Moving away from Bridlington and his relationship of 3 years took its toll on Sam. He had been with Amy since meeting her in 2015. The couple shared a small flat and socialised regularly. For the last six months however the strain began to show. There was no single reason why which was a constant cause of frustration for the couple. They would argue about silly things and eventually they seemed to dislike being in one another's company. It was Amy who finally cracked and summoned Sam for 'the talk', she suggested she move out and they try things at a looser pace but to preserve her well-being Sam instead offered to be the one who walked, her immediate acceptance told him all he needed to know. While Sam was stubborn, he also knew when to call it quits and this was most definitely it and while he knew he'd miss the attractive mid 20s hair stylist he knew it was a must.
It took a few weeks to adjust to being a 'sofa surfer', Sam was not one for charity, but it was a must while he searched for accommodation. He had chosen Blackpool as his original birthplace and, through connections with friends he had managed to secure a new job in the area working as a site security operative on building sites, it was the same field he was in previously but with a new contractor. After a few weeks of searching, he happened across a flat share that met his low budget, it was in a deprived area but one he knew well, essentially it was a large room on middle floor of a three story 'HMO'. The bedroom was one large room and was once a lounge and there was a small cupboard toilet but everything else was communal including the showers, kitchen, and lounge. It wasn't ideal but it would do. The fact that it was directly above a convenience store and a few takeaways was considered a bonus. An additional feature was the small iron staircase that led to a door directly into his room, it was meant only as a fire escape, but it proved handy to save messing with the main entrance door. He signed up as quickly as he could and within another few weeks, he was moving what belongings he did have into the room.
Blackpool in winter can be bleak and depressing so while settling in, Sam opted to work as much overtime as he could in the run up to Christmas to keep himself busy. He had a friendship group nearby and he was finding more time to see them now that he was local again, if he wasn't working or with them then he was at home gaming on the PlayStation. He was in a much more positive place although he did miss the sex with Amy. He had dabbled with dating apps but didn't make too much of an effort, he had managed a few hookups but nothing to consider going further. His days were dominated by trying to secure as many hours at work as he could, it was hard graft but he now had a bit of money in his pocket ready for New Year's Eve.
"Bruv have you got your Hidden tickets sorted yet?" Aiden asked Sam one evening as they chilled at Sam's place, gaming and having a smoke.
"Nah not yet" Sam replied casually as his focus was on the football match the two were competitively playing.
Aiden was a long-term friend of Sam's, someone he grew up with, he still lived in the area and worked in the tourist industry in season and did handiwork offseason.
"Well you better had, they sell out quickly and Rushton's girlfriend had to buy on off someone so they might have already" Aiden replied as the game broke for a replay, he looked at Sam with a small frustration, he wanted him to be there but knew he would be lazy booking a ticket and then complain last minute that he couldn't go. Sure enough, upon checking the event was sold out.
"See I fuckin told you" Aiden said with a frustrated tone to his voice, shaking his head.
"What you gonna do now then?" he asked as Sam shrugged as the game ended at a draw.
"I'll prob get tickets down the social with some work lads innit" Sam explained, some work mates he had met had invited him to their local social club which was hosting a party. It wasn't one of the top clubs or even close, it was a social club with a bit of a reputation for nights turning interesting, but he had drunk in there a few times and had no issues, it had a regular patronage who all wanted the same thing, to drink well after a hard-working week.
"Ite well that's cool but I don't fink there's gonna be much fanny in
there