(Part 01)
Phlebotomist Harriet Quimby and Professor of music Nathan Robinson had been dating for close to six months and were getting very serious.
To the untrained eye they seemed an odd couple, she a beautiful willowy health professional and him an unspectacular looking academic.
But it was also patently obvious that miss matched or not they were obviously in love.
Despite their differences and a six year age gap they were a two halves of the same coin.
Her marriage to William Quimby ended as a result of his lies and deceit so when her relationship with Nathan began Harriet stated
“I have only one rule or perhaps more aptly it is my no lies policy, we have to have absolute honesty or nothing”
“I agree” Nathan said “Unreservedly”
In the fullness of time although they still had their own respective homes they were always together when commitments allowed although in truth they were each other’s primary commitment and when they were together it was generally always at his house.
Apart from when Nathan was out of town lecturing and it had been that way since the very beginning.
When Harriet first agreed to go out with Nathan she didn’t have it in mind that it was a date as such in fact she didn’t, even to that day, understand how it happened, she remembered that she agreed that if she went with him to a Jazz gig in return he would take her to the opera and it was as simple as that or at least it seemed so simple and matter of fact.
But go with him to the Jazz gig she did and one gig led to another one and then to drinks, and dinner and the pictures until she suddenly had space in his wardrobe and a drawer for her knickers and then she could hardly remember the time before they met.
They did however still disagree musically but in all other matters they were simpatico.
Nathan was a jazz fan and when he wanted to relax he always listened to Beiderbecke, Goodman, The Dorsey Brothers, Jelly Roll Morton or Artie Shaw but of an evening he would always defer to Harriet’s favourite, Puccini.
Just to look at her lovely face as the wonderful melodies washed over her.
When he first asked her out she said
“Ok I will come with you to the Jazz Shack to hear you play again, on one condition”
“Name it” he said with enthusiasm
“You have to come to the opera with me”
He went to speak but she silenced him with a look
“And I don’t mean Gilbert and Sullivan either”
“Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, one of the greatest pieces of early 20th century music ever written” she said with authority
“It’s a date” he said
His one and only regret since they had been together was that his part of the bargain that he should take her to see Madame Butterfly had remained unfulfilled.
They couldn’t find a performance at the time and she had to settle for Tosca, which she did without a single word of complaint.
But a promise was a promise and his failure to keep it would have to be put right.
(Part 02)
Nathan had been away for three days lecturing on the question of whether Jazz had an effect on speakeasies or vice versa and Harriet was missing him terribly.
She had been at his house all the time he had been away as she felt to lonely in her flat.
When Nathan drove onto his driveway he was delighted to see the lights were on, which meant Harry was home.
He opened the front door and was surprised to hear the sound of Bix Beiderbecke coming from his study.
“Hello!” he called as he closed the door.
“Nathan?” Harriet called back “is that you?”
She appeared from the lounge and rushed towards him
“You’re early” she said and kissed him.
“Yes we wrapped up earlier than I expected” He replied
“How come you’re listening to Bix Beiderbecke, you hate jazz?”
“It’s growing on me” Harriet replied
“Really?” he asked doubtfully
“Yes I’ve got to like it” she said
“Liar” Nathan said
“I’m not lying” she said innocently
As they walked to the lounge
“What happened to your no lies policy?” he asked
“I hate it when you remember what I say” she said grumpily “and then use my own words against me”
“So?”
“Ok” she confessed
“If I can hear your jazz playing in the study it’s like you’re only in the next room and not miles away and then I don’t miss you so much”
Later that evening after they had made love Nathan said
“Can you get some time off around your birthday?”
“Yes I think so” she replied “Why?”
“I thought we might get away on a mini break” he replied, “Hotel, opera, posh restaurant”
“Really?”
“Yes it’s your 30th after all” he replied
“That’s a big birthday”
He would have liked it to have been a surprise but he needed to tell her in order for her to book the time off.
Harriet managed to get the time off and then he made all the arrangements and kept all the details secret until the day came for them to leave.
They were stood in the hallway with the bags packed when he said
“Have you got your passport?”
“You don’t need a passport for Covent Garden” she said and snorted
“No, that’s true” Nathan said “But you do for the Met”
“The Met?” she asked
“Yes” Nathan replied
“The Metropolitan Opera house?” she asked “in New York City?”
“Yes, but I can change it to Covent Garden though if you’d rather” he offered
“Don’t you dare” she said and kissed him
“I can’t believe you’re taking me to New York” she said and squealed
“Well it is your 30th” he explained
“Well if you’re taking me to New York for my 30th what will you do for my 40th
“Well that’s easy” he said
“What?”
“I’ll change you for two 20s”
“Bloody cheek” she said but kissed him anyway
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