Lost confused and looking for Inspiration - Stage 2

I went into Newcastle Sunday morning, on my own, cause we are still not speaking! As previously mentioned I rarely go into town, but I had to go in to pick up a ring, so got myself up early and headed in thinking shopping started at 10am. More fool me, everywhere was shut, but the town was still pulsing with people with a faint look of desperation in their eyes "only 20 more shopping days to go, gotta have, gotta get, gotta do".

I am currently on a go-slow. I put the Christmas decs up on Saturday and have began to feed the cake but that’s all I’ve done, I’ve never done Christmas in a rush before an figured what the hell, Im going to be 7 months pregnant, why not add one more problem to my basket and do everything last minute this year, its what everyone else does.

So I bimbled around the main shopping mall for 2o mins, glancing into shop windows promising tinsel happiness and fluffy Christmas contentment as long as you brought "This, No this... Yes buy THIS!!"

Sadly all I was really searching for was the toilet; so with a delicate crossed legged desperation I popped into one of the frequently growing coffee shops - it promised real Italian coffee and panettone’s. I ordered a fruit juice a chocolate panettone and headed into the little girls room - Ahhh the bliss that comes with the simplest of bodily functions.

Returning I was told by a dough eyed pimply-faced youth that they "sadly had no chocolate panettone’s, would a fruit one be okay". His sincerity washed over me and I agreed that a fruit one would indeed suffice.

Feeling strangely single I headed upstairs in the hope of finding a secluded seat where I could scoff my panettone and slurp my mango smoothie whilst waiting for 11am to arrive.

Upstairs had been assigned the "Smokers corner" and the air whilst not thick with grey cloying smoke was hinting at the degenerate and defiled habit. I breathed in deeply and moved toward a seat in front of the window that would allow me to carry out one of my favourite hobbies - people watching.

As I lumbered to the seat my eyes flickered and suddenly made contact with a guy sat in the corner - in the comfy sofa seats. His casual clothes - sweatshirt and sweat pants - screamed contractor, but he sat with a comfortable ease. A guy obviously happy in his own skin, happy to be sat slurping coffee, reading papers and talking on the phone. We did that "hi" embarrassed smile thing that strangers do and I took up my seat.

Before I had even pulled my panettone in half and began the stuffing process my ears had tuned into his conversation and I was enthralled. Contractor guy was not a contractor but a Landlord and apparently he had a lodger, in one of his properties, who was trying to diddle him out of rent, they had offered up a strange comprising deal but with added threats, which he was discussing with his partner. Was it better to accept the £400 and get rid of the said tenant or should they go for the full months rent and maybe face the hassle of a hard to move tenant. "Take the money,” I thought to myself slurping hard on the smoothie. And as the streets of Newcastle were not exactly bustling I’m afraid I just sat and listened into this strangers life, it took my mind of my life and the anger and sadness I was still feeling towards K.

Panettone almost scoffed and smoothie slurped I looked at my phone to find out the time and saw that it was almost 11am. Perfect. Just as I was tidying up my little space landlord guy got up to leave. Again with the "acknowledging smiles" he began to walk away, I wiped down the table with my napkin,old waitress habits die hard, and packed up my bag.

Suddenly a presence was leaning over me "Excuse me" smiled landlord guy "I just had to tell you that you have the most fantastic skin I’ve seen in ages, its really luminescent".

My face split into a grin and I blushed like a school girl, "Thank you" I stammered desperately trying to find something grown up to say but coming up with nothing and eventually blithering forth with "its a probably a pregnancy glow... oh and oil of Olay, but thank you" smile, simper, sit in shock, flick hair behind ears and simper again.

"Your welcome" smiled landlord guy again, eyes twinkling he turned and walked away. I sat staring at the crumpled panettone wrapper and empty plastic smoothie with a Cheshir cat like grin upon my face.

So that's what a compliment feels like I thought, "its been so long" snidey me mumbled. "Pah to feeling fat, I’ve got luminescent skin!!!!" I smirked to myself as I bimbled through the crowds.