I carried a final box inside, and let the door close behind me with a sigh of relief.
I'd been sent for a year to our firm's newest office in Livchester. It mean moving from South West England, where I'd lived since the age of four, and back to the North West where my family had originally come from. I had to say I was looking forward to it. You can take a girl out of the North, but you can't take the North out of the girl.
I'd been given a long weekend (it was now Thursday evening) to get settled in, before getting stuck into work on Monday morning. So I decided to just unpack what I needed for tonight, do the rest tomorrow and then reward myself for working hard, by sampling a Friday night out, Livchester style.
I headed out to get some shopping in, including a bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir and a Pizza. I had myself a long soak in the bath and settle down in my PJs, to pizza, wine and a couple of favourite DVDs, before having an early night.
Next morning I got stuck into my unpacking with gusto. By early evening I'd got the flat that the company had rented looking like home, and I was smugly pleased with myself, as well as tired and sweaty.
A warm shower with lemon and tea tree shower gel, perked me back up again though. I'd promised myself a night out, and a night out I was having. A work colleague of mine back home had been to Livchester university, and when she saw where I was going to be living, she immediately told me, "you've got to have at least one night out at The Black Rook, "
This was a night club, only a short taxi ride away apparently. I was reliably informed that it'd be 'right up your street babe. Plenty of rock and hot guys with leather and tatts.'
Well that sold it to me straight off. I love a good looking man in a sharp suit as much as any woman. But put him him snug jeans (blue or black), a t shirt (black or white), and a leather jacket; or better yet top to toe leather, and I'm a lust melted puddle.
I put on my best 'rock chick' outfit, jeans, a black corset, black 3 inch heel boots and a black leather jacket. I had simple gold jewelery, and my make up was mainly black eyeliner, mascara and dark red lippy. Now I was ready to roll!
I knew I was early in night club terms when I got there, but it would be good to get my bearings there, before it got too hectic later on in the evening.
I got a drink, perched on a bar stool, and settled in to people watch for a while.
I made a note to ring my colleague at home, and tell her she'd been spot on in recommending The Black Rook to me. The music was fabulous. A whole range of range of rock from Linkin Park and and Green Day, to AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Queen.
As for the men. I might well have died and gone to heaven. As the place gradually filled up, there was denim and leather as far as the eye could see. (I always say that a well fitting pair of jeans or leather trousers can do wonders for the male legs and butt.) And there were black t shirts everywhere, revealing a drool worthy art gallery of tattooed male flesh.
Given this visual feast it would be nothing short of a miracle if any one man were to catch my notice. Imagine my delight then, when my eyes were drawn to not one, but two examples of dazzling male pulchritude, sitting together at a table right in my line of vision.
If I'd been actively looking for male company, I'd have been seriously disappointed. It was quite obvious that were a couple, and a close one at that. As it was, I was thoroughly enjoying covertly ogling them.
The very pretty, slender young man with black curls, huge, long lashed dark brown eyes and a soft, full mouth; was wearing black leather trousers, Doc Marten boots and a black 'Nine Inch Nails' t shirt. I could see a leather jacket on the seat behind him. He appeared to have a taste for older men. His companion looked to be a good ten years his senior, at least. I guessed at mid thirties. He was taller than his young lover, and though also lean, he also had a good deal of taut musculature, which has me drooling a lot more more than the OTT muscle-man physique. His hair was short and dark brown, his eyes a piercing blue and I could only describe his mouth as 'sensuous'.
He wore black jeans and biker boots. I saw another black leather jacket behind him and his black t shirt was plain and delightfully snug. It revealed a pair of luscious biceps, and I saw a Celtic design tattoo peeking out of one of the the sleeves, as he reached for his drink.
I felt my heart leap. Either I'd just imagined it, or the older man had just winked at me. He leaned in to whisper something into his boy-friend's ear, and they both looked up towards me.
He walked towards me with a loose limbed, feline grace. I got the impression that here was a man totally at home in his own skin. I prickled all over with intense awareness.
"Hello there, gorgeous, " he said. His rich baritone voice and groin tingling smile were ever so slightly mocking, as though I'd just embroiled myself in a game of some kind.
Those captivating eyes were not altogether cruel however. If there was laughter going on, I was being invited to join in with it. I responded to his greeting with "hello there yourself, " with an enticing smile of my own.
"Is this your first time at The Rook?" he asked.
"I'd remember if I'd seen such a beautiful lady before." He shocked me by taking my hand and kissing it.
"Gareth Ryder. Pleased to meet you." He spoke intimately close to my ear.
The sweet warmth of his breath on my skin made me shiver. So I did like wise. "Cari Davis. Charmed to meet you too, " I answered.
"Doesn't your boyfriend mind you talking to me like this?" I went on artlessly. What was the use of pretending I hadn't seen them together, when they knew full well I'd been ogling them for a good hour?
"Quite the opposite, babe, " Gareth told me. "He's as keen to meet you as I am. How about I get us all a drink, and we'll go and have a chat?"
A very pleasing feature of The Black Rook, was that the further from the dance floor area you got, the lower the volume was on the speakers. The bar was situated so that you didn't have to walk too far to get drinks in, but far enough that you didn't have to bellow your order so the bar staff could hear you.
Gareth and his boyfriend led me away from the bar and dance floor, then up some stairs to a comfortable looking seating area, full of squashy leather chairs and sofas. You could still hear the music plainly enough here, but it was possible to hold a normal conversation too.
The younger of my two new friends was named Ben Sutton. He was heart breaking up close, though his beauty was a little on the feminine side, if I was being especially picky.
I'd have killed for his lips and eyelashes. He and Gareth had been together for two years. They'd met here at The Rook when Ben had been 25 and Gareth 36. I told them that I was 34, and that this had been my first full day in Livchester. They looked flatteringly pleased, when I said I would be working here for a year.
Gareth was self employed. He bought clapped out motor cycles, brought them back to life and sold them on. He and Ben were the proud owners and riders of Norton Commandos. I licked my lips. I love the combo of man and motor cycle. And here were two prime specimens.
Ben was a legal secretary. "Very popular with the ladies, I can tell you. But he's not just a pretty face, " Gareth smiled proudly, which I found thoroughly endearing.