For AJ, Because He's Nosy*

So yeah, Friday night. A mate of mine from college had called me the week before, he was to go to someone's 30th in Naas on the Friday and wanted me to come along. Always happy to oblige a friend by crashing a stranger's birthday party, I packed a bag and high-hoed to my country abode to reprise my role as the hostess with the mostess.

I decided that a few scoops might be in order before crashing the party so I roped my brother, the Hurler and the Bogman into coming for a few pints with me, knowing that if I got enough Smithwicks into them they'd be all on for coming to the shitey nightclub. Vital to my plan, you see, because had I gone with just the college mate he'd have made me dance, and nobody wants to see that. So, plied with Smithwicks and oiled with Smirnoff we headed up to the town's answer to purgatory; The Naas Court Hotel.

The college mate boogied his white Gaeltacht socks off while us cynical locals hung out by the door, keeping as much distance between us and the dancefloor and as little distance between us and both the bar and the emergency exit as possible. 3am came and it was time to go home to Abrakebabra and then begin the long walk home, arms outstretched in case a taxi might pass. We made it home, the college mate and I, him swinging two bags of Abra's finest cuisine and me brandishing the front door key triumphantly like it was some sort of prize. The brother was hot on our heels and only fucking delighted to be presented with a quarter pounder and garlic cheese fries (being a connoisseur of drunkards cuisine, he'd invented a snack the previous week; Ham Lollipops. Sesame seed grissoni - breadsticks to you and me - wrapped in sliced ham. Patent pending...). Belly full, he tottled off to bed and I set about making up a bed for the college mate on the snazzy fold-out couch, but I got sidetracked. It's true we've had the occasional sneaky smooch over the years, but not in a long time and I don't think either of us have been even remotely tempted for a long time. So I felt a bit funny about it the next day. Not excited, but not disappointed either. No regrets, just um. I haven't done that in a while.

*Joking, AJ, joking. I was planning to spill anyway but I've been busy til now.