I will say that I never truly have to worry about ever being stuck home on a Friday night, as the Lansdowne always provides entertainment for me. I had no particular plans for my Friday evening, until I found myself texting back-and-forth with Lotte during the day, and soon had sorted a plan to meet up with her at the club in the evening.
When I arrived however, I didn't get to make it far into the club before I encountered the Sophie, and the South African posse, who on this occasion included the guy Nick that I'd met last week at the "In with the New" party where in snowed. So I will admit I had quite a nice time chatting with the group of boys and that one boy in particular, although I had to note at one point that the other boys seemed to be having fun teasing him about a girl he'd been seeing rather regularly. Nothing he would call a "girlfriend" yet, but obviously enough on the scene that the other boys knew about her. So it made me think that this guy was at least somewhat attached, and perhaps not really a good bet. Definitely put me off a bit, even as he seemed to try to downplay this girl to keep my interest. Still, when the South African posse all had to leave to go put in an appearance at a friend's engagement party, I wished them well and assured everyone I had to stay on to catch up with Lotte.
Sophie admittedly had been in a bit of a strop over the fact that Witty Windsor Boy had failed to turn up after originally promising to come out, as she'd been hoping that the presence of the South African posse might tempt him to come out. Alas, when it was apparent that Witty Windsor Boy would not be seen, and the South African posse moved on, she then tried to drag me out to another friend's birthday party in Fulham. I must admit I was a bit tempted (and I always do have fun on nights out with Sophie), but still having not yet managed to catch up with Lotte, I begged off and wished her on her way. (I later learned that she stayed out until 4:30 AM, so I think I made the right call on that one!)
Finally at this point, I made my way outside and finally encountered Lotte and her fiancee. I got a chance to understand what Lotte had meant earlier when she'd said she "wanted to congratulate me on my recent success" when she told me she'd heard about Drunk Girl getting banned from the Lansdowne. I was horrified. First that anyone would see it as a "success" and second that people would think it was my doing! So I quickly tried to disabuse Lotte of the notion that I had in any way been gunning for Drunk Girl (even though I definitely think the Young Dutchman had been), although I'm not sure to what avail.
At least I was soon able to change the topic to camel polo as I talked with Lotte's fiancee. When somehow I made some comment to apologise for the state of the Tall South African last week, Lotte's fiancee gave this little chuckle and a grin that's hard to describe, but really seemed to be implying that there is sooooooo much more going on with the Tall South African than there is. I was a bit taken aback, to be honest, and almost started a huge protest right then and there, but quickly realised there wasn't much point. People are going to think what they want to think, and those two (perhaps just out of optimism, since they like us both) have us coupled off in their heads, the reality of the situation doesn't matter much. So I just shook my head and changed the topic of conversation.
Although that would have happened soon anyway, because after having quite a bit of wine, Lotte caught a glimpse of the top edge of one of my stockings. Being short on laundry that night, I was actually wearing stockings with a garter belt, and then much to my surprise, Lotte exclaimed, "What's this?" and then PULLED MY SKIRT UP, exposing not just the tops of my stockings, but even the ribbons on my garter belt for everyone at the club to see. Ummm...wow, Lotte... I quickly managed to right myself, although that caused quite a giggle for the crowd!
Soon then, as it had reached about 11 PM, a group of us decided to wander over to the Savile Club. Admittedly I wasn't feeling very well, as a toothache that had just been a twinge earlier in the evening was really starting to twinge, so I quit drinking, hoping to go home soon and take some aspirin for it.
Lotte and her fiancee disappeared shortly after we arrived, off to go explore the club and continue a tradition I think they have of having sex in various public places. I'm not quite sure why that does it for them, but they seem to enjoy it, so who am I to protest? So without them around, I found myself dragged along to the Savile, and pretty quickly dumped in a chair outside in front of a shisha pipe. Figuring that the shisha might take my mind off the pain in my tooth, I joined in the rounds of smoking up.
I found it almost funny when as I was sitting next to one guy smoking, this American guy named Brad (how stereotypical!) came over and joined in on the shisha smoking, although talking just to me and ignoring the guy I was with. It was such a classic Alpha Male move (one that I later noted would have been a standard move on the part of the Tall South African), that I almost felt like putting up a protest on behalf of the poor maligned guy I'd been chatting with up until that point. Yet, with my head a bit high from the shisha and my tooth still hurting a bit, I just couldn't find the energy to do so.
Hence in short order the guy I'd been chatting to decided to get up and go talk to other people, and the rather rude American Alpha Male sat down in his place to hone in on me. He was rather cute, to be fair, from Kentucky, a member of the Calrton Club who now split his time between London and New York. Looked like he'd been having a fun night out with the boys, and then had been delighted to discover the company of a beautiful, witty American girl to finish out his evening.
Still, the American Alpha Male got his comeuppance when a VERY drunk young man came up and tried to join in our conversation. I say "tried" because this chap was so drunk that he couldn't even really string words together to make a sentence. And because I was there and I'm pretty, this guy was now fixated on me, and continually interrupting the conversation. The evening seemed to be taking a real dive downhill and I was suddenly reminded that my tooth was hurting again.
All hopes of potentially staying were then extinguished when the American Alpha Male accepted a cigarette from a friend. I'm sorry, but while smoking shisha and smoking cigars is acceptable, cigarettes are just gross. Could never date a guy who smoked. So between that and the sudden realization that it was 12:20 AM (I could still make the last Central Line train at Bond Street at 12:30 AM!) I made a sudden decision to make a rather swift departure.
I absolutely raced through the good-byes, depositing swift kisses on the cheeks of a very drunk boy from the Lansdowne who I had just recently been getting to know that evening, and on that of the American Alpha Male. The American Alpha Male was obviously surprised by my sudden departure, having assumed he would have more time to chat me up and get my number, but I assured him given our mutual connections, I was sure we would probably run into each other again soon. No idea if that's really true or if I care (ewwww, the smoking thing!) but I just suddenly really wanted to go.
I figured I should take one last quick pass to see if I might be able to say good-bye to Lotte and her fiancee, but I didn't see them, so I suppose they were off christening the library or the ballroom or some other spot. However I did have the misfortune to run into a sweet-but-dopey chap from the Lansdowne who had asked me out last week, so I found myself hurrying up my good-byes even more before he got it into his head that he would follow me out (which I'm sure he would do). Begging the train, I was practically running out of the club at this point!
Still, I safely made the last train, and made it all of the way home. Although as I walked out of the train station, along the darkened streets, this young guy and his mate happened to be standing at a street corner as I walked by. Almost as though he couldn't think of anything to say until I'd already walked on by, the guy suddenly shouted out after me, "You're incredibly beautiful!!" The very obvious desperate shout of a boy desperate to say something, anything, to the drop-dead gorgeous girl right in front of him, that she might actually speak to him.
And I suppose with some girls, this might make them giggle, blush, and awkwardly say, "Awwww...no I'm not!" or something similar. Yet, this poor guy was dealing with me, the girl who the Tall South African likes due to her towering ego. And so I paused, looked him dead in the eye, and with a wink and a smile said, "I know."
I doubt a boy has ever been more surprised, and you could see him nearly stagger backwards as he tried to think of a response to that. But I was already walking on... I think he might have called something out to me, having thought of a response a bit too late, but it's not like I'm actually ever going to allow a guy to pick me up off the street at 1 AM. It's flattering to get these compliments, but after a certain hour they're pretty meaningless. Still, it gave me a smile, and as I walked home, a bit of a spring in my step...
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