A Year-and-a-bit Earlier…

Mark pushed the doors open and strolled into The Strawberry. The bar was busy on this Friday evening, but quiet enough for Mark to be able to find his seat on a stool to the side of the counter. He guessed it was only six in the afternoon so it’d probably get busier later on. He sighed as dropped his coat onto the floor next to him, and planted himself.

Mark watched as the middle-aged bartender walked to him with a welcoming smile. “Yes sir, what can I get you?”

“Pint of lager please mate.”

“Pint of lager it is then.” Mark pulled out his wallet and produced his ten pound note and placed it in front of him and waited patiently. He scanned the room, watching couples chat with each other, a group of people gathered round a pool table and someone leaning over a jukebox, deciding his choice of song to put on next.

“Two-eighty then sir!” Mark jumped as the bartender plonked the lager onto the hard wood and slid it closer to him. Without hesitation, the man took his money and wandered back to the till and Mark gripped the cold glass and took a sip of his pint. As he put the glass back onto the bar, his eyes again glanced around the room, and he took attention to a young couple talking to each other over a couple of drinks. He watched them smile and laugh and talk, a casual every day couple indeed. He stared jealously at them, wondering how the guy got so lucky with the lass he was with as she was very pretty and very “proper”, and he looked like a regular lad with a wonky tooth.

“Asshole…” he muttered under his breath, and took another sip from his drink.

“You are a lager lout aren’t you Mark…” Mark ducked his head to the familiar voice that seemed to be come close to left ear. He swallowed and turned around to see Lauren standing next to him.

And there she stood, with eyes from both the guys and the gals glancing from around the room to stare at her and Mark honestly couldn’t blame them. THe twenty-four years young Lauren stood a confident 6’1” in her skin-tight denim jeans and a simple light-orange blouse. Her clothes clung to her fit, athletic body only a gymnast could shape over years of training. Her jeans rounded where her round bottom curved down to her muscular legs and down to her thick calves. Her back wasn’t wide, but it was big enough to show that her upper body strength was envious even to those who perused a dream body from the gym. Her face was cute, small blue eyes that was accentuated by her thin eyebrows and small thin lips and a cute nose that was dashed with a light spray of freckles. She was extremely modest with her make-up, only using it where she thought she needed it, but she knew that she herself had a natural glow to her skin and naturally good looks.

But with all this, her most striking feature of all that made her stand from all the crowds, was her long thick, dark-brown tight-curly hair. It wasn't a frizz nor hairs inter-locking, but long thick locks that naturally twirled down her body. It didn’t stay up in a mound like an afro, but hung in long strands down her back and over her shoulders. It was beautiful and because it was natural, she hardly had anything to do with maintaining it beauty than just washing it.

Even though she had been training as a gymnast from an early age, Lauren also lived on a farm and that was hard work too. It payed off, her strength and stamina was far beyond anyone that Mark had met before.

She smiled her perfect smile, her small mouth stretching and showing off her well done teeth. Mark didn’t know her from when she was young, but apparently she had to have braces for some years to get them the way they look today but he just couldn’t imagine her with any faults at all.

Mark met Lauren at this very bar, The Strawberry, when he was mildly intoxicated and tried to make his move on her a couple of years ago. Unfortuantely for Mark, he made a fool out of himself but he was swarve enough to recuperate his dignity. However, Lauren, being the bubbly and easy going woman she, she laughed at and with him and since then, they had become close friends.

Before he could say a word; “There’s your change mate. And what would you like miss?” asked the bartender.

“Dry white please, large.” Asked Lauren, her attention turning to the man and taking a seat on the stool next to Mark. Mark slid the change off the bar and dropped a couple of coins onto the floor. “Sorry, I got held up on the farm. Mum has bought herself yet another horse so we're having to make room for her. Have you been here long?”

“A minute or two, the bus was actually early for once!” Mark slid his stool back and bent down to retrieve his change, noticing that Lauren was wearing heels, her nails painted with a gloss. He didn’t have a foot fetish or anything, but pretty was pretty in his books. He scooped up the change and sat back on the stool, pocketing his money. “If I sneeze later on, a guy who sat next to me had a cold so keep your distance,” he chuckled.

“Mhmm, I do anyway Marky-boy!” and she punched Mark on his arm with a mighty thump and he winced and rubbed his arm.

“How did you get so tough? I’ve had guys try and hit harder but they’re soft as shit compared to you!” Lauren laughed at him and gripped her guns.

“These bad boys didn’t come from drinking lager that’s for sure! So when’s Brody arriving?”

“He’s in a meeting so he might be a little late, apparently he’s landing a new contract for his business. He’ll be buying the drinks tonight depending on how it went. Mind you, he owes me twenty quid so he can buy me drinks anyway haha!” and with that, he took another sip of the refreshing drink. His attention turned to the bartender returning with Lauren’s drink and placed it onto the bar in front of her.

“On the house!” he said kindly to her.

“Oh! Thank you!” he wandered off and Mark turned to Lauren with a flat face. Lauren smiled and winked at him and sipped from her drink. Mark puffed through his lips ungraciously and shook his head. “Just because you’re you and not me!” Lauren laughed at his fed-up expression.

“Lucky you…” Mark muttered and took another sip.

“Aww don’t be like that! Why are hell you so glum anyway?” Lauren leaned closer to him, somewhat concerned. Mark felt her blue eyes burning into the side of his face and he couldn’t ignore her, no way no how. Her scent flowed to his nose and he took a silent look draw of it, and it smelt like heaven with a hint of grace.

“… Bumped into Charlotte earlier.” And instantly he knew that Lauren understood.

“… Oh…” she said quietly.

“Yeah. Bitch…” he continued to mutter. Mark rubbed his forehead and his eyes with his hand that he was holding his pint with, damp from the condensation but it felt welcoming to his skin. The bar was warming up as more people came into the establishment. He felt Lauren grip his other hand that was holding his upper body stable by gripping his thigh. He turned and looked at her, and she was looking right into his eyes with a warmth only Lauren could give.

“Well, you know, it was eight months ago. Time to let go Mark, don’t you think?”

“I have! I have… But seeing her again… I dunno, just me being me more than anything. I just wish…”

“You could give her a boot up the fanny?” Lauren said finishing his sentence. There was a second’s hesitation before Mark laughed along with Lauren who took a sip from her wine, chuckling as she did.

“Why aren’t all women like you? You’re my dream girl if you weren’t so gay haha!” Lauren swallowed and smiled a big toothy smile at him mockingly.

“I do like guys, but only super-humans!” and with that, she stuck her tongue out at him and winked again. Mark shook his head and took another sip. If only he had taken up the offer to do gymnastics all those years ago. Or even taken up swimming, or even weights! Hindsight was indeed a bitch, he thought. “Plus, girls are much more fun, all shapes and sizes. Anyway, I’m not seeing anyone at the moment either. Living the single life!”

“How’s that treating you?”

“Meh, I get to eat loads of ice-cream and watch crap TV without feeling judged so there’s that. Anyway, looks like the pool table is freeing up soon. Fancy a game? What is it, still six-four to me?” and with that, blew a raspberry at him, fine droplets of spittle hitting his face.

“You got lucky with that last game and you bloody cheated on the game before!”

“Yeah-yeah, whatever! You’re just jeal-“ and before Lauren could finish…

“Hey El!” Lauren turned to the voice that piped up from behind her and began to chat to the woman that had greeted her. Mark took the opportunity to buy another pint, waving the bartender over. He ordered his second pint and his mind wandered to Charlotte, his ex that had royally screwed him over. Why did he see her today, it was a fucking Friday Mark thought to himself. It really brought down his day and he felt miserable from the encounter. He felt a hand hold his shoulder for his attention and he turned to Lauren.

“Mark, this is-“ and Mark shuddered at the magnificent beauty that side-stepped into view from behind and she held out her hand.

“-Abby...”

Mark forgot about Charlotte in an instant.