"Hello, I thought you'd gone."
Charlotte sat somewhat awkwardly at the raised table by the large circular pillar, placed her large glass of white wine spritzer down and smiled.
"Hello back."
Taking a sip from her glass Megan clinked Charlotte's with a 'cheers'.
"Who was that you were with when I arrived. Oh yeah, and thanks for letting me think you'd just gone and stood me up."
Charlotte smiled at her friend, a big toothy grin that said naughtiness.
"That, as you so eloquently put it, was Elizabeth, or Lizzie to her friends."
"Ok. Who was Lizzie?"
"I don't rightly know if you want the truth. She just came up to me, said the weirdest thing, then sat down next to me whilst I was waiting for you to arrive. Oh yeah and thank you for being late - again."
"Well I must disagree; I was not late actually. If I recall I said I would see you same time next week, which according to you was eight twenty-five, therefore I was actually early because I arrived at eight twenty." It was ended with a tilt of the head, along with an animated gesture with her tongue.
"Yes, but you were supposed to be here at eight last week, and the week before. In fact, Megan you are always late."
"Shut up. I pay my price for being late don't I?"
Charlotte smiled back at her ever so naughty and always late friend without replying.
"So, who was Lizzie, a work colleague?"
"Oh, gosh no. she was a random girl who suddenly appeared at my shoulder and asked if I was Charlotte. Naturally I said yes, although I was a little hesitant in case I had met her before and not remembered."
"Could easily be true. You have been known to suddenly depart a bar with a stranger on your arm from time to time," Megan interjected, looking up from her nearly empty glass.
Charlotte blushed. "I am sure I do not know what you mean."
"Yeah right. Carry on with the 'once upon a time' then."
"She stood with a smile on her face, well half a smile I suppose, and pointed to a yellow badge on her coat lapel."
"And?"
"I think she expected me to say something for some reason. Fuck knows what, but she just said her name was Elizabeth and was pleased to finally meet me."
"Freaky."
"You're telling me. Then she just sat down, ordered a glass of Chardonnay and asked me if I wanted another."
"Okay," said Megan with a puzzled look, not sure what to make of it. Her friend was known for being a tease and wind-up merchant so she wary of proceeding any further with this. "And you definitely do not know her?"
"Nope. She said some weird stuff to start off with, like I looked exactly like my picture, how nervous she had been all day, but glad to be finally here. The next thirty minutes she told me about herself, her separation from Edward, and her work at the hospital. I thought you could talk, but jeez, she beat you hands down."
Megan gave her the finger and took the final slurp from her glass."
"Another drink cheeky mare?"
Charlotte nodded and watched her friend disappear through the crowds of the now rapidly filling bar. She put her hands into her jacket pocket and fingering the still damp silky material wondered what exactly Elizabeth was doing and thinking at this moment in the taxi back home. The thought gave a little thrill inside, the sort that need attention sooner rather than later. A cursory glance around her to check if there was anyone who caught her eye. A black haired girl turned just as she looked her way. The Goth look suited her, so Charlotte gave her a warm friendly smile. Her totty spotting was interrupted by Megan returning with two drinks and a bag of peanuts. Charlotte hated peanuts, which was exactly why Megan got them.
"So, why did you leave with her, and more to the point, why did you come back?"