Chapter one: One night stand.
I broke a nail in my hurry to open the envelope. I had got it! My first London job.
I was buzzing with excitement all the way to work. I had got it! Silly really, it was not my first job, nor did I need it. I have enough money of my own not to need to work to live, but I needed to work to keep my mind active. The first thing I did once at my desk, was to write a letter accepting the job. The second thing was to write a letter of resignation, quitting the job that I was in. Then I tried to concentrate on work.
I was called 'upstairs' about an hour later. They were sorry to see me go, blah, blah.
It was their fault that I was leaving, they had been my only employer since uni, but I had started work at the head office, in Edinburgh, my home town. It was a promotion they said, but it would mean moving to the Liverpool office. The job was fine, but Liverpool and I just did not gel, so I decided that it was time to move on.
The day dragged. I decided that I ought to celebrate. That evening. I called one of the big hotels in town. Not the one with the best star rating, but the one with a reputation for a good restaurant.
" A table for one please. At eight o'clock."
I usually eat much earlier, but dinner at eight sounds sophisticated. Table for one? I was unattached. That was my problem with 'The Pool'. My attachments had been very short term. There must be a few good men in Liverpool, but I had failed to sniff them out.
Oh, I had plenty of men. Many of them good fucks, fine for a one nighter, or even for a week or two, but more than that? No luck. So I would celebrate alone, but in fine style.
Work over. Back home at my (rented) flat, I bathed, applied my make-up and dressed in a sexy green cocktail dress. Under it I wore my new undies. A 'waist cincher' they call it. Not that my waist needs cinching. It is just a very sexy thing to wear. It is like a Basque, but without the bra cups. It has boning, to lift and support the breasts (not that they need support) and suspenders to hold up stockings. A miniscule thong completed the underpinnings, all in pale green. Very high heels completed the 'available' look.
I looked at the clock. It was six-thirty. I was ravenous. Should I try to change the booking to a bit earlier? No. I was determined to stick to my plan. I did call the taxi though, and asked them to pick me up at seven, not seven-thirty, as arranged. I would have an aperitif or two, at the hotel bar.
I hauled myself up onto a bar stool and ordered a drink. The place was almost empty. To my right was a glamorous looking woman, alone, with a tall drink in front of her. To my left was another glamorous woman, also alone, also with a tall drink. Like bookends, I thought. After about ten minutes or so, one of the women left her seat and went over to the other. Their eyes had not left me since I had arrived. I began to feel uncomfortable.
They both came over to me, one on either side. One of them leaned in close and spoke softly;
"Fuck off. This is our manor."
I was startled, I did not have a clue as to what had upset her. The other joined in;
"We pay for this beat, peddle your arse elsewhere."
I decided to do the opposite and stayed put. I looked for the barman for support, but could not catch his eye. One of my antagonists took hold of my arm, just above the elbow, and squeezed hard. It hurt.
"Leave me alone," I said, "you're hurting me."
The other woman took a grip on the other arm, I could feel tears starting. What offence had I committed?
"Darling, sorry I'm late, can I get you another drink?"
The horrible harpies melted away, to opposite ends of the bar. My rescuer was tall, well dressed in a good suit, but no tie. About forty I guessed. The barman was there at last. My rescuer ordered a drink for himself and added, indicating my still almost full glass;
"And another one of those for the lady." Then to me;
"Let's sit at a table."
He took my arm, gently, and steered me to a table well away from the bar, sitting next to me on a low sofa. I thanked him, adding that I had no idea what he had rescued me from.
"They are both prostitutes, they work this bar. Non-working single ladies sit where we are. They thought that you were muscling in. I presume that you are not hooking?"
I saw the funny side of it. I suppose that I did look like a whore. On the high bar stool, my short skirt was probably revealing plenty of stocking-top, perhaps more.
"No. I'm just here for dinner." I explained. But then, mischievously;