The life of a hedonist is something of an odd one. We live fast and drink hard; we fuck harder, and indiscriminately. We value love, but ultimately all that matters is pleasure. Men, and for that matter women, are to me what wine is to an alcoholic, and moderation is not a term that I am familiar with. But of all the men I have had, only one has ever had me.
I was seventeen when I met him. He stood at the bar, whiskey in hand and tie loose about his neck: whether a businessman or a lawyer, I never found out. It wasn't important. I suppose I should say that he exuded raw masculinity, that his primal sexual urges were too strong, too potent to be hidden by his veneer of respectability.
That, however, would be bullshit.
In reality, he was entirely contained. Perhaps, to a more perceptive person, hints to his character could be ascertained from the cut of his suit and the colour of the aiglets of his shoelaces. But I'm not exactly Sherlock Holmes, and I didn't really care that there was dust on his shoes and a scratch on his neck. I was more concerned with the way he was examining me, one eyebrow raised as he took in the sequins of my dress and the way I wobbled in my borrowed stilettos. Under his eye I became uncomfortably aware of how garish it all was, the lashings of eyeliner and over-padded bra the hallmarks of a teenager feigning maturity.
"You're too young to be in here." he observed.
My eyes flicked to the barman, but he was occupied with serving another customer.
"Don't worry, I don't care. I'm not going to get you kicked out." He drained the last of the whiskey, placed the glass on the counter and left without another word. I stared after him, almost unconsciously. That was our first meeting.
The second time we met I was an intern, balancing an enormous stack of photocopies and a cup of coffee as I attempted to press the button for the lift with my elbow. All of a sudden a hand appeared from behind me and pressed it for me. I turned to thank my helper and found myself looking straight into those unreadable brown eyes from three years before. I recognised him instantly, though his tie was now neatly knotted and he held a briefcase rather than a glass of whiskey. Just as he had the last time, he raised an eyebrow at me with my precarious stack of papers before stepping into the lift.
"Floor?"