eyes.
Jess raised an eyebrow. “Not that hot?”
“Try a bit full of herself. She was stroking my hip within five minutes like we were bosom buddies. And she clearly has her own stash of cheesy one-liners. Can I go home now?”
Jess turned and sneaked a glance back to their group. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure! The woman thinks she’s God’s gift.”
The bartender arrived and Kate ordered two beers, with a spiced rum chaser.
“Shots already?” Jess said.
“Yes. I’m not going back over there without more alcohol in my system.”
Kate grimaced as the bartender set their drinks down in front of them. She handed Jess her shot and held up her own. “And by the way, you owe me big time — and remind me never to come on another set-up with you again, okay?”
The pair downed their shots, then strode back to the group. Kate made Jess stand next to Tanya while she stood in between Lucy and Belinda, which certainly kept any wandering hands at bay. Kate learned that Belinda was in online marketing and had met Lucy at a networking evening.
“And how do you know Tanya?” Kate was intrigued.
“I worked on some stuff for her law courts. She’s an absolute scream!” Belinda said. “I mean, a bit out there and socially free, but she totally blew my concept of what a barrister was out of the water. I mean, she seriously is not the norm.” Belinda broke into a wide grin as they both looked over at Tanya.
“Nope, definitely not your average barrister,” Kate agreed, before excusing herself to go to the loo.
A quick wee, finish her beer and she was out of here. Perhaps she could make it home in time for some trashy reality show on Channel 4? That sounded like her kind of Friday night. Besides, she didn’t want to be too late tonight, as tomorrow she had the lure of a flower date with her newly installed favourite florist.
Kate was just washing her hands a few minutes later when the door opened and in walked Tanya. Kate saw her in the mirror and gave Tanya her best fake smile.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding!” Tanya said.
Kate braced herself, almost ready for Tanya to grab her round the waist from behind and nuzzle her neck. Instead, Tanya simply propped herself up against the row of sinks in the toilet and leaned back, extending her long neck and shaking her glossy hair. It was another well-rehearsed move.
“We missed you back in the bar.” She fixed Kate with a steely gaze.
Kate was flummoxed. Tanya did not behave like anybody she’d ever met before. Like Belinda said, she was socially free. And this socially free one-woman tour de force was soon on the move, edging towards Kate. Even though she was a bit shorter, Tanya oozed presence and power, something Kate was all too aware of.
Kate shuffled sideways to the hand-drier and Tanya stopped just short of her.
“I know you might think I’m forward, but I like to get the ball rolling early, leave nothing in doubt. I’d love to go on somewhere later, just the two of us and get to know you better. What do you say?”
Kate could think of nothing to say and was short of breath. She exhaled, her eyes darting round the bathroom like a pinball — anywhere but Tanya. Where had she come from?
“Erm… I don’t think that’s going to work tonight.”
Tanya’s face dropped slightly, but then she recovered, instead fixing Kate with a concerned face. “You’re not going, are you?”
Kate shook her head. “No, it’s just I’m not up for a late one tonight — got things to do tomorrow — family things.”
Tanya moved to within inches of her, face like a trained weapon, her mouth the glinting blade. “That’s a shame — perhaps another time?”
Kate leaned to the side and hit her head against the wall. “Perhaps.” She winced and held her head. “I should get back — the toilets are that way,” Kate said, pointing. She slipped away before Tanya had time to react. Once back in the bar, Kate walked up to the group and peeled
Jess raised an eyebrow. “Not that hot?”
“Try a bit full of herself. She was stroking my hip within five minutes like we were bosom buddies. And she clearly has her own stash of cheesy one-liners. Can I go home now?”
Jess turned and sneaked a glance back to their group. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure! The woman thinks she’s God’s gift.”
The bartender arrived and Kate ordered two beers, with a spiced rum chaser.
“Shots already?” Jess said.
“Yes. I’m not going back over there without more alcohol in my system.”
Kate grimaced as the bartender set their drinks down in front of them. She handed Jess her shot and held up her own. “And by the way, you owe me big time — and remind me never to come on another set-up with you again, okay?”
The pair downed their shots, then strode back to the group. Kate made Jess stand next to Tanya while she stood in between Lucy and Belinda, which certainly kept any wandering hands at bay. Kate learned that Belinda was in online marketing and had met Lucy at a networking evening.
“And how do you know Tanya?” Kate was intrigued.
“I worked on some stuff for her law courts. She’s an absolute scream!” Belinda said. “I mean, a bit out there and socially free, but she totally blew my concept of what a barrister was out of the water. I mean, she seriously is not the norm.” Belinda broke into a wide grin as they both looked over at Tanya.
“Nope, definitely not your average barrister,” Kate agreed, before excusing herself to go to the loo.
A quick wee, finish her beer and she was out of here. Perhaps she could make it home in time for some trashy reality show on Channel 4? That sounded like her kind of Friday night. Besides, she didn’t want to be too late tonight, as tomorrow she had the lure of a flower date with her newly installed favourite florist.
Kate was just washing her hands a few minutes later when the door opened and in walked Tanya. Kate saw her in the mirror and gave Tanya her best fake smile.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding!” Tanya said.
Kate braced herself, almost ready for Tanya to grab her round the waist from behind and nuzzle her neck. Instead, Tanya simply propped herself up against the row of sinks in the toilet and leaned back, extending her long neck and shaking her glossy hair. It was another well-rehearsed move.
“We missed you back in the bar.” She fixed Kate with a steely gaze.
Kate was flummoxed. Tanya did not behave like anybody she’d ever met before. Like Belinda said, she was socially free. And this socially free one-woman tour de force was soon on the move, edging towards Kate. Even though she was a bit shorter, Tanya oozed presence and power, something Kate was all too aware of.
Kate shuffled sideways to the hand-drier and Tanya stopped just short of her.
“I know you might think I’m forward, but I like to get the ball rolling early, leave nothing in doubt. I’d love to go on somewhere later, just the two of us and get to know you better. What do you say?”
Kate could think of nothing to say and was short of breath. She exhaled, her eyes darting round the bathroom like a pinball — anywhere but Tanya. Where had she come from?
“Erm… I don’t think that’s going to work tonight.”
Tanya’s face dropped slightly, but then she recovered, instead fixing Kate with a concerned face. “You’re not going, are you?”
Kate shook her head. “No, it’s just I’m not up for a late one tonight — got things to do tomorrow — family things.”
Tanya moved to within inches of her, face like a trained weapon, her mouth the glinting blade. “That’s a shame — perhaps another time?”
Kate leaned to the side and hit her head against the wall. “Perhaps.” She winced and held her head. “I should get back — the toilets are that way,” Kate said, pointing. She slipped away before Tanya had time to react. Once back in the bar, Kate walked up to the group and peeled
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