‘first of all, we never said ‘shag’ – that’s such a british thing, i’d
never say that.”

“it doesn’t matter, you know what you said. look, the past two days
i’ve been so horny – i just needed to scratch an itch. it’s such a
terrible way to put it but……that’s it, that’s what i mean. i
thought it could be a nice little holliday thing. just scratch an
itch, that’s all. now you’ve become so nasty. you’ve been taking the
piss out of me and i can’t defend myself. you became so nasty. i’m
drunk and you just became so fratty. i bet you’re more drunk than i.

the whole unbuttoning of your shirts was so terrible and you became so
loud – i’m 33 and i need to find love. i’m done with the 23 year old
thing. the joke’s were charming at first but they just became too
much. you became so loud.

“all i can say is that i acted like a perfect gentleman tonight – i
walked on the outside of the sidewalk. i’m sure you didn’t notice.
all i can say is i’m sorry for the way we’ve acted, but it doesn’t
mean i’m not gentlemanly. i wish you’d come out with us. let’s go
meet your friends.”

“no, i’m so tired. no”

“it’s okay, we’ll have a coffee. we’ll have a cappucino.”

“no, it’s okay, i’ll take you to the address but then i’m going home.
i’m so tired, and you’ve become so nasty. back to lan kwai fong -
yes, where we began.”

the lights of soho flew by and the cabs infront of us stopped, honked
and started again. drunken revelers stumbled their way home along the
side walk. i missed her and she was sitting next to me. she was
everything i ever wanted but nothing i needed, nothing i planned on.
she was beautiful in a way i never imagined, but she was nothing i
ever imagined simply because i had never met her – would every girl i
ever meet be this way?
she was nothing special…or different, but she was exciting because
she was a girl i had never met – if that makes any sense. i loved her
and would have married her in that instant and been full of regret in
the next – but that’s a woman. that’s a new woman, that’s a beautiful
new woman. i was 23 and she wanted babies. i wanted to make love -
she wanted the same, what was the issue? i loved her but i would
never meet a woman like her again – would i never love again? i would
meet a new girl and it would be the same – love is nothing but the
mood you’re in. nothing but what an old classic makes you think it
should be. it’s new york city and a girl with the same name of a girl
in new york city. it’s the fact that love will strike without a
warning but will make every beautiful 33 year old seem like the only
one….i loved her, but i loved myself loving here even more and that
was the truth. i didn’t love her.

“well, then – goodbye. i’m ever so sorry.”

“no, don’t worry. i’m sorry. goodnight”

“goodnight.”