Collisions And Love

The forces of attraction and rejection are as powerful as an atomic reaction, or so it seems to a physics student in love

In the beginning there was nothing. But a fraction of a second later, our universe was born."

The scientist's eyes are bright with passion as he speaks. He has dark, wavy hair and a way of throwing his hands about that reminds me of Werner.

And although the scientist is talking directly to the camera and, therefore, us - an audience made up of physics degree students and curious laymen - about the beginning of our universe, that bit could be about Werner and me too.

One second we hadn't been aware of each other's existence. The next, he bumped my shoulder as he walked past the university coffee machine, and our worlds collided.

"My apologies. I wasn't paying attention," Werner had said, catching my irritated gaze.

I'd been about to berate him for not looking where he was going. Thanks to him I'd managed to spill coffee over some papers, but there was something about that first shock of contact that had stopped me.

I'd been at Durham for a term. How come our paths hadn't crossed before? And they hadn't. I'd have remembered Werner. His dark hair, serious manner, that oddly formal Germanic accent and his oh-so-English words.

"Oh my days. Did I do that?" His brow furrowed as he took in the spilt coffee. He whipped out a handkerchief that was so big, it was something a magician might have used to conceal a rabbit and mopped at the mess.

"I'm not sure that's helping," I said.

"No, it's not." He frowned. "Can I get you another?"

"Coffee or set of notes?"

"Um- maybe coffee? In the first instance," he qualifies.

He looked so apologetic I think I'd have said yes anyway, even if he hadn't had a presence that was hard to ignore. Not to mention the kind of eyes in which every emotion he was feeling was written large. He had - still has beautiful eyes.