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eyes had gone out on
stalks.  ‘I think I like him even better than Charlie.’
    And there was the difference in their tastes.  Gill did like
Anton, but she thought Charlie was more suitable.  Ronald was nobody under
sixty’s cup of tea.
    ‘Each to their own,’ Gill said.
    They ate in silence for a few minutes then Debbie said,
slapping her right hand against her forehead.
    ‘I’m such an idiot.  I completely forgot to tell you, the
girls are meeting us later in Chrysalis.
    ‘What?’ said Gill.  ‘Have you told them?’
    ‘No, but you’re going to,’ she grinned at her friend
then shovelled another forkful of sea bass into her mouth.
     

 
     
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    After finishing their meal, the girls split the bill.
    ‘I can hardly move,’ groaned Debbie.
    ‘Sheer piggery.  I told you you shouldn’t have had the
meringue.’
    ‘I know, but it sounded so good and tasted even better. 
There’s an extra five pounds towards the bill to cover my dessert.’
    ‘Don’t be silly.  Put it away.’
    ‘No, I always eat more than you.’
    ‘I know, I’m used to it, but we’re still splitting the bill
fifty/fifty.’
    ‘Well, I’m buying the drinks then.’
    Knowing there was no use arguing with her friend, Gill
closed her mouth.
    ‘That’s your taxi now,’ the waitress said.
    Scraping back their chairs, they thanked her and left the
restaurant. 
    ‘That’s four eighty,’ said the driver, as he let them out on
Bath St.  Debbie handed him five pounds fifty. 
    As it was mid-week, the pub was pretty quiet.  From Thursday
onwards, it would be really busy, since live bands played there.  They were
usually quite good, too.  Angela’s cousin had performed there recently and the
four girls had gone to cheer him on.
    Debbie and Gill looked around to see if they could spot the
other two.  Debbie finally spied their friends in a corner by a large coat
stand which seemed to be in danger of toppling over and landing on them.  Gill
saw Angela eyeing it warily.  Lisa happened to glance up, noticed Debbie and
Gill, and pointed them out to Angela, as they approached the table.
    ‘Hiya, how’s it going?’ asked Gill.
    ‘Great.  We’re on our third cocktail already,’ slurred
Lisa.  She didn’t handle alcohol very well.  But Lisa’s motto was why put off
until tomorrow what you could do today and that usually meant enjoying
herself.  Who was to say she was wrong? Gill wondered, thinking of her
workload.  Plus Lisa always seemed to have some guy tagging along, when it
suited her. Girls’ nights out, however, were just that – no guys allowed.  Lisa
was never serious about guys.  She had no intention, even at thirty-five of
settling down.  She was having far too good a time for that.  She had numerous
‘boyfriends’ to call upon, as and when she wanted and if they needed something
more, she dropped them.  She’d circumvented tradition.  Men behaved like this
all the time, why not women? she said.  This way she had the run of her home. 
It wasn’t very large anyway.  As a beautician she didn’t make a great deal of
money, but she still owned a small, modern two bedroom flat in the suburbs, in
Robroyston.  She didn’t want to have her peace shattered every evening with
some guy rolling in from work, wanting dinner.  Or even if he shared household
tasks, she wouldn’t be able to do just as she pleased.  Lisa could always be
counted on to liven things up, but she also liked her own company.  She chose
when to meet people.  Tonight she was clearly in party mode, since she was on
cocktails.  Gill hugged her friend, who was as always immaculately turned out. 
Gill put it down partly to Lisa being a beauty therapist, but also just because
she was Lisa.  She liked to look good, but she wore too much makeup in Gill’s
opinion, and overdid it on the spray tan.  That was mainly due to work and
vanity.  Lisa was obsessed with her work to almost the same extent as