Shit! I slammed my mobile phone shut and trembling with rage, thrust it into my bag. My stupid boyfriend. He always lets me down. I'd taken a trip down to London to see one of my friends and after a great weekend of drinking and clubbing I had had to leave early to meet my boyfriend Rob. He hates all my friends - he thinks that they lead me astray - in fact it's the other way round - and so we had arranged to meet in this bar in Soho before going to see his stupid family. And now he texts me to tell me that he's missed the fucking train. I'm so pissed off. His mother is expecting us, and she hates me. Suffice to say that I don't relish the idea of turning up there on my own. Plus thanks to Rob I'm already late, and now I have nowhere to stay tonight apart from his parents. So I think fuck it. I'm going to have a drink, and fuck her. I've been sitting in this bar on my own for forty minutes - I'm always early to meet up with people and I deserve a drink. So I go up to the bar "Tequila please. Two shots."
"Two shots? Had a bad day?" An amused voice cuts across my consciousness and still fuming, I'm about to snap back a retort, but I turn and check out the owner of that sexy, sardonic voice. I recognise him, but how?
He is in his mid thirties, tall and well built with dark hair and an attractively jaded face. There was something about him that was familiar, but at that moment, still pissed off, I couldn't tell what. The retort dries on my lips as I realize that this man is sexy. Really sexy. He was looking me up and down appreciatively taking in my long dark hair and almost perfect figure. I'm not conventionally pretty, more sexy and intelligent, but I take care of myself and since I'm only in my early twenties I do like to show off my small waist and long legs. I was wearing a black cocktail dress that hugged my curves and stopped just above the knee with high black stilettos although even with those four inches I'm nowhere as tall as this guy. Suddenly my anger has seeped away and I smile at him. This evening has just turned very promising. Our eyes meet. His eyes are dark, almond shaped, and filled with sardonic laughter, like my own. No longer angry, I shrugged, downing the two shots that the barman brings, feeling the heat burning down my throat with satisfaction. "Could have been a lot better."
"May I join you?" His voice dropped an octave to a sexy husk and I sat down next to him as he pulled some notes out of his pocket and paid the barman.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I shouldn't get pissed off. Boyfriend. He was supposed to meet me but now he tells me he's not coming down so now I'm really in a mess. We were supposed to stay with his family, but they hate me so I'm not that inclined to go and see them on my own."
He laughed, and I found myself grinning. "And now I'm going to miss my favourite TV programme too."
"You like TV?" We started talking about TV and within a few seconds found that we liked exactly the same programmes. He had, for me, perfect taste and I was astounded that he knew of things that most people had never even heard of. Within a few minutes we were quoting parts at each other and it soon progressed onto computer games and music. He was funny. After a little while we were making each other laugh so much that neither of us noticed how much we were drinking but his eyes were always sizing me up, looking me up and down as if I were the finest thing he had seen in a long time. "How does such a sexy girl know so much about films and games?"
Although I don't look like a nerd, I've always enjoyed computer games and know quite a lot about gaming and new technology. As a gawky teen I had a lot of nerd friends and as I've got older I've kept up to date with new technology even queuing for three hours to buy the newest games on the days they come out. But this guy knew more than me and as the drinks flowed I found myself hanging on his expertise. But his familiarity was intriguing me and so, quite drunk now, I blurted out. "Who are you? You seem so familiar..."
"Charlie. Charlie Brooker."
Oh my God. Charlie Brooker. No wonder he seemed familiar. I read his stuff every week, even buying the paper specially if he's writing. I blushed and then went pale, suddenly trying to remember what I had said, but he saw my reaction because he raised one sardonic eyebrow, asking "What? Did I say something wrong?"