Chapter One
(September 1997)
Angie stopped one step inside the Union Bar. It was Friday night, seven o'clock and already busier by far than she'd ever seen.
Then again, she had only been at uni a week, and for Freshers' Week at that. Maybe this was the way ahead. Maybe this was how Friday nights would always be.
Meaning bars jam-packed with students of all ages, all of them out for a good time.
Freddie Mercury was on the juke, expressing appreciation for fat bottomed girls.
And who was likely to argue about that?
Not Angie.
Grinning, absolutely at home, she took in her surroundings. The pool table to her right was occupied by four girls (and yes, the one bending to take her shot was fat bottomed; but in a very alluring sort of a way). Every last one of the video games was noisily in use, mostly by spotty-faced males, intent on zapping aliens. Girl-power ruled as far as the darts boards were concerned and there seemed to be a lot of serious scoring going on. Phil Taylor might have struggled to keep up with some of those babes.
Well, he might if he relaxed his ultra-professional persona for one second and looked at their tidy little doubles instead of the usual trebles.
The background music was ever-changing. Freddie gave way to Roger Daltry, wanting to know who someone or other was.
'Who, who,' Angie breathed, 'who, who.'
The influx of older students had been steadily increasing over the past week; she'd been noticing new faces ever since she'd arrived, as long ago as last Friday. Now, two days before university life began for real, just about everybody was here and the place was full to overflowing.
Speaking of which . . .
Angie let her eyes drift to Lesbians' Corner. Promisingly enough, there were new faces there. Well, if not "new" at least different. More second and third years reclaiming their territory, she concluded.
Oh yes. Yum, yum!
Somehow remembering she was supposed to be out on a date, Angie had a closer look at the Union Bar's most alluring (if unofficial) section.
Crikey, Billie was there, chatting with Charlie and that big-busted blonde from LGBT.
Composing herself, Angie approached her friends' table. She was supposed to be dating Billie tonight but had fucked with Charlie as recently as Wednesday. How awkward was that?
Apart from Charlie having a live-in lover who reacted like a dangerous dog every time she saw Angie; that could be even more awkward!
No, make that a live-in lover who was, co-incidentally, fucking around with the LGBT blonde as well.
'Hey lover,' Billie said in greeting, jumping to her feet and kissing Angie on her mouth. Then, all green hair, tats and piercings, she grinned at the others. My round,' she said, 'make Angie welcome. She's not as ferocious as she looks.'
'She looks good to me,' the LGBT blonde responded, matching Billie's grin.
'And I know she's good,' Charlie replied with a titter.
'Marston's,' Billie said to Angie, 'as if I need to ask.'
'I'm Dani,' the blonde added, thrusting out her hand. 'I've heard all about you, Angie, all of it good.'
'I've only been here a week,' said Angie, shaking the proffered hand, noting the way Dani did not rush to let go.
'A week's a long time in higher education.' Dani laughed. 'And aren't we lucky? We have months and months left ahead of us.'
'It's beer time,' Billie said pointedly. 'Come and help me carry them, Danielle.'
Angie shot Charlie a glance as she sat. 'Where's the Rottweiler?'
Charlie pretended to check under the table before replying. 'If you're referring to Ruby, she has had a family crisis. Her dad drove into a bus.'
Angie was about to say she hoped it was nothing trivial. But that would be spiteful about a guy she did not even know. Instead she rounded her eyes.
'Is he okay?'
'He is now, but he had time in Intensive Care. Rubes rang me maybe an hour ago. They've taken him out to a general ward, left him at the mercy of the nurses. Apparently he's recovering and as happy as a pig in shit.'
'What a quaint turn of phrase,' said Angie. Then, deadly serious: 'What's the crack with you and Dani? She's Ruby's latest pull, isn't she?'
'Rubes asked me to look after her.' Charlie sniggered. 'I've been doing my utmost, obviously.'
'She seems like a girl who can look after herself.'
'Right, tell me about it,' said Charlie. Then, soft and urgent: 'Here they come. Woman up and let's see where we go.'
'See where we go . . .'
Angie fell silent as the other two girls returned to their table.
'I got you an extra,' 'Billie said, depositing a couple of pints in front of Angie. 'Can't have you claiming that we've all supped more than you, can we?'
'Billie suggested we join your pub crawl,' Charlie added. 'Sounds good doesn't it, the four of us on the lash, painting the town red. Or do you think we would be cramping your style?'
Angie glanced at Billie, who was sitting rather close to Charlie. There was history there; suddenly she was sure there was.
But what did it matter? She'd agreed to have the most open of open relationships with Billie. So what if Billie ended up with Charlie tonight. They were a four, weren't they? Two sets of two.
Did it really matter which two got it together?
Well yes, clearly it did, but not necessarily at that very moment.
Not if the LGBT blonde was game for a laugh.
Angie drained her first pint in one.
'Painting the town red sounds good to me,' she said. 'Let's go for it, girls!'
Chapter Two
Three pubs into the crawl and Angie had exchanged perhaps twenty words with her so-called date. Billie was lavishing most of her attention on Charlie, who seemed to have forgotten all about looking after Dani.
In contrast Dani had lavished her attention on Angie. She liked girls with shaven heads, she assured her. And she particularly liked girls who weren't afraid to "experiment".
'I heard you've been with Sarah-Jayne,' she said. 'That must have been an experience.'
'It was,' Angie admitted. 'But I don't do gossip, so I'm not telling you about it.'
'That's a pity. Rumour has it she's hung like a horse.'