Bumped into man whom I have not seen for over five years aboard 18.06 this evening. In fact, last time we communicated was by phone, at a time when I thought we were both tentatively embarking on initial dating phase of relationship.

However, relationship never got beyond initial dating phase - or even that far, come to think of it - due to above-mentioned last communication by phone.

Mark had been introduced to me by friend at party at which we had spent most of time chatting to each other and, at end of which, exchanged phone numbers.

Mark had then called once and we had chatted up a hefty phone bill and suggested meeting up the following week.

I had said I'd call him back later in the week to follow up suggestion re suggested meeting. Did so but had been answered by an answerphone.

Mark had then phoned back at end of what, for me, had been extremely long day at work, followed by extremely long train journey home (signal failure for a change) and, at precise moment when phone rang, I was just settling down to much-needed plate of hot lasagne.

So, conversation went along the lines of:

"Hello."

"Hello, it's Mark. How are you?"

"I'm shattered, actually. I only got back from work about half an hour ago and I'm just sitting down to eat. Can I call your back in 20 minutes or so?"

"No!" This a rather unexpected reply from Mark, a man who up until then I had thought I was rather hitting it off with.

"No?" I said, unsure what else to say at the time, and that was the last I heard of him.

Asked several friends what they would have done in the situation. Responses varied from those who thought I should have just called him back anyway, those who, like I did, wondered if this was Mark's way of saying he didn't plan to continue with unplanned initial dating phase of relationship and those who wondered why on earth I hadn't let my dinner go cold and simply carried on with conversation with attractive, eligible man there and then.

Well, I was hungry . . . " was my not very convincing reply to the latter group. And I was hungry again and just about to tuck into a chicken and bacon baguette, purchased at Victoria, lest blood sugar levels should drop dangerously low before we reached Brighton, when I felt someone sit themselves down next to me and looked up to see the extremely handsome (if rather abrupt on the telephone) Mark.

"Hello," I said, wondering if he'd even remember me after all these years, but he did.

"Hello!" he said. "You look hungry. I guess the lasagne you were about to eat the last time we spoke didn't keep you going for long."

Was about to reply and was lowering baguette back towards table thing, but Mark continued: "Please, I don't want to interrupt your dinner. Let's talk when you've finished."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.