Chapter One; The Hen
"This has to be against the rules somehow" The slightly overweight dark haired women announces loudly to no one in particular. "I mean surely the golden rule is no men on the Hen."
It's a fake protest stated loudly only for the reaction, stated loudly enough on a brash northern accent that anyone in earshot can hear her in the crowded Irish Bar in which everyone's found themselves huddled around a rectangular table.
I feel Hannah's hand squeeze my forearm as her eyes silently plead with me. She knows me too well though. She knows I'll not bite my tongue.
"Leave it Lo..." Hannah offers on a hushed tone while ruefully shaking her head, "...She's been dong my fucking head in all night."
I turn to her, the chuckling loud mouth woman and I drop my head over her shoulder as she sits at the table, where she's presuming to hold court, just behind where Hannah and I stand. It's not like she's any role in the proceedings
"Don't worry sweetheart I'm not staying ...you crack on with your L-Plates and Plastic Penis straws cliches ...I'll be out of your badly styled hair before you know it." I don't say it loud enough to be overheard, I don't say it to make a scene and while I can't see her face I can but assume the utterly flabbergasted look thats etched across it right now as she sits a little upright in her seat. She stutters and stammers a little as I draw my head away and look across the table at the Bride to Be
"Hey there Lisa... you having a good night?"
I can see by her eyes she's having a good night, if a good night is quantified by a glazed eyed look of inebriation. In a further cliches a dishevelled looking veil sits atop of her head.
"Yes thank you Logan" Lisa offers with a pleasant little smile.I can't help but think she looks a little the worse for wear,
So far as I was aware the party had met for a meal at 5 in the Docks and had steadily made their way, via no doubt numerous shitty little venues until they had ended up at O'Learys a long established Bar which was now, by the sign outside, under new ownership I'd barely arrived 2 minutes ago, with the venue being only a 5 minute walk from The Dark Star..
I'd never visited the bar before. It seemed hospitable enough. Nothing genuinely spectacular though I'd thought while stepping into O'Learys from the the heavy rain that lashed down outside. I'd picked my way through the busy Saturday evening crowd and located the party of seven in the far corner. Seven people to celebrate with, I tried my best not to judge Lisa by her number of friends. Assuming the possibility that numbers had dwindled over the last five and a half hours.
"It's not much of a turn out," I offer to Hannah on a hushed tone for fear of being over heard.
"You're telling me," Hannah answered "Although there's two more hangers on over there at the bar."
As she speaks I cast my eyes towards the long bar that runs most of the length of one wall. Surprised to see not only Ari but Nisha sat facing one another on high backed chairs at the bar. Immediately I wrestle my conscience with the morality of having fucked both girls as I stand there with my hand wrested in the small of Hannah's back. They both seem oblivious to my arrival. I can't help but notice immediately how much attention one of the bar staff appears to be paying them. And how their attention is seemingly returned on him. Immediately realising that with the corrupted morality of this situation I have no moral compass by which I can dictate, let alone be suspicious, uncomfortable or jealous of a situation.
I'm genuinely surprised and equally glad to see Ari, although we don't keep a day to day journal of our movements I realise that my sincere uplift in mood is more than likely caused by the fact that I've had no contact with her in over a week, two weeks on from that frantic late night dash to the A&E Ward of the City General Hospital. She had rested and healed with me, for a week only when I was certain she was comfortable and recovered had I let her return home. I could see her physical recovery what I couldn't be sure of was her mental recovery from the darkness that we had descended into. I had missed her, more than I cared to think I would, and I cared for her. It was therefore, despite the ever increasing awkwardness, a pleasant surprise to see her attending Lisa's Hen Night, as a Sister In Law to be Ari had every right to be here. I assume Nisha was tagging along for a little support or company to Ari given the demographic of the rest of the party. That Nisha, presumably a stranger to Lisa, makes up one ninth of the total party does little to dissuade my opinion on the overall popularity of the Bride to Be.
"They must be riveted," I offer acerbically to Hannah.
"They didn't bother with the meal... I'm surprised they've stuck with us this long to be honest," A frown creeps across her face. "And if I'm bring honest I'm a little concerned about Ari... she seems a little distant almost like she's bottling something up... something she can't or won't tell me."
"Really?" I offer adopting my best poker face. "I mean it's not like I'm close enough to notice but she at least strikes me as the kind to speak her mind."
"Not always," Hannah offers, "She's had some tough times in the past... things I've never told you about... usually centres around a male and certainly a complexity when she's distant like this."
"I'm sure it's nothing" I offer, furiously taking mental notes. Wondering if ignoring and stepping away from the situation Hannah perceives might be the best course of action.
"I'll go say hello ...I'll grab one quick drink before I head back to the Club." I offer, already starting to make my excuses. I had only popped out to be courteous and to see Hannah I wanted to be back in the comfort of the Club not least to see the stage performance at midnight. Or the delightful looking South American girl that was set to perform. "Can I get you anything?"
"Am I fine?" Hannah offers contemplating, as she swills what remains of what I know will be a vodka and cranberry around the glass in her left hand.
"You're more than fine" I offer with a smirk brining a flush to her cheeks, one of my favourite things being the ability to constantly catch the beautiful brunette off guard.
"You old charmer you..." she responds. "...I'll have another... one last one ...Lisa's staying with me tonight and I've a feeling she's not going to be lasting the pace much longer."
"Less of the old," I chuckle and pull her towards me kissing those lips, tasting the bitter sweetness of cranberry on her lips.
"Ahum... Men on a Hen" I hear the slightly rotund Northerner call out at the top of her voice and as I step away. It's all I can do not to clip her across the back of the head with my elbow as I pass her.
Picking my way through the bar I approach Ari and Nisha. Still deep in conversation with the shaved head barman they both only become aware of my presence as I literally step between the two of them.
"Hey you," Nisha offers enthusiastically beaming, dressed in a white halter neck top with a pair of black leather trousers that I'm sure I've seen before on her, but I fail to place where.
"Hi" Ari rather bluntly offers by comparison , dressed herself in a stunning short silver sequin spaghetti strap dress and the black thigh high boots that had adorned her legs during the brutal forty eights hours she'd been locked in the Dungeon in the Dark Stars basement, her face barely breaks a smile.
"Looks like a wild night" I offer, taking the piss.
"Oh yeah... a real white knuckle ride" Ari sarcastically adds and I see a flash oh her true personality for the first time.
"But hey at least we've got our friendly barmen to keep us company and topped up," Nisha chuckles.
I fix my gaze on the cropped haired bearded individual, in a black shirt stood the opposite site of the polished dark wooden bar from me. I don't miss but don't question Nisha's use of the plural seeing only one barman before me.
"Well friendly Barman I'm about to make you busy..." I fix him with a grin "...I'll have a double Brandy over a single Ice cube, a double Vodka Cranberry... with crushed ice, whatever these two girls would like and two pitchers of house champagne mixed with Half a dozen cans of Red Bull... there's a party over there that you're doing a piss poor effort of exploiting for every penny they could be spending."
As I speak I slide the gold coloured credit card over the bar towards him, I see Nisha and Ari both look towards one another then at the Barman.
"Same again please Steve," Ari smirks.
"Me too ...make them doubles" says Nisha slipping from her stool, taking advantage of the free drink option. "I need the little girls room ...Logan make sure my seats kept warm."
As the young Indian girl makes her way through the bar I hop up onto the seat and watch Steve the Barman busying himself with my order, if he's a bartender of note he'll know to serve my drink first.
"I'm conscious we haven't spoken," I say immediately engaging my attention on Ari. "That's not really been deliberate, but I only now realise how it could have been misconstrued given everything that happened... how've you been?"
