Yes Sir 30

It was a dark, drizzly evening. I stood under the lamppost outside The Attic, waiting on my friends joining me. I kept looking around at the sound of any group of people that came in my direction in the hope that they would be here soon - I was freezing and my hair was getting ruined!

My phone beeped and buzzed.

Hey, sorry we're going to be a bit late - stuck in traffic, going to be at least half an hour! Grab us a table? Ax

I hated walking into bars by myself at the best of times but to make things worse, my friends were held up in traffic. So not only was I going into a bar by myself, I was going to have to get myself a drink and sit at a table like a loner... Great. I sighed as I quickly replied to their text and stuffed my phone into the back pocket of my Levi's and looked up at the bartender.

"A gin and lemonade please. Actually, can you make that a double? Thanks."

I knew I was going to need a stronger drink than usual to cope with sitting on own in such a busy bar. The bartender handed me my drink, told me what I was due and put it through the till. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, to compose myself, turned around and exhaled sharply as I felt myself bump into something... Someone. I felt my myself flare up in embarrassment but I couldn't run away as he stood right in front of me.

"How you doing, cutie?" The stranger asks, with a large grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. He was around 5'9", with dark brown hair, styled with wax, hazel-green eyes and wore thick rimmed black glasses. He wore a Harris tweed coat with acrisp white shirt and dark blue jeans, from which I could tell he was someone wcared about his figure but wasn't a gym fanatic - like myself. I looked around, thinking he must have been talking to someone else and laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, I'm talking to you!" He laughed as I blushed, cupping my face with my hand.

"What brings someone like you in a place like this by yourself?" He quizzed.

"I'm meant to be meeting my friends, but they're stuck in traffic. So they've asked me to grab a table." I explained, whilst looking around for an empty one big enough for us all as there was meant to be another five girls joining me.

"Well, why don't we sit here and I'll keep you company until your friends come? If that's okay with you of course." He suggested, looking down at me and raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'd like that." I beamed and walked with him to the table.

I'd never usually have done that, especially with my anxiety, and I didn't know what it was about this handsome stranger but I felt totally at ease with him.

"I guess I'd better introduce myself," he laughed, "I'm Joe and funnily enough in a similar situation as you..." I couldn't help but giggle. He had a well-spoken, yet broad accent and I loved it.

"I'm Bronwyn," I smiled whilst looking into his eyes. They were so mesmerising! Joe also had a moustache and small beard which he suited, due to his angular jaw bones.

"Wait, so that's Brawn-win? Like, that's how you say it?" Joe asked, with a serious look on his face. I stifled a laugh before replying, not realising the serious look on his face. "Yeah, I'm not sure there's any other way to to pronounce my name! How come?"

"That's handy, 'cause you are braw!" laughed Joe, throwing a wink in my direction. I was useless at flirting so I didn't know how else to react except by laughing with him. Though in saying that, I'd never heard a chat-up line like it, so it must have been pretty original. I took a sip of my drink before talking again.

"So, are you from around here?"

"Yeah, well sort of." Joe replied, taking a drink of his Budweiser. "I went university here - just graduated in July actually - had a flat just up the road and everything but I had to move back home as it was a bit of a faff with my job."

I admired that he had a sense of ambition compared to other men I had dated in the past. "Are you from here too? You have a sweet sounding voice, well-spoken too actually... It's nice."

"Thats cool! What did you study and where are you working now?" My eyes wide with curiosity, before adding "No, I live about 40 minutes away, but I study in Leeds."

"I graduated in teaching and do substitute work for Selby District Council, so I can be working anywhere in that area - so it made sense to leave my flat here in York city centre, even though I loved it, and move back in with my dad." Joe explained whilst looking down at the table. I couldn't help but think I'd hit a raw nerve. Had his mum passed away or something?

Before I knew it we had both been talking away for about half an hour before my friends barged in, soaked from the rain.

"That was a complete disaster, I am so sorry we're so la-" Ellen said quickly, taking off her soaked through coat and plonking it on the chair next to me.

"Um, Bronwyn, who's this?" Kayla smirked and raised her eyebrow at me, interrupting Ellen's apology.

"Joe, this is Ellen, Kayla, Yvie, Abbie and Sophia..." I sighed, gesturing over to each one as I named them.

Firstly, there was Ellen. She was quite a timid girl but became much more outgoing once you get to know her, had a heart of gold and is the type that wears her heart on her sleeve.

Kayla was the kind of girl who would flirt and hop into bed with anyone that had a heartbeat and was very loud, loved a drink and always went way too far. We had fallen out many times over the course of our 10 year friendship, but we always patched things up again.

Yvie was another one who loved a drink, she would never turn one down, but miraculously no matter what state she was in the night before she would never have a hangover and was always the life and soul of every night out.

Abbie was the opposite of Yvie, she was teetotal, but still enjoyed a night out - like me however, she was always wary of time so she could get her kebab after leaving the club.

Lastly, there was Sophia. She had been my best friend for 15 years and we've been through everything together, except the boy stuff, she had never had a boyfriend and was pretty naive in that area and I always felt so bad for her.

"Nice to meet you, all of you, but I better go - my friends have just got here too. Glad I could keep you company Bronwyn, see you later." Joe stood up and kissed me on the cheek, before walking over to a group of men and throwing me one more glance and a nod before disappearing into the crowds of people in the bar. I sighed.

I wish I'd asked him for his number, it would be great to meet again.

"Oooooooooh!" My friends sang in unison, to wind me up.

"Oh, shh you guys, I've only just met him!" I hushed.