Trisha and Sally-Anne had the Saturday night out party down pat over the years and all their staff knew what they were doing. They had to think in commercial terms of market forces of the pink pound and not just of their friends. The show had to go on and they socialised with all and sundry, giving of themselves and to make sure everyone was happy. Deep down, they hadn't forgotten the club's original mission that she and Nikki had mapped out.
The realisation that this night was when their oldest friends were coming out to party with them was a shot of adrenaline and made this evening feel special. They took longer to select their outfits and put on their makeup. However Trisha's train of thought that this was like a long time ago when she and Nikki had opened the doors to their club the very first time exposed the painful fact that Nikki and Helen wouldn't be here tonight. Her observant partner spotted the mood change in an instant.
"I'm looking forward to this evening as the start of something good like the whole gang getting back together again. Don't ever think that Nikki and Helen have forgotten their roots," Sally said with deliberate optimism.
"You think so? I'd try and convince myself that this is a rehearsal for the ultimate party but I'm still missing them," Trisha asked, her eyebrows raised questioningly as hopefulness and sadness battled it out. "It's a shame how we've all drifted apart to some extent over the years."
"None of us have been estranged. We're all insanely busy. In any case darling, we've got the chance to make the most of what we've got. I'd really love to see Nikki and Helen again but I also love the thought of those who will be there. I know we've got responsibilities to running the club but we can steal time to talk to our true friends," Sally Anne said with infinite compassion, delicately stroking Trisha's cheek with her fingertips. It had its effect.
"You're right babes. I used to be a bit of a spoiled brat, going into a sulk if my birthday party wasn't perfect," Trisha confessed with a soft smile turned at her down to earth partner. She sought out Sally's hand and squeezed it gratefully.
The club DJ was already starting to test out some new sounds she thought would go down well and the two women drifted down and grinned encouragingly. They felt this was the right mixture of seductive and propulsive. They were edging forward in time to the edgy excitement of the first of the customers entering the club and creating some atmosphere.
Outside, the first of the taxis disgorged their contents of scantily dressed women clicking along the pavement on their high heels and chattering excitedly. Amongst them, Karen and Beth linked arms affectionately, looking and feeling good. No sooner were they through the front door and proudly paying their dues when George made her stately way in her dress with a wicked slit up the side and Alice in her low cut lacy top and flimsy trousers who was gazing wide-eyed as she realised that distant memories had been printed on her mental DNA and at last she was home. Another taxi let out Jane Lancaster whose legs seemed to go on forever while Jo's sleek black dress only exposed a modicum of thigh. Her earlier promise to herself and Jane about to become the wicked lady of sex caused a nervous excitement to run through her system on top of anticipating the pleasure of meeting old friends.
"You sound in good spirits Jo. I admire your resilience after enduring Jackson's fearful incompetence," George observed, referring to their unfavourite judge who had given her a hard time in court the day before. George was propping herself up at the side of the bar with a large dry Martini after Jo had chattered away to her. The other woman was affectionately holding Jane's hand who was talking to a broadly smiling Karen.
"Well, there's no use in dwelling on minor reverses. A satisfying home life does wonders and makes all the differences. I'm sure that he like today's politicians only vent their prejudices and waffle on so incoherently as a substitute for good sex," Jo answered roundly.
George burst out laughing at Jo's witticism and began to realise that there was more than met the eye.
"Of course my ex who I do not name is the perfect example but you sound pretty satisfied with yourself Jo," George answered in her roundabout way of avoiding any mention of Neil Haughton's name. Looking in retrospect, one reason why she might have taken up with him in the first place was to wind up John Deed by selecting the man whom John would most detest. She couldn't think of another reason.
Both Karen and Jane exchanged meaningful smiles. They worked at St Mary's hospital as junior sister and nurse respectively and were both kept run off their feet. The only time they had a chance to chat was in the locker room which was strangely ideal to discuss intimate matters considering that it was a small bare room filled up with utilitarian metal cabinets. Their last meeting coincidentally was a day or so ago that Jane smirkingly announced their forthcoming shopping expedition on Jo's behalf.
"So you've persuaded the lovely Jo Mills to spread her wings further sexually speaking. I'm impressed."
"How does it feel to be on the receiving end as that'll be new for me. I'm a little nervous. You're the ideal woman to ask as you've both been married and straight in the past," Jane confessed.
"Was I?" Karen said to herself vaguely, feeling that was a lifetime ago. "If Jo's seriously thinking of it, she'll have wondered about it for a long time especially as it's been one way for years. Just ensure you're both feeling good and relaxed and romantic. I promise you the night after going to Chix is ideal." Jane brightened up in relief and both went on to conduct their official errands.
"Tonight is party night and something special for us all and I don't mind admitting I'm as excited as anyone. Are we going to have a quick drink, go upstairs to the VIP lounge or have a quick dance first?" Karen intervened breezily as they were all assembled with their drinks. This made George more inquisitive than ever but she thought she'd batten this down till she could investigate later on.
"That depends on our hosts," answered Jo politely, holding hands with her lover as Trisha and Sally-Anne worked their way purposefully through the crowd.
"It's lovely to see you all," a glowing Trisha exclaimed. "We haven't seen you for ages or at least it feels like ages. We've been running the show and doing a bit of socialising but we want to give you the choice of dance first or talk first. There's so much we want to catch up on."
A look of bemusement ran round the group as they felt really conflicted between the excitement of letting their hair down on the dance floor and catching up with badly needed socialising. Finally, George felt that her natural bossiness called for a valid outlet.
"We've got a choice between two different kinds of pleasure but if I've learnt anything, lovers and friends matter more than anything else in the world. I suggest we go up to the VIP lounge for no more than an hour and then get out on the dance floor."
A murmur of relief rippled round the group and Trisha and Sally-Anne smiled gratefully at their friend. They could see how the group had itchy feet. They led the way, stopping to ask their most long serving barmaid to hold the fort. Up the steps they clattered holding their drinks, none of them being desperate for an early refill. Once they were into the sanctum, they hugged and kissed each other emotionally as the first instinct that came to mind. For Trisha, this was a dream come true as she found herself threading her way through more than one conversation at a time, reminiscing fondly about their shared past. The series of court trials they'd been through or witnessed from the gallery inevitably related back to the two barristers who'd slaved so selflessly.
"Sweetheart, I really have difficulty relating your serious and dignified personage in court complete with wig and gown and smart suit with your really gorgeous outfit," Jane said pertly to Jo and was accompanied by a general round of applause. Jo Mills glowingly accepted the compliment.
"Well, all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. I learned that one from George. She wears the same outfit in court as me," retorted Jo.
"Not quite. I'm surprised at your lack of observation. I wear sensible knee length skirts but with a slit up the side," George drawled, making sure to expose a generous display of thigh to make her point.
"No such luck for me or Jane unfortunately. We're both condemned to wear extremely practical blue outfits which I can't customize. Still, it means that we compensate by having hidden depths," said Karen quite innocently. Jane came close to spilling her drink at that point which wasn't unnoticed by George.
"Junior female journalists like myself are allowed to be sexy but not threatening and definitely not dominating in case some male egos are upset. The only guys relaxed around me in a platonic fashion are untidy old school socialists," observed Beth.
"This place has seen more women finding their soulmates than I can imagine," Alice said reflectively as she savoured the ambiance of women being together here or down on the dance floor. "I can still remember clapping my eyes on a certain blonde beauty who captivated me in no time at all." Sally-Anne cast a sideways glance at Trisha and knew that, behind her bright smile, a whole trainful of memories were moving irresistably down the track to an unstoppable destination. She squeezed her lover's hand affectionately.
"A lot had been going on in my head till then to make me question my choices in life. Once I took the step and soaked up the ambiance of this club, I saw a talk dark-haired stunner like Alice so I didn't wait to seduce her," purred George, mopping up the praise with a big grin and prompting Karen's later encounter with Beth. This shared reminiscence about women coming together brought them all closer. However, Trisha was struggling at this point and only with a wrench of her thoughts could she make them come out positive.
"Of course, when Nikki got her release from prison, she finally got together with Helen at this club when the barriers that had kept them apart finally came tumbling down. We ought to drink a toast to absent friends," Trisha proclaimed, raising her glass high. Through the dim lights, she could swear she could see Nikki's cool sophisticated shape and Helen's broad grin and low cut dress as twin spirits. The others could sense it as well.
"Absent friends," the group of women intoned with the last of their drinks.
"We owe them a lot for reeling us into our adventures, myself being first at her first appeal hearing. They might have come only they were stuck for a childminder as she had family problems," observed Sally with tactful adroitness to banish the perception that their old friends were permanently distanced and she proceeded to fill in the details..
A profound silence fell on the room. They didn't know these details and to most of them, the world of babysitters was a closed book. Jo was the first to speak.
"So another time, when we get together, a couple of us could babysit for them if their regular babysitter couldn't make it," Jo suggested brightly as old memories floated back in her mind when had to arrange this for her two sons. Karen and George exchanged glances. They had had mixed experiences childrearing and weren't confident of their maternal feelings so Karen bit the bullet and quietly suggested this to Jo. So the general conversation meandered along country roads while soft pulsing sounds started to register with their senses.
"We'll definitely have to come back another time with Nikki and Helen as well," George said, treating this as an inevitable fact of life to a general murmur of consent Trisha noted this as a good time to mention the upcoming Pride event when everyone was there..
When conversation fizzled out to a natural halt, George looked at her delicate silver watch and reminded them that the hour had elapsed.
"Trust a barrister to notice," grinned Karen at her friend. She wasn't complaining as she followed George down the staircase to the dancefloor, Trisha and Sally bringing up the rear in order to resume their duties. as they did so, Trisha marvelled how stunning their friends looked in their variations of femininity.
Karen looked gorgeous, Beth thought blissfully, as her broad smile, glinting blue eyes, silky fair hair falling over her shoulders were as captivating as ever not to mention her outstretched arms and gyrating ripe figure which encapsulated her fun-loving personality. They'd not danced for a long together and this evening recaptured what they'd been missing. The music and the surrounding ambiance of women dancing together wrapped Beth up in a heady mixture of pure pleasure. This was where she belonged, Beth thought, as she caught glimpses of their friends, each with her own very special movements that described their sexuality.
After a long while, Jo headed off to the toilet and George had a quick word with Beth who grinned and then followed after Jo to satisfy her nagging curiosity.
"I know you Jo Mills. You've been concealing a secret that I've been itching to find out about. You know how persistent I can be," she said, catching Jo by surprise as she was washing her hands. To her faint surprise, Jo threw up her hands in surrender with a bashful smile.
"All right, I really want to tell you as you've been concerned about my welfare these last few years."
"Your sexual welfare," corrected George in determined tones.
"I went shopping with Jane to buy a strapon for myself. I've been on the receiving end these last few years. Jane's very persuasive." As Jo spoke, she flinched at every word she spoke, irrationally and hypersensitively fearing for her friend's response
"I am really so glad for you Jo. It'll be one of the best things you've done in your life. I am sure you and Jane will love it as you are really close. That makes a difference."
Tears came into Jo's eyes at her friend's tender words and generosity of spirit. Secretly, she was afraid of being laughed at. She hugged the other woman warmly in silence for a few minutes before Jo finally found words to say.
"We've come a really long way since the old days," she said in a choked voice. "Bless you a thousand times."
After a companionable silence, George broached a matter that was troubling her.
"Your idea about childminding Rose is a very kind idea but I felt the finger pointed at me to do my share and probably the same for Karen. After all, we're all mothers," George said a little tensely, wishing that a cigarette was within reach.
"It's simple. It's a way of getting to know Rose without the big paraphernalia of 'the visit.' I'm not over-confident myself and I need to talk it over with Jane. If it pans out, I'll let you know how we get on without you feeling obligated to match it. Sounds reasonable?"
At last the mists cleared from George's sight. This was classic Jo Mills logic at work and she was ready to go with it.
"Come on George. Our women are waiting for us and so is the rest of the party," Jo added zestfully. The seductive sound of the music led them out of the toilet and across the dance floor. They noticed that Beth and Jane were gesturing to them with a glass held high.