I’ve liked songs in the past that have tackled the idea of seeing someone, catching their eye and feeling something about it and the regret afterwards of not acting on it but I don’t think I’ve ever had the experience until recently.

I was at this event the other night and it happened. I was in the middle of talking with a group of people and I looked up, met the eyes of a man standing on the other side of the event space in his own group of people talking and laughing. It was only a split second but I immediately thought ‘oh I don’t know this person’ and also ‘he looks quite attractive’ …but I didn’t do anything about it. The group of people he was with I didn’t know that well and from the way conversation was going it seemed like they all knew each other quite well. Should I have interrupted anyway? Who can say now because I didn’t at the time.

Because this isn’t some tragic love song on the radio I did eventually find out who it was. Because the people at this event were all on a list. Nobody was unknown. I could have asked the organiser about it afterwards. But I didn’t. I figured the universe would provide (basically, I’m lazy) and actually, it did. The person in question messaged me afterwards and said a similar thing that I thought.

That he looked over at me and noticed me but saw that I was with people and he didn’t know the people I was with that well either. He said he figured there would be plenty of time to talk to everyone but he arrived quite late and I left quite early so there was only overlap of about an hour. That one time we caught each other’s eye? That was it, that was the opportunity. And we both missed it.

He messaged me afterwards and he said:

You’re gorgeous. I’m kicking myself. Note to self: be early and also mingle with everyone.

What grates on me now, afterwards, is that he’s a lovely man. We have interesting conversation. It’s hard not to think what could have been different if I’d been brave and said hello. What would have been different if he’d been brave and said hello. Honestly, probably nothing. But I kind of like that romantic what if? question to think about.