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By Root 1183 0

with dark eyes and shoulder-length brown hair, which he often tied back in a pony tail. I thought him terribly exotic and fell completely in love at first sight. He was officially studying for an economics degree but much more interested in student politics and working to overthrow the oppressive capitalist state. In fact in all the time I knew him I hardly saw him attend a lecture, although remarkably he still passed all his exams. He lived with several other students in a horrible grotty terrace house in Newtown. There was never any food in that bloody house but a lot of cheap alcohol was consumed. I used to stay over frequently, sleeping with him on a double bed mattress on the floor. John taught me the ways of love on that old Sealy Posturepedic although he’d be disappointed to know that I’ve had better since. Anyway, we hung together for most of my science degree, but in the end I got weary of his earnestness and gave him the flick. I don’t know what happened to him and must remember to Google him one day. Maybe he’ll turn up as a Greens’ candidate in a forthcoming election, although if he’s followed the typical path of most old socialists it’s more likely I’ll find that he’s now a tobacco company executive or something of that ilk.

It was at a party for David a couple of years later that Tony and I hooked up. I can remember the details clearly even though it was twelve years ago now. By this time Tony had been newly elevated to a first officer position with Qantas. David was heading to the UK for a couple of years of physician’s training so his friends had organised a bon voyage party, held in a private function room at a pub. I toddled along with my good friend, Mimi, which would not usually be regarded as an effective strategy if you were out to meet guys. Mimi is small and dainty with glossy dark hair, a delicate pointed chin, huge brown eyes, and a little girl voice and tinkling laugh which drive men to distraction. She also has the most beautiful skin you’ve ever seen; I expect she’s the only girl in recorded history to go through adolescence without a single blemish. Her presence seems to trigger some caveman-protector gene buried deep on the Y chromosome but the guys aren’t privy to the joke that she doesn’t need protecting at all. She’s smart and witty and fun to be around and possesses just the right amount of cynicism to be interesting. That’s why I chose to hang around with her. If only it wasn’t so dispiriting to turn into the invisible woman in her company.

However, as it turned out, Tony was one of the small percentage of men (I’d estimate around 0.5 percent) who found me the more attractive.

This particular evening Mimi and I were standing together, sipping bad house wine and viewing the passing parade with a detached eye, when I noticed Tony heading in our direction. He’d be hard to miss, a golden boy in every sense of the word. There was none of that apologetic sidling up I associated with less attractive men. He approached us confidently - clearly a young man expecting a positive reception.

I sighed. There was my evening gone.

‘Hi, Ellie isn’t it? David’s sister? I almost didn’t recognise you at first.’ Well at least he’s polite, I thought, taking time to acknowledge my existence before he moves in on Mimi.

‘Yes, and this is my friend Mimi,’ I explained. May as well get on with it.

‘Hi, Mimi. And what are you up to these days, Ellie? I haven’t seen you for ages. Have you been overseas?’

‘No, just at uni all the time. I’m studying for a marketing degree. But I did go on holiday to Italy recently with two girlfriends. We had the best time. I know everyone is meant to prefer Florence but I especially loved Rome. Have you been?…Oh, my God, I just realised how stupid that must sound, what with you jetting about the world for your job.’

‘No, not really - I’m just flying domestically at the moment. A holiday in Italy sounds pretty good to me, too.’

And so the conversation ensued. I asked him more about his job and told him about mine, and we discussed David and his already brilliant career and