The Meet

Mike and Leila Meet 04/08/1998

After the longest day of their careers Mike and Terry decided it was time for a long hard drink.
“Meet you at the caven at 7pm, brother
“See you then,”

Walking into the Caven bar with Terry. I instantly noticed the beautiful woman sat across the other side of the room, sat in deep conversation with another woman.

“Drink,” asked Terry

““Jamesons, double

With Terry getting the drinks in, I plucked up the courage to go and introduce myself to the beautiful brunette. Pushing myself through the crowd of people having a good time, drinking and dancing.

As I finally got through the crowd, the beautiful woman looked up and said

“Hi,”

“Hi, can I buy you a drink,” I asked nervously

“Love one, vodka coke

“I am Mike

“I am Leila,” replied the beautiful brunette

When Terry handed me my drink, I asked Terry to go and get what Leila wanted, so I could continue talking to her. When Terry disappeared through the crowd, I sat down next to Leila and began to chat for the rest of the night. To the point we had agreed to meet up the next day, while exchanging phone numbers.
As we said our goodbyes I cheekily called Leila phone. When she looked around I just smiled and said,” Just checking it, with a cheeky smile that sent butterflies through Leila

“How did that go, man,” Terry asked nudging Mike

“ She is hot and can hold a conversation,” Mike explained while laughing

“She is definitely a looker

Both Myself and Terry had drank quite a lot of Whiskey by the time we made our way to the taxi rank. We were both swaying from left to right and laughing between ourselves.
6.00am the next day, my alarm started to go off. Opening my eyes I could feel a sore head coming on from the amount of whiskey we had consumed the night before. Getting out of bed, going downstairs to the kitchen to put the kettle on as I needed a strong black coffee.
As the coffee machine came to life, remembered Leila from the night before and decided to be bold and send a text message.

“Hi, good morning. I would love to take you to dinner tonight if possible,

All of a sudden I noticed that Leila had opened the message and was typing back

“I would love that. Can you pick me up for 7.00pm tonight?

With a massive smile on my face I typed back “ Yes. I just need your address

Mike was so excited that he forgot that he had a sore head for a moment, but it came back. Mike reached for the coffee and the Paracetamol, popping two in his mouth while drinking his black coffee.
As on cue, Mike's daughters Shannon and Chloe came bounding into the kitchen

“Why are you two up this early ?

“Just woke up,” Exclaimed Chloe

Mike looked at both girls, and felt proud of the girls for what they had overcome. With their mother passing away only 5 years before. It had been hard on both the girls and Mike. They didn’t expect Maxine to pass away so suddenly.
Maxine had been feeling unwell for a few weeks before she decided to visit the doctor. After explaining her symptoms to him, He decided to refer Maxine to the gyno for an internal scan. When the scan had been done and the biopsy had come back. It was confirmed that Maxine had ovarian cancer. It was too far gone to be able to treat. Within 3 weeks of that diagnosis, Maxine had passed away at home surrounded by Mike and the girls.

Pulling up outside Leila's home at 7.00pm, I was making my way to the door, Leila opened the door and came towards Me, with a massive smile that lit up the whole area.
She was wearing a fitted deep blue dress that clung to every perfect inch of her body, the dress made Leila look like a goddess. I just wanted to rip that dress off her and make love to her there and then. Leila sensed how he was looking at her with awe.
“Do you like what you see?” asked Leila

“ Just how perfect you are and look,” Mike exclaimed going a little red in the face

“Are we going that way or this way?” pointing to inside her home,” with a spark in her eyes.

“ As much as I want to rip that dress off you, and do very unspeakable things to you, I am going to be a gentleman,” Mike said looking at Leila with pure hunger
Smiling as she replied,” Lets go

Taking Leila's hand we went to the most beautiful place Blue Mountain in Morecambe. The restaurant was private and small. Very intimate, so both could get to know each other better.
Throughout the night, I told Leila about Maxine and the girls, how hard it is to parent young girls and helping them navigate their feelings/ grieve. I also told Leila about my job, how much pressure the job can bring, and how it had scared previous dates off.
I did expect to scare Leila off, but she still sat there looking at me with awe and admiration.

“You are amazing, Mike, and children are lucky to have you as their father and any woman that ends up with you will be proud to be your partner,” Smiled Leila

Leila began to explain about her family history, how it was a bad situation, where she and her brothers were beaten and berated. That only one of them was aware who their father was. Listening while Leila explained and felt my heart melt for this woman who had been put through hell by the very people who were meant to love and protect her. Leila explained how she went off the rails for a few years and did things she isn’t proud of but had to do them to survive.
By the time we had finished the staff at Blue Mountain had started to clear up for the night and were asking all customers to please finish their drinks and food in the next ten minutes as they were closing.

“Time flies by when you are having fun,” said Leila. “I would like to carry this night on. Would you like to come back to mine for a nightcap? I don’t want the night to end,” Leila explained with a look of hope and lust in her eyes.
“Let’s go,” Mike stood up holding his hand out to Leila and pulling her in for a kiss.

As the taxi pulled up outside Leila’s home, they both made their way to the front door.

They stumbled through the door, breathless with laughter and something heavier. The air between us crackled, as if we’d been building to this moment from the first glance. She turned, back against the wall, and we were there — close, eyes searching each other for permission, for gravity.

She didn't speak. She didn’t need to. Her fingers found the collar of his shirt and pulled him in. Our mouths met, not tentative, but urgent — like we’d been waiting hours, days, lifetimes. My hands framed her face, then her waist, drawing her closer until there was no space left to bridge.

Outside, the night was quiet. Inside, everything was pulsing — hearts, breath, longing. Clothes loosened, not stripped in haste, but undone with reverence, like each button, each zipper was its own confession.

We moved together slowly at first, like testing the edges of something precious. Then faster, like surrender. Every touch was discovery. Every kiss said I see you. Our bodies spoke the language their words had only hinted at.

And when they finally paused, breath tangled, foreheads resting together, she smiled — not just from pleasure, but from recognition. Of herself in him. Of me in her.

Whatever this was, it had begun long before the door closed behind them.
________________________________________
She leaned her head against his chest, listening to the wild rhythm of his heartbeat — a perfect echo of her own. For a moment, the world outside disappeared. No past, no what-ifs. Just the feeling of his fingers tracing gentle lines along her spine, anchoring her in the present.
He looked down at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch both protective and possessive — but in a way that felt safe, not stifling. Like she belonged, but on her own terms. His voice was low, rough around the edges. “I’ve wanted this since the second I saw you.”
She didn’t answer with words — only a look, deep and unwavering, that told me I was no longer alone in this. She felt it too. The pull. The sense that something had shifted.
I kissed her again, slower now, tasting the moment. One hand cradled the back of her neck, the other pressed gently at the curve of her hip as if I was still trying to convince myself she was real.
Moving toward the couch, tangled in each other, not in a rush — just desperate to stay close. Every kiss, every caress was a kind of question: Can I? Do you feel this too?
And every soft gasp, every lingering touch was the answer.
There was heat — yes, more than enough of that — but beneath it all was something steadier. A sense of being seen. Of being chosen.
Later, as we laid there tangled together in the soft hush of night, she looked at me and whispered, “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Smiling I laced my fingers with hers. “I wasn’t expecting you either.”
But now that we had found each other — there was no going back.
As both Mike and Leila lay there in each other's arms, they both knew there and then that they were in love and were going to be married.
Mike couldn’t stop looking at Leila, as if he couldn’t believe she was his. He hadn’t even felt this way about Maxine, which made him feel guilty inside, but he pushed that feeling away, as he only wanted to focus on Leila in this moment. He didn’t want this feeling to go away ever.
Mike made a call to ask Maria if she would be okay with the girls staying the night at their place as he didn’t want this night to end. Maria was more than happy to keep the girls for the night and told Mike to enjoy himself and that she was looking forward to meeting Leila at the next family meal.
When the call had ended, Mike wrapped Leila in his arms again and kept her there, believing that if he let go, she would disappear from his sight and he would lose her. His body arched for her, even though she was right there next to him.
Over the next few months, Mike and Leila spent every moment they could together, making sure not to move too fast. When the third month came, Mike decided to introduce Leila to the girls and all of his family and friends.