Idle thinking
Part one: The start
Idle thinking will be the death of me she thought.
Hmm why was that thought always followed by a deep sigh?
And why was that thought getting more prevalent….
It wasn't like she wasn't happy. She had a great job she had worked hard for, good friends (again) , both near and far. Hell she'd been so sensible she had financial stability, suitable qualifications and work progression. She had her health (hadn't her mother raved on long enough about that in the past), yes indeed she had "a lot to be grateful for" indeed … she had, she had, she had…
What about the she had not?"
When she stopped 'doing' and 'being busy' there was, she knew, a ranging emptiness inside. Ever since her last relationship with Voldemort (she who shall not be named, all those years of reading Harry Potter really hadn't been a waste after all) had ended so unexpectedly, suddenly and hurtfully she had closed down and made living and not enjoying living her life.
And that, her pragmatic side piped up, was exactly the reason she was off tonight to the 'Gay Wine and Dine Club'. Time to broaden that circle of acquaintances (and maybe more).
Sober, sane and solvent – really quite the catch on any level all her mates reminded her regularly. And only (cough) late 30's too. Lots of reassurance as everyone close knew how hard and far she had fallen for her ex, although now they were apart (estranged?) all somehow felt free to confess their own 'Voldemort wasn't quite right for you/Voldemort was a horror' stories… why had no one said these things sooner?
Anyway time to go out and mingle and meet. As if on cue there was a knock on the door, she opened it to find her best mates smiling winningly at her – with the merest hint of glaze to their eyes.
'Fuck me Blondie, looking mint as ever'
'Fuck off Cook, still not interested'
The usual standoff then commenced with best mate Effy – both feigning disinterest, waiting for the other to cave and speak first. A long standing bad habit this one, but one they both secretly enjoyed.
'Jesus are you two twats going to keep this up all night or can we just make sure she actually leaves the house as we… owwwwff'.
Naomi tried her best not to smirk as her best mate thwacked Cook in the ribs.
'Really Effy?' She raised an eyebrow and looked at her best mate in her best Bette Davis I'm-really-seriously-not-impressed-at-all impression (ok Bette Davis was a really old movie star, but by god that women was scary and if she could only channel half of that she was on a winner… and besides when was it wrong to be an old movie fan thought Naomi?)
'It's about time' her mate replied cryptically – as per bloody usual Naomi thought. Jesus, would Effy ever be capable of constructing full sentences or even holding a normal conversations?
'Yes, yes it's me, I'm ready and really quite capable of heading out on my own – you know almost a bona fide adult and everything now' Naomi almost lapsed into her special top quality sarcasm but reminded herself these two had picked up the pieces, literally in her case, after the devastation following Voldemorts announcements:
'I don't fancy you anymore'.
Leading to departure to stay at a friend to 'just to think about things'.
An eventual return to the joint house (easier to think of it that way than as theirs), for her to then declare 'it's still over, maybe we can go pick up girls together in bars?'
It was then of course that you packed up and moved out, six years together and all your hopes, dreams and future plans crushed. You never saw it coming.
Of course all that was BEFORE discovering Voldemort had been cheating all along and the 'friend' she went and stayed with while supposedly thinking things over was… well really very, very friendly indeed. Very friendly. Friends with benefits friendly. Friends with LOTS and LOTS of benefits as it turned out. And apparently had been for a while.
Yeah you'd been duped, very duped alright. Stitched up like a kipper.
'Oi Blondie, enough with the bloody thinking, let's get you a little bit fucked up before you finally muff munch anew'. Cook smiled winningly, pleased with himself at his insight.
'Fuck off Cook, bloody hell can you explain to me why do you both feel the need to escort me?'
'Because'. Another cryptic single word Effy sentence. Bloody hell would the women never speak normally Naomi thought?
And it was for those reasons Naomi found herself 'escorted' via a few pubs ('dutch courage mate, you could use it') to a central London bar, where the Gay Wine and Dine Club, (lesbian section) were holding their latest, "discretion assured, social gathering opportunity to mingle and meet in a superior environment" wine tasting session.
Well at least she could really get royally pissed if it all went wrong.
Naomi had joined the club not long after the Voldemort break up. She was a naturally social person who had slowly spent more and more time at home and less and less (or was it fewer and fewer her logical brain tried to ponder) time spent with her friends during her relationship with 'V'. She had, she realised later, actually neglected her mates but they had hung in there and once the relationship with 'V' ended she acknowledged something they had long known, she really could do with expanding her social circle.
This self-actualisation insight was expedited by the new age wisdom spouted by, of all people, Cook:
'fuck me you've finally emerged from solitary confinement – time off for good behaviour?'
'so you can still talk then, like all by yeself?'
'still out after 7pm, how the fuck will you cope?'
'watch out for the pumpkin and mice Cinders, it's well gone 8.30pm'
That boy would never change – straight shooter till the end. No wonder he'd startled everyone, absolutely everyone, by turning out to be an incredibly successful football agent. Apparently he was so blunt, hard core and relentless the players related to him and the suits accommodated him. Go figure.
And Effy's enigmatic as ever one word comment was more simplistically 'rebirth'. Effy, her best mate was still as hard to decipher as ever. But her charms, insight and ability to read others made her a formidable negotiator. She free lanced amongst top law firm commercial negotiators and unsettled many of the tough London leagle eagles.
No wonder these two had managed to get her out of the house again Naomi thought.
To be fair, ever since she had emerged in tears from her relationship break down, Cook and Effy had been especially supportive (bordering on obsessive) about her firstly joining and then almost religiously attending almost every lesbian social outing there was. They had especially pushed her to attend events by the Wine and Dine Club.
Cooks rational was she was a well fit and classy bird so where better?
Effy's was more simply 'because' and ever since the first event a few weeks ago they had been badgering her about when she was going again next.
This evening they actually walked her to the door. Cook gave her a big kiss on the cheek and made a lewd gesture with both hand and hips waggling both tongue and eyebrows (almost a skill that thought a slightly tiddly Naomi). Effy leaned in to kiss her cheek and said quietly 'I think tonight is one where your horizon's will expand'
And so Naomi turned, girded her loins, gathered her courage and walked inside.