It was 1959 and I was 19 years old. I had left London and had accepted a position as a junior clerk in a large company in the north of England. I found a small, cheap bed-and-breakfast hotel run by Mrs. Johnson, a friendly motherly type, who made me feel instantly at home. I decided to stay there for a couple of weeks until I found a flat to rent. It was Friday and my first night in the city.
Mrs. Johnson had retired early as she had a headache. She told me that there were only two other guests in the hotel and were still at work and would let themselves in later as they had a key. At 9.30pm she bid me goodnight.
I was sitting in the small lounge reading various back issues of 'Country Life' and 'Punch' magazine. It was getting fairly late. Looking around the room I saw a depressing collection of old furniture and cheap reproduction paintings. There was one standard light in the corner and two three-seater settees and a coffee table. In the dull lamp-light I sat on one of the settees deciding whether or not to go to bed.
Out in the hall I suddenly became aware of hushed female voices, laughing and whispering, and then the sound of the front door slowly closing. I was aware that there were two of them, presumably the other guests.
The door to the lounge slowly opened and a tall blonde lady in her late twenties, or early thirties, appeared briefly and then disappeared to talk to her friend giggling. They had clearly been out on the town as they sounded slightly tipsy, if not drunk.
"There's someone in there," she whispered loudly to her friend.
"Well go in then, it doesn't matter does it?"
Staggering noticeably in her stiletto heels the blonde woman reappeared and smiled at me, then a tall dark haired woman, of similar age and wearing similar heels walked in almost tripping over the first.
"Sorry to....err...disturb you," said the first, "but we've been at a sales promo and...err...we're a bit..err...tiddly."
"Yes and I need a piss," said the second one as I heard her high heels clunking up the stairs.
"Excuse my friend, she's a bit common." Said the blonde woman smiling wildly.
She unbuttoned her coat to reveal a very full bouffant style strappy dress, red in colour with large white polka-dots. It ended just below the knee. The dress swayed from side to side as she moved, clearly supported by several layers of stiff net petticoats, as was the fashion in the 1950s.
I could hear a distinct swishing sound. Below her skirt I could see black stockings and black patent leather four-inch stiletto heeled shoes.
I wondered to myself what colour her petticoats were. She threw her coat onto the other settee and approached me unsteadily.
I informed her that I was going to bed and that I hoped that they both slept well. I stood up to leave the room just as the dark haired woman reappeared in the doorway.
She had already taken off her coat and was wearing a similar dress, but the pattern was reversed. She wore a very wide white bouffant dress with large red polka dots. She blocked my exit.
"And where do you think you are you going to young man?" the brunette pouted down her nose at me, pushing me playfully back towards the settee.
I said "Nowhere," as I thought to myself that I may be in for some sort of a treat if I remained.
She shoved me back to where the blonde lady was now sitting. I fell onto the middle cushion of the settee, landing on her dress which was spread out quite widely.
"Hey watch my skirt!" She said, reproaching me and jokingly pushing me to one side as she stood up and shook her dress back into shape.
I noticed a white mass of paper nylon petticoats under her polka dots. I resumed my seat and so did she, arranging her dress so that it deliberately partly covered my right leg.
The brunette collapsed next to me on my other side and similarly arranged her wide dress so that it covered my other leg; I noticed that her stiff petticoat was white also.
I wasn't sure what to say to them but needn't have been too concerned as both women talked across me about their day on the sales promotion stand.
Shirley, the blonde one, complained that several photographers tried to look up her skirt. As a model, she was used to attention but not such coarse behaviour or suggestiveness.
Beryl agreed, and said she had one bloke asking her to bend over so he could take shots of her stocking tops.
Shirley was also aware of men staring down the front of her dress, which I had to admit was rather low and she did have a large bust. One bra strap had fallen off her shoulder but she wasn't concerned.
Both women smelled of gin and cheap scent and were enjoying their sexy conversation clearly aware that they were embarrassing me.
"So sorry to bore you young man," Beryl whispered, "and how old are you then?"
I said I was nineteen but admitted I was rather short and skinny for my age.
Shirley asked me my name and whether I had a girlfriend. I told her that I did not have a girlfriend at present.
"Would you like to feel us up David?" Beryl said blatantly, squeezing my knee. Clearly it was the gin talking.