This happened after a major row, alcohol fuelled, with my girlfriend. I stalked out of the flat we were living in on the edge of town and made my way down to the old town area of the city. It's an area where alcohol is available cheaply and the music is loud. The people are a bit younger than me (some of them are much younger – I'm 43) but I wanted the privacy that comes with crowds and I sat alone for several hours, drinking cheap gin and adding to the sense of injustice I felt. Bitch!
Time came when I didn't fancy it any more though, and I knew I'd have to make my way back and start the whole business of making up. I stood up and left the bar and made my way outside. A scent of cheap fast food and the noise of the crowds passing happily up and down the street didn't improve my mood.
"Excuse me, mate." A voice, seemingly addressed to me, came from an alleyway on my left. A girl in her mid twenties was there – seemed respectable enough.
"My friend's in a bit of trouble. Could you come and look at her for me? She's drunk too much and I don't know if she's safe. She indicated the deeper, darker part of the alley.
Well, I don't normally walk down dark passages with complete strangers but I was feeling differently to usual and thought it might be a good thing to do something for someone else instead of thinking about myself so I muttered assent and followed her into the darkness.
I could see her friend leaning on a wall halfway down. She was about the same age as her mate, and wearing the traditional local weekend garb of short skirt and high heels; thin blouse (did I mention it was winter and the temperature was hovering around zero? – no problem for a north east girl). Her mouth was open a little slackly and there was a vacant expression in her eyes.
"Deborah, the man's come to look at you and se if you're OK, " the girl said. "What do you think, mate?"
Truth to tell she didn't look too bad to me. "Got a bit of drink in her, I'd say" I replied, "but she doesn't look in any danger." The girl smiled at me.