Fortunately scary hatchet-faced woman turned out to be an impostor. At this point, however, nerves completely took over and I ordered an emergency gin and tonic.

After my first sip I glimpsed a dark haired woman dressed in black walking towards the bar and I stood up. It was MJ and she looked beautiful. Had mental flash of Byron poem...

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes;

I just smiled at her and held out my arms into which MJ stepped in what was a stylish and unhurried way. It was an entirely movie moment. We hugged for ages and kissed each other. It was without a doubt one of the most romantic moments in my entire life.

It is a strange Internet age we live in that you can know somebody so well over so many years without ever having looked into their eyes. And she has lovely hazel eyes. Meeting MJ after four or more years was one of those moments that will imprint itself on my memory forever; being in a swanky hotel bar in Manhattan and holding this beautiful woman who I would have travelled twice as far to meet.

And of course the smell thing was banished. That chemistry which is so unpredictable could have tripped us up. But I have to report that MJ smelled extremely nice.

Both rather keen for G&T. After looking at each other, absurdly quickly we started to feel relaxed and ended up laughing, bickering etc. as we found ourselves a sofa and sat on it together as if it were something we'd done every day for years.

Golden.