The Bridge and Other Love Stories

Gemma was hungry. Time for lunch, she thought. She went down to the hospital canteen, got some sandwiches and a cup of coffee, and looked for a table. But it was one o'clock and the canteen was very busy. There were no free tables. Then, at the long table by the window, she saw a tall man with fair hair. It was her friend Luke, and there was a seat next to him. She walked across to him.

"Hi Luke. Can I sit here?", said Gemma.

Luke did not look up, and did not speak. Perhaps he didn't hear her.

Gemma tried again. "Luke? Er, can I sit here? Or are you waiting for someone?"

"Oh, hi Gemma. No, no, I'm not waiting for anyone. Come and sit down".

Gemma put her sandwiches and coffee on the table, and sat down. She and Luke worked in the physiotherapy clinic in a hospital in Bristol. Usually, Luke was friendly, but not today.

"The canteen's very busy", Gemma said. "Where did all these people come from?"

Luke did not answer.

"Luke? Are you OK? Is something wrong?"

"I'm OK. I'm good", said Luke. He moved his coffee cup around on the table, and did not look at Gemma. He drank some coffee. Gemma began to eat her sandwiches.

Then Luke put his cup down, and looked at Gemma. "Gemma, we're good friends, aren't we? Can I talk to you?"

Gemma put her sandwich down. "Yes, of course, Luke. What is it?"

Luke's face was red. "It's stupid of me, I know that. But I... I mean... Look, do you see that girl over there? The girl with the long blonde hair?"

Gemma looked across the canteen. There was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair at a table near the door. Gemma's hair was short and black, and she wore glasses.

"You mean Charlotte? She works for Dr Howell, doesn't she?"

"That's right. Well, I really like her. She's... well, look at her, she's beautiful! I want to talk to her, I really do!"

"So talk to her!"

"But I can never find the right words. What can I say? I open my mouth - and nothing comes out! And she goes away, and I feel stupid".

Gemma smiled at him.

"Poor Luke! But that's not like you. When you're with me, you talk about lots of things. Like this weekend - what did you do this weekend?"

"I went swimming with Paul on Saturday", Luke said. "We went in the sea. It was so cold - but it was great!"

They talked for a few minutes. Then Gemma said:

"Luke, you're on the social committee, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right", said Luke. "Why?"

"Well, I've got a plan. We make you a list of questions - about music, and free time, nights out - things like that. Then you ask Charlotte these questions. You're asking them for the social committee, you see. And she answers - and you ask some more questions, and there you are... you're talking to Charlotte!"

"Hmm", said Luke. "Yes, I see - I think!"

"I know", said Gemma, "let's try the plan now. You're Charlotte, and I'm Luke. I do the questions, and you do the answers - OK?"

"Er, yes", said Luke. "You mean, I must ask you all these questions now?"

"Er, no", said Gemma. "It's like... well, we're playing... I'm playing Luke, and you're playing Charlotte. For now, you ARE Charlotte, OK?"

"Right. Got it", said Luke. "So you're me. You're Luke".

Gemma smiled again. "Good. OK, let's go". She spoke in a different voice. "Hi Charlotte. My name's Luke, and I'm on the social committee. We want to plan some days and nights out for people from the hospital. What do you like doing? Is it OK to ask you some questions?"

"Yes, of course", said Luke.

"OK - first, what kind of music do you like?"

"That's easy. I like Black Phoenix, and the Tree Rats - do you know the Tree Rats? They're really good".

"No, I don't", said Gemma, "but I saw Black Phoenix last month. They're great! OK - what do you like doing at the weekend?"

"I like running, and swimming", said Luke. "And I like going out on my bike..."

"You see?", said Gemma. "It's easy really. You just need the questions".

---

Later that afternoon, Luke stopped in the office. Gemma was at one of the computers.

"Hi, Luke", said Gemma. "Have you got a few minutes? I've got some questions here. Come and see".

Luke read the list of questions on her computer.

"Oh, that's great, Gemma!", he said.

"Do you want to put any more questions on the list?", she asked. Luke thought for a minute.

"Do you like going to music festivals?", he said at last.

"Yes, that's good", said Gemma. She put it on the list.

Soon Luke had the list in his hands.

"Wait for the right time", said Gemma. "And - good luck!"

---

Every day Luke looked for Charlotte in the canteen. On Tuesday she was with Molly, and on Wednesday he did not see her. But on Thursday...

"Hi Charlotte", said Luke. "My name's Luke. I'm on the social committee. We want to plan some days and nights out for people from the hospital. Can I ask you some questions?"

"OK", said Charlotte, and she smiled at Luke.

They sat down near the window.

"Right", said Luke. "First, what kind of music do you like?"

"Well, I like the Good Girls, and Sadie Moonlight, and lots of girl singers, really. Oh, and Bobbie, of course".

"Bobbie?", said Luke. "Really?"

"He's wonderful. 'Love me, love nobody but me'", sang Charlotte happily.

"Do you like Black Phoenix?"

"Who?", said Charlotte.

"Um - it doesn't matter", said Luke quickly. "Let's see - do you like swimming?"

"Swimming?", laughed Charlotte. "Just look at my hair. Me - swimming!"

"Have you got a bike?"

"No - I rode a bike when I was little, but not now. Not in these shoes", Luke looked at Charlotte's shoes. They had very high heels.

"Do you go to festivals?"

"Only in good weather, with no rain and no tents".

"So - you never go to festivals", Luke said.

"Never", said Charlotte.

"What do you like doing in your free time then?"

"Facebook", Charlotte said. "I'm on Facebook every night. Are you on Facebook?"

"Er, no", said Luke. "I, er, use computers at work, but away from work I like to do other things. I go..."

But Charlotte was not interested in listening to Luke. "But why not?", she said. "Facebook is soooo cool! Do you know, I've got 778 Facebook friends, lots of them are in America, and I've got some in Japan, Australia - oh, everywhere! And photos - I've got thousands of photos on Facebook now".

"You don't go out much, then?", Luke asked. "You just go on Facebook?"

"Of course not!", said Charlotte. "Don't be stupid. I hang out with my friends - Monica, Jess, Ellie, Alice... We go to clubs, and we go shopping. I love shopping. We're going to Eastwater next weekend, me and Jess and Alice. Do you know, there are more than 250 shops there. We're going into every one of them! I can't wait!" She saw Luke's face, and laughed. "Oh, men are sooo boring about shopping!"

"Well, I, er...", Luke said. He began again. "250 shops - Wow! That's a lot of shopping. Well, have a great day with your friends, Charlotte. Thanks for your time. Nice talking to you".

"That's OK, Luke", said Charlotte. "Bye".

---

Gemma looked up. Luke was at the door, and in his hand was the list of questions.

"Hmm", she said. "That's not a happy face. Three out of ten? Two out of ten?"

"Zero out of ten, I think", said Luke unhappily. "She doesn't like swimming, bikes, or festivals, and she doesn't like Black Phoenix - she likes Bobbie!"

"Bobbie!", said Gemma. She laughed. "Oh no!"

"Yes. And she likes the Good Girls. And she loves shopping, and can't wait to go to Eastwater".

"Bad luck, Luke", said Gemma. "You got all the answers, but they're all the wrong answers. You and Charlotte are very different people".

"Very different", said Luke unhappily. "You're right".

He walked away, and Gemma watched him. "Oh, Luke!", she thought.

---

On Sunday morning Luke went out on his bike. He rode along the streets of the city and thought about his week.

"I'm stupid", he thought. "Charlotte is the wrong girl for me. She's beautiful, but we like different things".

Suddenly he saw a lot of people by the road. He stopped to look. "What's going on?", he thought. "Why are all those people clapping and shouting?" He began to cross the street, but a policeman came over to him.

"You can't go along there", he said. "The race is finishing there".

"The race?", said Luke. "What race is that?"

"It's the City Road Race", said the policeman. "Look - here come the runners now".

The first man finished the race, and Luke clapped. A few minutes later, the women runners arrived. Luke clapped them too. Then he looked again. Was that Gemma? Yes it was - and she was third!

"Gemma", Luke called. "Well done, Gemma!" He put his bike against a tree and ran across to Gemma.

"Hello, Luke", said Gemma. She was in her running clothes, black and green, and she looked good.

"Wow", Luke said. "You look great in those colours. I only ever see you in hospital clothes usually. And you came third too. That's wonderful!"

Gemma was busy with her towel. "Thanks, Luke", she said.

Luke could not take his eyes away from Gemma. "You're a runner", he said. "I never knew that".

"You never asked me", said Gemma. She smiled at Luke, a long slow warm smile.

Luke looked down into her blue eyes. He looked for a long time. A new and wonderful idea came into his head. "Wow", he said again. "I never saw your eyes before - they're... beautiful".

Gemma laughed. "I wear glasses at work", she said. "That's why".

Luke suddenly remembered. "Hey, you're tired, you just ran a race. Let's sit down".

They sat down on a low wall together. Around them, other people talked about the race, but Luke and Gemma did not hear them or see them. They sat quietly and Gemma drank some water. Luke wanted to say a lot of things, but he could not find the right words. Then he opened his mouth - and all the right words came out.

"Gemma, have you got a bike?", he asked.

"Yes", she said. "Last year I went to Utrecht for a week in the summer, and I went everywhere by bike".

"Do you like swimming?"

"Yes, and I love swimming in the sea — it's the best".

"And you like Black Phoenix, and the Tree Rats?"

"And Darkwater", said Gemma. "They're like the Tree Rats, but better".

"Darkwater?", said Luke. "I like them, they're really great. Hey, they're at the Mountain Club tonight. Would you like to... I mean... Do you... You don't want to come with me, perhaps?"

Gemma laughed, a long happy laugh. "Of course, I want to!", she said. "What time shall we go?"

Two things, Luke thought. You only need two things. The right questions - and the right answers. Then it's easy.