Part 15-in which I curl up in the snug....

So, about my date with Lola on Friday: I had been really looking forward to catching up with her and having a girlie night out. I haven't seen that much of her lately because she's started seeing some guy from work and, although she's playing her cards very close to her chest, I get the feeling things are pretty serious.

It's weird cos Lola doesn't 'do' serious, (she's my fun friend while Cass is the sensible one), but I guess it happens to all of us evenutually and we fall for the lies of some loser who promises to love us forever, only to let us down in the end. I made a note to myself to make every attempt to try and put Lola off getting in too deep. I didn't want her getting hurt the way I had.

But when I turned up at the bar we had arranged to meet in -this new place in town she had told me was real hip and happening-I started to get a tiny bit suspicious. The place wasn't hip and happening at all. Rather, it was one of those old-man style pubs where people sit quietly over a pint and there's no music playing in the back ground.
Not the sort of place Lola frequented at all.

And there was no sign of Lola. I wondered if perhaps I had gotten the name wrong but I checked the text she'd sent me with the name and directions on it and everything was right. This had to be the place! I didn't have a clue what was going on.

Feeling uncomfortably conspicuous in my mini and stilettos, I took out my phone again, about to ring Lola and chastise her for picking such a quiet place to meet, when a text came through from her saying to 'hold fire' and get myself a drink. She'd be there in a minute.
I did as she bid and pulled up a bar stool. I ordered a gin and tonic, although I was tempted to ask for a pint of ale.

No sooner had my drink of 'mothers ruin' been dropped in front of me, when the door swung open and in walked a familiar figure-also dressed to the nines. But it wasn't Lola.
All at once I worked out what was going on as a confused-looking Cass stood in front of me.

Of course! Lola had set us both up. I should have known she would pull something like this. Arranging for us both to meet here, in a quiet pub, so we could talk. It was exactly what they did in the movies-Lolas' favourite source of life coaching!

For a moment Cass looked aghast. I thought she might turn and run. I thought about running myself.
But as reality dawned on her and she too worked out Lolas' little game, Cass burst into roars of laughter. And I couldn't help but join in.

In minutes we had hugged and were both apologising, one louder than the other. Cass ordered a drink and we took a seat in a snug, away from the full view of the bar (not that there was anyone but the barman to look at us).

'I really am sorry Rubes' Cass told me as we got comfortable. 'I should never have said all of those things to you. Mark was your husband at the end of the day and I should have realised how much what I said would hurt you. I didn't mean it. Well, not all of it anyway'.

'No. You were right' I replied seriously, meaning every word. I had given this a lot of thought.
'Mark wasn't a very good husband and I probably am better off without him. It was just hard to listen to at first. I feel such a fool for wasting all those years on him'.

Cass took my hand and hooshed herself closer to me.
'You haven't wasted any time Rubes. Everything in life is a learning experience. So you got married and it didn't work out. So what? You were happy most of the time, weren't you? So it was part of your life. Now you move on to the next part-the better part! And I have a feeling there are plenty of hunky, sexy men in this part, so don't worry'.

I gave her a big hug and was grateful for the fact that no matter what happens in any part of my life, Cass would always be a constant I can keep coming back to. And I was also grateful for Lola-another constant-who had risked her friendship with us both to put things right between us.

We didn't move from that seat in that little snug for the whole night except to go to the bar or the toilets. By 9pm we had moved from Gin and Tonics onto those pints of ale that looked so wholesome and delicious! At 9.30 the barman put the match on behind the bar and a small crowd gathered on bar stools to watch. It livened the place up a bit.
At some point Lola joined us, relieved to hear her cunning plan had paid off, and the three us us sat there and talked and laughed and had the best night in ages, all dolled up in our party outfits, shoes kicked off, curled up in the snug in the old mans pub.

Thank God for friends.