Saturday 16th May 2015
Edinburgh, Scotland
“How can she be single?” Sam said nodding towards the bar.
Matt, Tony, and Vince smiled at each other and followed their friend’s gaze. A striking blonde woman had just ventured into the place alone and approached the bar.
All four young men in the corner booth were in their twenties, and in the club for the first time. They were ogling any attractive women, whatever their age and the latest was by far the best-looking, classiest and oldest—maybe in her late-thirties.
When the blonde slipped her coat off and sat up onto a barstool her short black dress rode up her thighs giving a hint of black lace stocking-top. The woman laid her coat over the empty barstool next to hers and glanced up at the mirror behind the bar while waiting for her drink. She lifted the glass, and half-turned to raise her glass towards the four guys in the corner.
Sam lifted his glass, because, although he’d been caught like the others he thought he’d humour the attractive woman. He mouthed ‘cheers’ and gave a broad smile when the blonde nodded to him.
“I can’t believe it,” Tony said. “There must be forty or more people sitting around in here and she spotted the four of us in our lecherous little group.”
“I’d be happy to wake up beside her,” Matt said.
Vince laughed. “Wake up beside her … I’d rather be awake and just getting into bed with her.”
In a dreamy voice, Sam said, “I’d be happy to be with her whatever the circumstances. She is gorgeous.”
“She’s probably ten years older than any of us,” Tony chirped.
“There’s plenty of her too,” Matt murmured. “It’s all in the right places too.”
Sam said, “She has what you call a fuller figure, and her legs are incredible.”
“You sound like you’re in worship mode,” Vince said. “I have to admit, though, she is stunning.”
For half an hour the four young men continued to chat, but Sam found it hard not to look up at the bar to gaze at the blonde. His lips parted silently when the blonde looked their way and smiled.
“I’m going to speak to her,” Sam said. “I’ll probably see you guys in about ten minutes.” He tried to stand but Tony grabbed his long ponytail. “Save some for us.”
“We’ll see you in about three minutes,” Vince said. “If you’re up there less than ten minutes you get the next round of drinks.”
“It’s a deal,” Sam said as he got up, straightened his jacket and walked to the end of the bar.
The woman turned and her expression bordered on smiling and daring Sam to speak.
Sam wasn’t presumptuous enough to sit on a barstool, which sent out a message. “Hi there.”
“Hello,” the blonde said. “Did they dare you to make a move, or is there a kitty for whichever one can score with me?”
“N … no … nothing like that. I … wanted to … to—”
“I’m only kidding. What’s your name?”
“Sam.”
“Well, Sam, if you’d like to hang my coat on that stand over there, you could use this barstool beside me.”
“Real … really?”
“Of course, and I will also expect you to buy me a drink.”
Sam hung up the coat and was back and sitting on the barstool within two minutes. “Excuse me, Miss, could I have a—”
“Brandy and coke, please.” The blonde finished her drink and placed the glass on the bar.
Sam asked for a brandy and coke for himself too, and then inhaled deeply. He turned to see a slender hand with bright red fingernails lifted towards him.
“My name is Harriet. I’m pleased to meet you, Sam.” She held his hand for several seconds longer than necessary and looked deep into his eyes. “What are your intentions now?”
“I don’t understand … I didn’t have any—”
“Come on now, I’m a big girl.”
“You’re not that big … I mean … you’ve got a fuller … curvaceous … you’re beautiful.” He closed his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry.” He gasped when a hand landed gently on his thigh.
“Are you nervous around me, Sam?”
He pursed his lips and looked at his drink. “I’ve never ….”
“Never chatted to a woman, never had sex, never been in a singles’ bar … perhaps never tried to pick up an older woman?”
Sam studied her striking features and was under her spell before he spoke. “The last two.”
“You’ve never been in a singles’ bar or tried to pick up an older woman.” She leant toward him and smiled; her even white teeth contrasting with her glossy red lipstick. “Don’t worry, Sam, I’ve only started coming in here recently.”
“We’ve never come here before but we wanted to be away from any of our usual haunts.”
“Is it a celebration or some sort of special occasion?”
“It’s not a celebration, but I suppose it could be called a special occasion.” He stared at this drink for a few seconds and forced a brief smile. “The design agency where two of us work is to lose a couple of staff, so we’ll be looking for work, and I’ll be looking for accommodation.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What time constraints are you under?”
“I’ll be out of a job in two weeks and I need to find somewhere to live.”
“Are you renting somewhere right now?”
“I share a flat with Matt and Vince. Fortunately for Vince, he’s already lined up a new position so he’ll be moving on in a couple of weeks, but once I can’t afford to pay the rent it means Matt will have to find at least one new flatmate or he’ll be paying for the place on his own.”
“Which one is Matt?”
“The good-looking, muscular one with the short brown hair.” Sam laughed.
“Will he not be moving to somewhere else?”
“He’ll try to hang on in the flat, and probably get a couple of people to share with him. At the present time it looks like he’ll be staying with the company a while longer.”
“Here was me thinking I had a few problems, but I must admit I’ve never been picked up by a younger man.”
“I wasn’t trying to pick you up.”
“Don’t I look good enough for you—I thought you liked me?” Harriet feigned hurt but smiled.
“You do look good enough, and I do like you. I just thought that the way things were going, when I came up and spoke you might tell me to get lost.”
“Have we got a bit of a confidence issue going on, Sam?”
“I suppose I have, although I don’t usually when I’m around girls.”
“Well, I’m hardly a girl, but I can’t understand why you’d be nervous around me.”
“I’ll try and work out why, but I have a suspicion.”
“I’ll let you think about it, but before the end of this evening, I expect to hear what your suspicion is—okay?” She smiled and arched an eyebrow.
“Yes.” Sam smiled, and sipped his drink.
“Do any of you have girlfriends?”
“We all got together for this evening which was easy because we don’t have girlfriends at the moment.”
“I’m surprised. Four nice-looking young guys and girls around you. In a place like this at least one or two of you could easily be mistaken for being curious.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, yes. In the past few months I’ve been to several places which cater for singles and I mistakenly thought they’d all be full of older people, or at least my age, looking for a new heterosexual partner.”
“I thought the LGBTQ type of person was more inclined to go to a special club?”
“No, Sam, and I think the main reason is because true acceptance comes from being able to look for a prospective partner in any place, not just a gay bar.”
“Well, wherever you’ve been, I’m surprised you haven’t got guys, or even girls lined up?”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “Are you suggesting I might appeal to men and women?”
“I’m sorry, I just thought with your looks you could have your choice.”
“I think it would be accurate to say I’m looking for a particular type of person.”
“Well, whoever it is will be very lucky.”
“You’re very kind, Sam.” Harriet nodded to the girl behind the bar and two more drinks appeared soon after. “Thank you, Carol.”
The new acquaintances clinked their glasses together.
Sam sipped his fresh drink. “It would be a good way for a person to disguise their sexuality, wouldn’t it—visiting singles’ clubs, and saying it was to look out for a member of the opposite sex?”
“It would, and none of the person’s friends would be any the wiser unless they saw or heard something … a little clue.” She smiled. “For example, are there any of your friends over there whom you haven’t seen with a girl?”
Sam glanced in the mirror and looked back at the reflection of his three friends chatting in the corner booth. “It was a while ago in both cases, but I’ve seen Matt and Vince with girls. Tony has sometimes talked about somebody he was seeing.”
“Which one is Tony?”
“He’s the slightly chubby one with the shoulder-length fair hair.”
“Ah, the one who wanted to touch you.”
“Touch me?”
“Yes, wasn’t it him who grabbed your ponytail when you were standing up, and then he looked longingly at your behind as you left the table.”
“You’re joking?”
“No. Oh, I hope I haven’t spoiled a friendship.” She bit her lip and smiled. “I got the impression he wouldn’t mind if you’d sat closer to him. Have you known each other long?”
“I’ve known Vince and Matt for about two years, and Tony since our last year in university, so maybe about five years.”
“When did you last have a girlfriend?”
“Probably about six months ago, but I’ve not really been looking to get hooked up again.”
“When did you last see Tony with a girlfriend?” Harriet smiled and held Sam’s gaze. “Can you remember?”
“I can’t recall him having one in recent times, but he had one when we were at university.”
“Was she pretty?”
“Well, I didn’t actually see her … he would go home on some weekends ….”
Harriet sipped her drink and winked. “Maybe you should ask to see a photograph sometime.” She laughed briefly. “Don’t mind me.”
Sam whispered, “Are they looking over here?”
“They’ve been looking at us since you hung my coat up, and the longer you sit there, the more impressed they’re going to be with you.”
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay with you for another drink and then I’ll leave you alone.”
“Are you meeting somebody, or going back to the boys in the corner?”
“Well, I didn’t want to outstay my welcome.”
“Who said you’d outstayed your welcome—I haven’t even bought you a drink yet?”
“I couldn’t expect you to—”
“You make me sound a bit scary, Sam. Don’t tell me you’re still on edge around me?”
He laughed nervously. “You just come across as ….”
“Choose your words carefully if you want that drink I’m about to buy you.”
“You just come across as … in control.”
“Would that be so bad … and be honest?”
“No … it wouldn’t be bad at all.”
“Have you ever been under a woman’s control, Sam?” She placed her hand on his thigh and applied slight pressure.
“No, I haven’t.” He swallowed hard and lifted his drink. “It would be interesting.”
“I think so too.” She studied his features. “Are you clean, Sam, if you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I got checked out after my last girlfriend. I suppose I wanted to be ready for whoever I was with next.”
“That’s very commendable.” She smiled. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow is Sunday—nothing special.”
“I might be in here again tomorrow about seven-thirty. If you turned up alone we could chat again.” She finished her drink, fetched her coat and winked. “Goodnight, Sam.”
***
Katya Cumming Erotica 