'The Club' was Annie's idea.
Annie was on her own for a few days. Gerry was away at a conference in Florida. Normally on a Friday night, Annie and Gerry would catch up with a few friends for a glass or two at the pub. But, with Gerry away, on the other side of the Atlantic, she thought she'd probably give the pub a miss.
Michael called just after four. 'We thought we might go to The Oak for a change,' he told her.
'The Oak?'
'Yes. Just for a bit of a change.'
Annie hesitated. 'Umm... Gerry's over in The States,' she told Michael. 'Florida. He's at a conference. He won't be back until next Wednesday.'
'Yeah. I realise that. But I thought that you'd still be coming,' Michael said. 'To the pub, I mean.'
'Oh.' Annie half nodded -- not that Micheal, at the other end of the phone, would have known that. 'Well... umm... yes. I suppose I could,' she said.
'The Oak it is then,' Michael told her in a tone that indicated, that as far as he was concerned, the matter was settled. 'You know The Oak? It's the one with the tree in the courtyard. An oak tree I suppose. Albeit a small one. Don't know what happen when it reaches full size. They'll probably have to demolish the pub.' And he laughed.
'The Oak?' Annie hesitated briefly. And then she said: 'Oh, yes. Next to the cheese shop.'
'That's the one,' Michael said. 'Marion says she should be there by about six.'
'Six? Umm... yes. I can probably do that.'
* * *
When Annie arrived at The Oak, shortly after five-forty-five, Marion was already there. Charles and Louise were there too.
'On the pull,' Charles said, rising from his seat to give Annie a welcoming hug (and allowing his hand to slide down her back and rest on her bum).
'On the pull?'
'Michael tells us that Gerry is swanning it over in the Florida sunshine.'
'Oh. Yes,' Annie said. 'He's at a conference. Not sure how much sunshine he'll get to see.'
'So you're a free woman,' Charles said. 'Play your cards right and you can probably take home that young spunk at the end of the bar.'
Annie laughed. 'I think he might mistake me for his grandmother,' Annie said.
'So? A lot of young men appreciate the charms of an older woman,' Charles told her.
Annie laughed again.
* * *
Ross and Karen were next to arrive. And finally, shortly before seven, Michael joined the group. 'Sorry, folks,' he said. 'I had to have a drink with Sara -- my now-former assistant. It was her last day. She's leaving us.'
'Oh?' Charles said. 'You weren't paying her enough?'
'Apparently not. She's decided to turn her side hustle into a fulltime gig.'
'Oh? And what's her side hustle?'
'Umm... one of those internet subscription things. Not sure which one. You know... a couple of quid for a look at her knickers, and for another five quid she'll let you see what she has hidden underneath.'
Charles laughed. 'Your own fault for hiring women on their looks.'
'That's the thing. It's not that she's especially good looking,' Michael said. 'I mean she's OK. But she's not going to win any beauty contests or anything like that. However, apparently there's a bit of a niche for girl-next-door types. I guess it just goes to show, eh?'
'And she's happy to show,' Charles said.
Michael nodded. 'It would seem so.'
'Can she make a living?'
'She seems to think so,' Michael said. 'But, to be honest, I'm not sure of the finer details. I'm assuming there are expenses. There are always expenses.'
'I take it you've checked out her site,' Marion suggested, looking at her husband with a touch of mock disapproval.
Michael smiled and quickly changed the subject. 'Who's ready for another drink?' he asked.
* * *
When Michael returned to the table with a couple of bottles of the house wine, a rather unpretentious semi-dry white from Puglia, 'the girls' were in conversation about who among them would be prepared to display their wares in exchange for coin of the realm.
'I think I might need more than a fiver,' Karen said.
'How much more?' Marion asked.
'Hmm... I don't know. Fifty? A hundred?' And then she laughed. 'No. Probably not. It might be different if you could select the audience. But I guess it doesn't work that way, does it?'
'I think you just have to take what comes down the line,' Annie suggested. 'If you're hoping to make a living from being an exhibitionist, I suspect it's more a question of quantity of voyeurs you can attract rather than quality.' And then she added: 'Gerry has a cousin who used to write stories for an erotic website. I don't think she made much money out of it. Too many people willing to do it for free.'