Objects of desire

David (not Fred)

Anyone observing me in the evenings will have noticed that I've been rather distracted recently, spending a lot of time staring longingly into my laptop's glowing screen. Far from being under too much pressure at work (I have nothing chargeable at the moment), the reason for my extended goggle-eyeing is that I've have a new object of desire, cutting into my life as only an obsession can.

My current partner, Fred, and I have been together for nigh on 17 years. He's a Slovak, perhaps a bit loud, but well proportioned. I know every inch of his body intimately - the curves, hollows and textures. His voice is beautiful, clear and distinctive, rich and mellow. I love our music-making, too. Soft, slow and sensuous, or energetic and vigorous, Fred is a rather versatile partner, but he's not much cop at old-fashioned dances.

I've recently found myself looking at others, their bodies, backs, necks, ribs. In short, I'm on the lookout for a new partner. A new challenge, eagerly anticipating that first flush of intensity from a new relationship. The sense of exploration, discovering new responses I could never have imagined. Experimenting until we click and can work together in unison, extracting every possible synergy from our partnership.

I think Fred could probably guess I have a new interest, too. Certainly, all the signs are there. We see less of each other than once we did, and the intensity of our relationship has waned over the last ten years.

You might wonder what I'm looking for in my new partner. Colour is completely unimportant. Dark/light/ginger, it's immaterial. Age is important to me. If he's too old, chances are there's pre-existing damage from heavy usage, but too young doesn't feel right - scrawny necks are not attractive. I'm not too worried about the condition he's in, but a strong back, thicker, shorter neck, intact ribs and gently curved belly are high up the list of criteria. I guess about 200 years old would be ideal. Preferably without any cracks, but in that age range, I'm unlikely to have much hope of acquiring a pristine specimen at a price I can afford. In short, I'm looking for as authentic a baroque violin as I can get whilst still staying solvent, which means not requiring the attentions of a luthier.

Fred, my first love