Poppy

10:30 THURSDAY

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Tomas asked open mouthed as he stared at his best friend, who seemed to be auditioning for a place in a rodeo. “You haven’t even had a drink yet?”

 “I’m just getting down with the music,” Ian replied without a trace of irony. “I’ve got a good feeling about tonight. The ladies better be watching out.”

“That’s true you might punch one of them in the face.” Searching through the faces around the dance floor in Chico’s Tomas wished that sometimes his friend was a little less entertaining, especially at times like this when it seemed every eye in the nightclub was upon them. As his eyes met those of his fellow revellers Tomas tried in vain to convey the fact he had no idea who the crazy man dancing beside him was but to no avail. Then by the bar he noticed the prettiest girl he had ever seen looking at him. “Who is that?” Tomas asked himself before his heart skipping a beat, she smiled then winked in his direction.

 “Did you see that? You’re in there mate,” Ian informed him as he continued to audition for David Brent’s dance double.

“I’m going to speak to her,”

“What?” Stopping in mid pose Ian looked at Tomas in disbelief. “You can’t do that. That’s not how it works.”

“And dancing like the funky monkey is? I thought the idea of tonight was for us to pull.”

“It is but times are changing haven’t you heard of ladettes? These days the girls do all the chasing.”

Laughing Tomas shook his head at Ian, “don’t be so stupid we’re men. We do the chasing. I’ve told you stop reading your sister’s Cosmo.”

Taking hold of his friend’s hand, Ian started to drag Tomas towards the bar, “being the alpha male doesn’t work anymore. Look buy us a drink and I’ll explain it to you.”

11:50 THURSDAY

Searching though the faces of the revellers around him Tomas shook his head in frustration, “where the fuck has he got to now?” He cursed, wondering what trouble his friend had gotten into now. Half an hour earlier Ian had suddenly declared he fancied some pork scratchings and that had been the last time Tomas had seen him.

Then all thoughts of Ian or his cravings for pork based pub snacks dissolved as he spotted the angel from earlier in the night dancing near the podium at the front of the nightclub. Was it the flashing lights playing a trick upon him or did she keep on looking in his direction? That smile, the same one as before lit up the dance floor and Tomas knew it must be him she was looking at.

Fortified by a night of Ian’s courage builders Tomas knew now was his moment and so steeling himself he began to walk towards his angel and her friends when suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Turning Tomas cursed his friend’s inopportune appearance whilst Ian oblivious to romance he had thwarted held out a packet of pork scratching. “Do you want one?”

“No!” Tomas snapped, turning back towards the podium but the girl with the illuminating smile had disappeared and all that remained to Tomas was Ian and his rapidly disappearing packet of pork based products.

01:15 FRIDAY

“Back to life, back to reality,” outside the men’s toilet a drunken Tomas sang along to the music being pumped around Chico’s.

“I really like this one don’t you?” Looking up Tomas almost dropped his pint glass as he saw the girl he had been thinking about all night, standing in front of him. Thinking back to his friend’s ideas on modern mating rituals Tomas couldn’t help smiling.

 “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really,” he told his dream girl. “I was just thinking about my friend. He reckons these days we have to wait until the girl makes the first move.”

“You mean the one who can’t dance,” the angel asked and Tomas found himself laughing as he nodded his head. “I reckon he tells himself that because he never manages to get himself laid.”

“You’ve met him then?” Tomas joked and was pleased to see his dream girl laugh.

“He sounds like my older brother. Jake’s always complaining manliness is dying out. Mind you he might have a point. Did you know you can get make up for men nowadays? You’re not wearing any are you?” The dream girl asked as she stroked his cheek, as if trying to work out the answer for herself.

“No,” Tomas squeaked, tingling all over from her touch before repeating his denial this time in what he hoped was a more manly tone.

“Good,” she giggled. “I like my men to be men.”

Before Tomas could reply he felt her lips touch his and all thoughts of anything else flew from his mind.

07:25 FRIDAY

Lying back in the strange bed Tomas’ mind replayed the events of the previous evening and Tomas felt contented.

“You better go,” the girl beside him whispered in his ear. “I’ve got college today.”

Turning Tomas reached out to stroke her hair but found he was gently yet firmly rebuked, “I mean it I’ve got lectures I have to go to all morning.”

Realising he was fighting a losing battle Tomas got out of bed and collecting his clothes from where they had been discarded the night before he silently got dressed all the while conscious of the girl of his dream’s studying his body.

Finally when he was ready to leave, the door handle in his hand Tomas realised he didn’t even know the girl’s name. “Poppy” was the answer he received before leaving and as he made his way home he wondered if Ian and Poppy’s brother Jake weren’t right. Whatever a ladette was they seemed to be the new alpha in town.