Dinner at Lotte's

Fresh off my success from yesterday, I got a random message on my Facebook wall from my friend Lotte:  "Do you have plans tonight? If not, would you like to come round for a glass of wine to celebrate? I also heard that there's a jazz / blues event in town if you'd like to go.."


So I said sure, grabbed a bottle of wine, and headed on over there.


When I arrived, there was only Lotte and her fiancee present, and so we sat around having pre-dinner drinks and olives, while her fiancee tried to talk me through a currency exchange scheme for people who have recently been travelling and have extra currency leftover.  Quite honestly I didn't think it was a very good idea, as it didn't seem workable at all, but I tried to ask intelligent questions without revealling how lame I thought the scheme was.  


Super-Shy Guy then arrived, and joined us for drinks as well.  We were then sitting around with Super-Shy Guy, Lotte and her fiancee, when  Lotte's phone buzzed:  It was our favourite person, Drunk Girl texting Lotte to ask, "So what are you up to tonight?"  And Lotte just looked at us all in a panic to ask, "Are we up for dealing with her tonight?"  

And Super-Shy Guy and I both looked at each other, but didn't want to be the first to say anything, which made Lotte say, "Yeah, I think I know what you're thinking..."  (Lotte, bless her, is just too nice to really cut people off, particularly when they obviously have no other friends.  And I feel for her, because I understand the compulsion to be that nice, but even I'm amazed that she's still so friendly to Drunk Girl after what happened on New Year's).

And so this got us on to sharing our favourite Drunk Girl stories.  Which at one point was when Lotte said, "I know, I just can't believe she slept with..." and then Super-Shy Guy, Lotte, Lotte's fiancee and I all blurted out DIFFERENT names.  Which then cracked us up as we all realised, "Oh my God, him TOO?"  Seriously, that girl gets AROUND.  (The new one I learned about was a rather successful trader who has no dating life due to his limited free time.  Apparently that one happened in the back seat of a car.  During a party.  It seems like a new one every week...)

And it was strange, because she does seem to sleep around so much, but we all expressed surprise as to what men found attractive about her.  I guess there really is something about sex on a platter that almost no man can resist.  

We then had dinner, which was some lovely fish and salad, although small portions and I was starving.  After dinner, Lotte's flatmates Tish and the Blonde Dutchman (who had joined us for dinner), decided to stay there, while we were all going to head out to some blues bar that was having a "jam session" that night.  For this we were joined by a Tall American who I've met at some of Lotte's parties before.  Kind of an idiot, but a good-looking one.  Fine enough company for the evening, I suppose...

We then walked to the blues bar, and on the way the Tall American told me the story of how he'd been hit by a bus the previous week and ended up in hospital.  He had no idea how he was not dead, but had even come out of the accident relatively unscathed, despite his concussion.  He kept going on about how he had a new lease on life, although I wondered about that if he was still chain-smoking cigarettes.  Plus, the accident sounded like it was caused by him drinking too much and running out into the street without warning.  

The blues club had some decent music, and we found chairs at the back, as we listened to people "jam".  Apparently bands would just sign up for a slot to do one or two songs, and once they finished, the next group would get up there.  Saw lots of people waiting around with guitars for their chance to get on stage.  Kind of weird, as you realise there is this whole culture of people out there who are all about this scene, waiting for their chance to play music for the crowds.

We had a few beers, and then realising that it was after midnight and the last Tube would be going soon, we finished up and headed home while we could still catch the train.  I gave everyone hurried good-byes as they dashed for the Northern Line while I went Central, and laughed as we ran our separate ways.  

What a great evening.  Tonight was one of those nights that made me love London. Totally unplanned, and totally marvellous.  I love how in London, you can just do that. Quite a different night than I had anticipated from when I woke up this morning!