turned her head quickly to face her DNA Match, and her mouth fell open at his appearance.
‘Hi Jade. Not quite what you were expecting, am I?’ he asked.
Chapter 24
NICK
The midday traffic was at a standstill and frustrated drivers were blasting their horns as Nick and Sally arrived at Birmingham’s Colmore Circus.
An accident in the Queensway tunnels had reduced four traffic lanes down to one, and there were ceaseless drilling and thumping sounds coming from construction workers who were erecting a new multi-storey building on the concrete ashes of a recently demolished office block.
Nick raised his head to look at their destination and spotted the name emblazoned in red-and-black lettering across two third-floor windows – ‘One-2-One Physio’. With his advertising and marketing background, he mentally ripped apart the dated choice of font and graphic.
‘Why am I doing this?’ he asked Sally again.
‘Because we both need to know if there’s any spark between you and this man.’
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Nick argued, as he had frequently since learning he’d been DNA Matched with a man. ‘I’m a heterosexual bloke who isn’t physically attracted to men. First off, there will be no spark and, secondly, in the remotest chance possible there might be, how can one even fucking measure or quantify what a spark is?’
‘You told me the night we first met in the bar that you knew there and then that we’d end up getting married,’ she said. ‘You said that you felt your heart flutter. Now, for my own peace of mind, I need you to meet this guy to find out if your heart flutters for him too. Otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering.’
‘No, babe, you will spend the rest of your life wondering. I will spend it wondering why on earth I’ve apparently been Matched with a guy when it’s a woman I’m head over heels in love with.’
‘There’s no “apparently” about it, Nick. It’s science and science is based on fact, whether you believe it or not. You have to do this.’
Nick took a deep breath and took Sally’s face in his hands and kissed her deeply on the lips. While outwardly he was giving the appearance of not caring to meet his Match, inside Nick had a growing curiosity about the man he supposedly shared a link with.
‘Well, let’s get this over with.’ He sighed.
‘I’ll be in the Costa over the road when you’re done.’
Nick gave her a half-hearted smile, pressed the buzzer on the door, and once it opened, made his way up three flights of stairs to the reception desk.
‘Hi.’ He smiled nervously at the young receptionist who had a tattoo of a rose on her hand. ‘I’ve got an appointment with Alexander at 2.30.’
‘David Smith?’ she asked, glancing at the schedule on her screen. Nick nodded, pleased he’d changed his name. If Alexander had also requested the contact details of his pairing, Nick hadn’t wanted to forewarn him they were about to meet face to face. ‘You need some physio on your neck and shoulder, is that right?’ she continued.
‘Yes.’
‘OK, just fill out this form and Alex will be with you in a few minutes.’
Nick sank into an armchair and began to complete the brief questionnaire about his bogus ailment. Along with his name, he’d also made up the whiplash he’d received in a recent non-existent car accident.
‘David?’ A deep but friendly voice with an accent Nick couldn’t quite place came from behind him. Nick turned to find a smiling Alexander standing in the doorway.
‘Y-yes,’ Nick stammered.
‘I’m Alex,’ he began and held out his hand to shake Nick’s. ‘Come in and let’s take a look at you.’
Nick followed him into a room and perched on the physiotherapy bed as Alex sat on a fold-up chair opposite.
‘So, tell me about the pain and what caused it,’ Alex asked.
As Nick began, he hoped Alex wouldn’t ask him to go into any further detail about the accident as that was as far as he’d rehearsed his lie. But instead, Alex ran through some general questions about Nick’s health and work habits while Nick tried his best not to stare. Even Nick could admit that, like his photo had indicated, Alex was incredibly good-looking.
‘Right, if you want to take your T-shirt off for me and lie down face up,’ Alex said, and squirted some sanitiser into his hands. Nick suddenly felt very scrawny compared to Alex’s broad chest, which burst from his V-neck T-shirt.
‘I’m just going to feel around your neck and shoulders for a moment,’ Alex explained and stood behind him.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, Nick thought to himself, bracing himself for Alex’s touch, hoping his body wouldn’t betray him, like his nipples standing to attention or his penis twitching. He reminded himself that when he was drunk he’d often embrace his male friends and it’d never sparked a sexual reaction before. He closed his eyes and prayed as Alex’s hands made contact with his shoulders. And then … nothing. All he felt were Alex’s fingers poking around, digging into knots, manipulating his neck into different positions and requesting him to tilt it in various directions. Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned around and lay face down upon the bed at Alex’s request, putting his face through a hole and Alex’s hands made his way down his patient’s spine, aligning certain vertebrae with an audible crack where necessary. Despite the occasional moment of discomfort, Nick felt relaxed enough to make small talk.
‘So, are you an Aussie?’
‘No, a Kiwi. I’m from New Zealand.’
‘Ah, how long have you been over here?’
‘About twenty months or so, although my visa’s running out. My old man’s not doing so good so I’m heading home soon.’
‘Oh, sorry to hear that. Are you going back for good?’
‘That’s the idea. We’re just in the process of sorting out my girlfriend’s permit to work in New Zealand. She’s a Brit.’
He has a girlfriend, he’s not gay, thought Nick, reassured that they were in the same boat. The same, straight, positively heterosexual, boat.
As Alex continued to manipulate and manoeuvre his way around Nick’s shoulders and neck, they made small talk about work and where they socialised. Nick learned that they occasionally frequented the same bars, but had little else in common. Alex was the sporty type, playing amateur rugby most weekends – he’d proudly displayed a photo of his team, Solihull Rugby Club, on the wall of his office – or spending time away with his girlfriend fell walking or rock climbing. The closest Nick came to exercise was running for a bus when he’d overslept.
‘Right, mate, that should just about do you for today,’ said Alex. ‘You were a bit knotted but it wasn’t too bad back there. Give it another week and, if the symptoms persist, make another appointment to come and see me.’
‘Great, thank you,’ replied Nick, throwing on his T-shirt and jacket. As he got to his feet feeling a little light-headed, he spotted Sally through the window, three floors below in the coffee shop. He smiled to himself, reassured that this hiccup hadn’t spoiled their plans. The person he was destined to spend the rest of his life with was sitting on the opposite side of the road, and not standing in the same room as him.
‘It’s OK, Mark,’ came Kevin’s voice from the doorway.
She turned her head quickly to face her DNA Match, and her mouth fell open at his appearance.
‘Hi Jade. Not quite what you were expecting, am I?’ he asked.
Chapter 24
NICK
The midday traffic was at a standstill and frustrated drivers were blasting their horns as Nick and Sally arrived at Birmingham’s Colmore Circus.
An accident in the Queensway tunnels had reduced four traffic lanes down to one, and there were ceaseless drilling and thumping sounds coming from construction workers who were erecting a new multi-storey building on the concrete ashes of a recently demolished office block.
Nick raised his head to look at their destination and spotted the name emblazoned in red-and-black lettering across two third-floor windows – ‘One-2-One Physio’. With his advertising and marketing background, he mentally ripped apart the dated choice of font and graphic.
‘Why am I doing this?’ he asked Sally again.
‘Because we both need to know if there’s any spark between you and this man.’
‘That’s ridiculous,’ Nick argued, as he had frequently since learning he’d been DNA Matched with a man. ‘I’m a heterosexual bloke who isn’t physically attracted to men. First off, there will be no spark and, secondly, in the remotest chance possible there might be, how can one even fucking measure or quantify what a spark is?’
‘You told me the night we first met in the bar that you knew there and then that we’d end up getting married,’ she said. ‘You said that you felt your heart flutter. Now, for my own peace of mind, I need you to meet this guy to find out if your heart flutters for him too. Otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering.’
‘No, babe, you will spend the rest of your life wondering. I will spend it wondering why on earth I’ve apparently been Matched with a guy when it’s a woman I’m head over heels in love with.’
‘There’s no “apparently” about it, Nick. It’s science and science is based on fact, whether you believe it or not. You have to do this.’
Nick took a deep breath and took Sally’s face in his hands and kissed her deeply on the lips. While outwardly he was giving the appearance of not caring to meet his Match, inside Nick had a growing curiosity about the man he supposedly shared a link with.
‘Well, let’s get this over with.’ He sighed.
‘I’ll be in the Costa over the road when you’re done.’
Nick gave her a half-hearted smile, pressed the buzzer on the door, and once it opened, made his way up three flights of stairs to the reception desk.
‘Hi.’ He smiled nervously at the young receptionist who had a tattoo of a rose on her hand. ‘I’ve got an appointment with Alexander at 2.30.’
‘David Smith?’ she asked, glancing at the schedule on her screen. Nick nodded, pleased he’d changed his name. If Alexander had also requested the contact details of his pairing, Nick hadn’t wanted to forewarn him they were about to meet face to face. ‘You need some physio on your neck and shoulder, is that right?’ she continued.
‘Yes.’
‘OK, just fill out this form and Alex will be with you in a few minutes.’
Nick sank into an armchair and began to complete the brief questionnaire about his bogus ailment. Along with his name, he’d also made up the whiplash he’d received in a recent non-existent car accident.
‘David?’ A deep but friendly voice with an accent Nick couldn’t quite place came from behind him. Nick turned to find a smiling Alexander standing in the doorway.
‘Y-yes,’ Nick stammered.
‘I’m Alex,’ he began and held out his hand to shake Nick’s. ‘Come in and let’s take a look at you.’
Nick followed him into a room and perched on the physiotherapy bed as Alex sat on a fold-up chair opposite.
‘So, tell me about the pain and what caused it,’ Alex asked.
As Nick began, he hoped Alex wouldn’t ask him to go into any further detail about the accident as that was as far as he’d rehearsed his lie. But instead, Alex ran through some general questions about Nick’s health and work habits while Nick tried his best not to stare. Even Nick could admit that, like his photo had indicated, Alex was incredibly good-looking.
‘Right, if you want to take your T-shirt off for me and lie down face up,’ Alex said, and squirted some sanitiser into his hands. Nick suddenly felt very scrawny compared to Alex’s broad chest, which burst from his V-neck T-shirt.
‘I’m just going to feel around your neck and shoulders for a moment,’ Alex explained and stood behind him.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, Nick thought to himself, bracing himself for Alex’s touch, hoping his body wouldn’t betray him, like his nipples standing to attention or his penis twitching. He reminded himself that when he was drunk he’d often embrace his male friends and it’d never sparked a sexual reaction before. He closed his eyes and prayed as Alex’s hands made contact with his shoulders. And then … nothing. All he felt were Alex’s fingers poking around, digging into knots, manipulating his neck into different positions and requesting him to tilt it in various directions. Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned around and lay face down upon the bed at Alex’s request, putting his face through a hole and Alex’s hands made his way down his patient’s spine, aligning certain vertebrae with an audible crack where necessary. Despite the occasional moment of discomfort, Nick felt relaxed enough to make small talk.
‘So, are you an Aussie?’
‘No, a Kiwi. I’m from New Zealand.’
‘Ah, how long have you been over here?’
‘About twenty months or so, although my visa’s running out. My old man’s not doing so good so I’m heading home soon.’
‘Oh, sorry to hear that. Are you going back for good?’
‘That’s the idea. We’re just in the process of sorting out my girlfriend’s permit to work in New Zealand. She’s a Brit.’
He has a girlfriend, he’s not gay, thought Nick, reassured that they were in the same boat. The same, straight, positively heterosexual, boat.
As Alex continued to manipulate and manoeuvre his way around Nick’s shoulders and neck, they made small talk about work and where they socialised. Nick learned that they occasionally frequented the same bars, but had little else in common. Alex was the sporty type, playing amateur rugby most weekends – he’d proudly displayed a photo of his team, Solihull Rugby Club, on the wall of his office – or spending time away with his girlfriend fell walking or rock climbing. The closest Nick came to exercise was running for a bus when he’d overslept.
‘Right, mate, that should just about do you for today,’ said Alex. ‘You were a bit knotted but it wasn’t too bad back there. Give it another week and, if the symptoms persist, make another appointment to come and see me.’
‘Great, thank you,’ replied Nick, throwing on his T-shirt and jacket. As he got to his feet feeling a little light-headed, he spotted Sally through the window, three floors below in the coffee shop. He smiled to himself, reassured that this hiccup hadn’t spoiled their plans. The person he was destined to spend the rest of his life with was sitting on the opposite side of the road, and not standing in the same room as him.
