Claire, 32 and Curtis, 33, didn’t hit it off straightaway. But they reconnected online years later and now live together in Manchester
In 2004, when Claire was a teenager, she got a Saturday job at her local newsagents. She was soon spotted by one of the paper boys, Curtis. “A few of my friends did the paper round with me and they knew Claire worked in the shop,” he says. “It was obvious I liked her, so they suggested I buy something so I could talk to her.” His plan to impress her didn’t go well. “I went in for a Snickers and when I tried to pay she slammed it down on the counter so quickly there was no time to talk. I just ended up with a chocolate bar I didn’t want,” he laughs.
“We had grown up in the same area, so I had seen him around but we never hung out,” says Claire. “I don’t remember being standoffish but it was probably a bit awkward.” Curtis admits he was a bit intimidated by her. “There was a hierarchy in the shop and the Saturday girl was definitely a tier above the paperboys,” he says. “She seemed so cool and looked pristine. We were soggy from the rain and mud, after falling over with our bikes.”
