WHEN I WAS IN MY TEENS, I wasn't very experienced. I was tall, gawky, clumsy both physically and socially. Probably not a bad looking lad, but not one you'd pick out as male eye candy. I had a couple of girlfriends, it never became serious, or progressed beyond kissing and a bit of mutual fumbling.
WHEN I WAS IN MY TWENTIES, I grew up, became more comfortable with people. At university, I had my first sexual experience, and it shaped my life. I regularly met with a group of three other young men for drinks, we'd often play bridge in the Union bar, and occasionally go to parties together. One evening one of our number, Howard, announced he'd invited a group of girls from another college to visit for drinks. Howard with his roomie Mark had the largest room of the four of us, the only one really big enough for eight. We bustled about, one of us went to buy some drink and some nibbles, and got ready to receive our visitors. There was something of a state of excitement when around eight the girls arrived. We sorted out drinks and they settled into the chairs and on the bed whilst we sprawled on the floor.
"Right," said Howard -- he was the brash, handsome, outgoing one and usually took charge -- "introductions! I'm Howard, taking Physics, from London." He looked expectantly at me, the next one to the left.
"I'm Rob, from Lincoln, taking Materials Science." I looked left.
"Hello, I'm Dave, from Swansea, I'm taking Chemistry." Dave was in the room nextdoor to mine, more outgoing though still somewhat gauche.
"Hi, I'm Mark, I'm from Bristol, I'm taking Computer Studies." Mark was relatively quiet but solid, you wouldn't boss him around, and he wouldn't boss you.
The focus moved to the first of the girls, a big, buxom -- ok, a bit podgy -- blonde.
"Well," she said in a plummy voice, "that's all very technical and scientific! We are all taking much more lady-like subjects. I'm Daisy, I'm from Chalfont St Giles, and I'm taking History and Politics." I later found out that Daisy was a nickname, she was actually the Honourable Diana Something-Double-Barrelled, a minor aristocrat.
To her left was a studious-looking tall, slender girl with dark brown curly hair and glasses. "I'm Clarrie, short for Clarissa, I'm reading Modern Languages -- well, French and Spanish."
Next was a girl you'd probably describe as ordinary -- average height and build, pleasant but neither beautiful nor ugly face, mid brown straight hair breaking over her shoulders. She simply said, "April, Manchester, English." Then she caught my eye, with a slight smile and a twinkle in her eye, and I was smitten.
I barely heard the fourth girl, short, petite, a bubbly blonde, say "And I'm Linda, from Nottingham, reading Economics."
"Great," said Howard, "that's something we all need to remember! There will be a test later! So tell us ladies, what are your interests? What clubs or societies are you in here?"
Gradually the ice was broken as we discovered who was interested in art, amateur dramatics, wildflowers, who played what sport, what non-study books we were each reading, and of course the fuel of bad cheap wine and beer helped to loosen tongues. I found that April was fascinated by architecture, loved good food (not that you could tell from her figure), and played hockey well enough to be on the fringes of the Varsity team. I owned up to tennis, but only well enough to be in the college second team, rowing in the College third eight, and an interest in all wildlife.
Eventually it came out that we four chaps regularly played cards, often bridge, but occasionally three card brag for pennies.
"Well," said Diana, "I'm sure we could take some pennies off you!"
Linda and April both chipped in to the effect that they had no money with them.
"Clothes!" Mark exclaimed, "we'll just have to play for clothes."
"Hey," said April, "I'm no good at cards, that makes me too easy a target!"
"Me too," said Clarrie, "make it pure chance and I'll consider it!" I could tell by the way the other girls looked at her this was a bit out of character.
"OK," said Howard, "how about this. We all get just one card and the lowest loses. Aces are high. If two have the same lowest card they draw again to play off."
With varying degrees of enthusiasm, the girls agreed. "But I don't trust you guys at dealing," Linda said, "I think one of us should be the dealer."
"I tell you what," Howard said, "Why don't you deal first, Daisy, and dealership passes one place left each round. Before each deal, one of you ladies can cut the deck." Everyone seemed ok with that.
Then April said, "I think this is a bit biased against those of us like me who don't have as many clothes on as Daisy!" Daisy was wearing layers: a blouse over a T-shirt, a cotton sleeveless open front waistcoat type (I later discovered it was called a bolero), and a silk scarf knotted round her neck, as well as a loose longish skirt with heaven knows what else underneath. "And what about shoes and socks? Are they two items or one?"
"That's easy," said Howard, "First time you lose, you come down to four items left on. Your choice!"