Squawk Radio

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Eloisa on Kiss Me and Kissing Games

I happen to adore marriages of convenience. In fact, when I've had a really bad day at work, I stop by the Borders on my way home and invariably buy a Harlequin Presents called something like "The Rich Greek Guy Gets a Wife the Easy Way." Then I take it home and after forcing my children into bed, I climb into the bath and blissfully dive into the story.

Kiss Me, Annabel falls into that genre: the marriage is forced upon its participants. Poor Annabel...all she wants is a rich Englishman, and she finds herself married off to a poor Scot she hardly knows. The closest parallel I can find to her situation is a blind date.

I met my husband on a blind date, so I consider myself something of an expert. In fact, he was my third blind date (I'll describe the first two in a salacious blog at some point). The interesting thing about blind dates is that there's a dual experience: on the one hand, there's an incredible rush of intimacy that comes (I think) from not having "picked" each other. And on the other, the two of you need to figure out how to get to know each other...so there's a burst of questions. I'll never forget playing a question game with my to-be-husband. We each got to ask one question.

I asked something about his family. Then it was his turn. I looked at him expectantly (this may come as something of a surprise, given my modest, retiring personality, but I love to talk about myself):

"What do you like best about me?" he asked, with a charming Italian accent and even more delicious smile.

I burst out laughing and why I ever married the man...well, all I can say is that he truly does have some virtues!

At any rate, when Annabel finds herself married to a Scottish laird, and on her way, willy-nilly, to Scotland, she experiences both the rush of intimacy -- and the question game, although I gave it a twist. In Annabel's game, one person asks a question, and if the other answers honestly, they win a kiss. Of course, that's only kisses, but then Annabel and her husband start wagering for "favors"...what those are, I'll leave to your imagination!

What about all of you out there? Who's been on a blind date, and how did you get to know the person in question? Question games? KISSING games? Come on...tell all!
Eloisa James, 8:42 AM
49 comments