It has been a long time. I got married when I was 20, and we had seven good years, three bad ones and she was gone. That was a couple of years ago now, a bad period, I don't recognise the person I was for a while, insular, confidence shattered, pessimistic. Then one day I signed up for a Facebook account, connected with friends I had persuaded myself I didn't have and I re-entered the world.
One of my friends, a woman I had been friends with since college, persuaded me to go online, to join a dating agency, something I was reluctant to do. But she came round, and sat next to me and we filled out a profile. I enjoyed the evening and female company, I even thought to myself it was a shame she was married! As regards the profile, I didn't think any more about it, I never logged in again.
I got on with my life, work was getting busy and I was performing better since I left my dark place. I worked as a manager for a car parts place, hard work and long hours, but a good bunch of people to work with. After a typically long day I got home and after a shower I sat down with a cool drink and decided to check my emails for once. The usual adverts and rubbish, I wondered why I bothered. I spotted an advert from the dating agency I had signed up for, to be honest I had forgotten all about it at that time. Lazily I opened it, blah blah, look at the new members in your area, sign up and blah blah. And then it said they would be running a singles night tomorrow, sign up, only a few places left. I thought about how nice it was to have some female companionship and before I really thought about it I had paid £20 and signed up.
The next night I was tired and after my shower I wasn't sure I wanted to go, but I had a good shave and laid out a nice shirt. I stared at myself in the mirror. Surprised I realised the hard work was agreeing with me, I had a flat stomach, my shoulders and chest were broad and well muscled. Not bad for 35 year old man I laughed. I was lucky that I had always been 'sufficient; in the underwear department, so I splashed on some aftershave and with a laugh put a dab on my old man. Damn that stings, why did I do that!
The singles night was in a function room of a local hotel, there was a bar, a dance floor, and some cheesy music. I was surprised how many people were in the room, about twice as many men as women, about 60 people in all, 40 men, twenty women. I felt completely out of place and didn't know how any of this worked. Suddenly it all felt very artificial. I felt very self conscious, why would any woman be interested in a washed up 35 year old? That worked, I laughed at myself and with a shrug I walked across the room putting on a swagger, that will teach me to take myself seriously! At the bar I took a stool and ordered a whiskey, sat back and viewed the room. Everyone seemed to be hunting in pairs, and I mean hunting! I watched two guys, one was, well he was strutting, the other looked bored. They stalked their prey, two girls sitting at a table leaning together and talking, excluding the room. The swagger guy pulls out a chair, he sits on it backwards! I stifled a laugh, he looked such a twit. The girls giggled and one of them turned to look at him, an exaggerated coquettishness fluttering her eyelashes. Her friend bursts into laughter and a moment later so does she. I look to the left and a large woman in her fifties wearing stockings and a mini skirt is kissing a gangly young man who looks frankly terrified. I smile to myself again. This is more fun than I expected!
A woman, no a girl, maybe 20 years old pulled up to the bar next to me. Despite myself I found my eyes wondering down her body and something behind them went Bingo! She was slim, wearing a pink top, cotton I would guess but I'm a man so how would I know, which was figure hugging. Her top cut low enough that a little cleavage showed, the skin on her chest was smooth and almost glows. Her skin was the lovely fair colour, slightly pink of a naturally blonde. She had a black skirt waist high and tailored down over her thighs finishing an inch above her knees. Her lips were slightly open, her nose small, eyes blue with incredible eye lashes. Her every movement was lithe and easy. I looked away, shaking my head. She was lovely and would take her pick from any of the men in the room if that was what she wanted. I pictured her as someone in a car show who could buy the very best on offer, she wouldn't pic the tired old off roader covered in mud (or at least stubble). I smiled into my drink again as my imagination fired up an image of the top of her stockings. I wonder if she was even wearing stockings?
"You smile a lot." I heard her speak, watched her lips move out of the corner of eyes. She had a nice voice, thank goodness she wasn't squeaky! I carried on with my drink. "I said you smile a lot..." She turned to face me and I nearly choked as a splash of whiskey went the wrong way. Shit she was talking to me! I laughed out loud;
"Yeah I guess I do!" I sat up and faced her, consciously sitting up straight and sticking my chest out a bit. "Guess I find human courtship rituals amusing! There seems to be endless ways to embarrass yourself." She laughed and I felt myself go red. "guess I just found another one!"
Her laughter seemed to be short circuited to my spine, I felt like a teenager with a huge crush once more. "Not a great crowd." She said. "I've never been to one of these before, is it always like this?"
"Don't ask me," I laugh again, too much? "My first time too. I mean here... I mean to a singles night!"
"My friend was supposed to come with me, she uses these nights to pick up men. What she does with them once she's picked them up...." She smiles, and looks me in the eye, "She often doesn't put them down for hours!" I laughed, stopped and then laughed again. Perhaps all conversations in a singles night had that edge to them, how was I to know!
"She must be very strong?"
"Only when she hasn't showered" She had a sense of humour too. It was getting late, I finished my whiskey.
"It was very nice to meet you, but I guess it's time for me to go." If I was ten years younger and ten years more arrogant I might have thought of making a fool of myself over her, but.... Guess I'm a bit older and wiser, girls like her always end up with douche bag boyfriends, nasty pieces of work that pretty girls seem to like. I smile and turn away.
"Really? Just like that, not even going to give me your phone number?" She sounds genuinely surprised; I guess she's used to every man making a move on her. I smile to myself.
"Yep, got to go to work early tomorrow." I turn and smile, "Good luck tonight pretty."
"May. My name is May." She stamps her foot, such a petulant thing to do, and a pretty pout to go with it! "Didn't you come here to meet people? Well hello!" she glares at me and I manage to keep a straight face for a few moments before smiling again;
"Here you go," I hand her one of my work cards that has my mobile number on it. I see her straight from the front for the first time and enjoy the sight. "It was nice meeting you May." I walk out.
Next day I have forgotten what happened the previous night until I get a phonecall. It's from a number I don't recognise and a womans voice.
"Hello, it's May. From last night." I have to think a moment,
"Oh the pretty girl at the bar!"
"Ha, the girl you walked away from. You didn't even tell me your name!"
"Hello May, I'm James. Look it's really nice to talk to you, but I am busy at work, can we speak later?" I hear a dissatisfied noise on the end of the line, like a little girl who has been told she can't have a new doll.
"OK. If you promise me something." She sounds flirty. I'm still busy so hardly listening I quickly say OK.
"I'll text you." She hangs up.
Work is busy, I hear the phone go off but it's an hour later that I have a moment to read the text.
"Well James, here's your question, remember you promised to answer me truthfully.
Of the following, which do you find most sexy?
No knickers
School uniform
Lingerie.
And I want to know why you find it sexy.
Don't let me down!