The mistress�s revenge

Chapter 2 - the meeting

At the end of 1985, I was living in Newcastle upon Tyne. I was towards the end of my nurse training, approaching my final exams. I had already passed by 'hospital' exams. I was still working full time shifts and expected to study in between. However, (unlike now) we got paid a reasonable wage for the work we did, but in return, we were given responsibility in our training very early on.
I was living about three quarters of an hour's walk away from the hospital. I could get the bus part of the way for three stops, but I still had to walk most of the route, which would take me through the town centre.
I had two flat mates at the time. Both of them were away that particular weekend. I had arranged to meet another friend in town at about half past seven that evening. I was probably wearing tight jeans and lace up boots, with a slash neck top in a weird blue and black leopard print. My hair was in a long shaggy perm and I liked to wear very long coloured titanium earrings in a forked lightning shape.
My friend Alice, was slightly older, with an elegant, willowy frame. She had long fine hair than never did as it was told and always reminded me of a hippie without even trying!
I got off the bus, walked down Northumberland street, passed Fenwicks Christmas window, then up towards the library in Princess Square.
The Jubilee pub looked like nothing from the outside because most of it was below ground level. You descended the stairs to an oval shaped bar in the middle of the room. There was seating all around the outside and the best (only) video juke box in town with new and classic rock tunes.
It was not unusual for females to enter the establishment alone and neither of us felt out of place doing so. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. The pub was frequented by all kinds of rock fans... glam, double denim, biker... not so much punk, but indie rock was accepted. However, if someone walked in wearing a suit and tie, they would be glared at and snubbed as if they were an alien being.
I greeted Alice at the bottom of the stairs, where she had been waiting for me. She did not feel out of place as long as she could watch the video juke box.
We bought our drinks... a half of lager for me and a half of sweet cider for her, then sat down. The music was loud and the pub was rowdy.
We had a bit of a catch up, listened to the music, watched the videos, while checking out who else was there. We recognised several faces and many of them would be heading in the same direction as us very shortly.
I had noticed a very handsome man looking in my direction from the other side of the bar. It was not unusual for me to have admirers. I was small and slim, but reasonably fit. I made an effort to look my best when I came out. I never considered myself as pretty, but I was certainly not ugly either. I turned away shyly. I chatted to Alice again. She pointed out that he was looking in my direction. He appeared to be at the bar alone... maybe he was meeting someone later. Yes, he would be waiting for them now. Maybe they were working late, or something.
My friends and I liked to people watch when we were out. We would watch how people interacted with each other, give them our own nicknames and invent our own life stories for them. Week after week, the stories would be changed or elaborated on depending on any extra information we had gleaned.
After drinking two halves, we had only spent a pound each so far. We left the Jubilee at 20.30. We had to make sure we got to the front of the queue at our next destination before 21.00, because the price of entry would go up to �4.50, which would make it an expensive night out, especially if we got a taxi home!
As we got closer to the night club, there was a convergence of similar, like minded people from elsewhere in town, all trying to beat the 21.00 deadline.
Like the Jubilee, the Mayfair looked like nothing flash from outside. There was a few posters up and one awning that indicated it's presence underneath a grander Art Deco building belonging to the Co-op.
There was a line of about ten doors, but the bouncers only allowed one party at a time to go enter at a time. Once through the only door that opened, you descended a grand staircase to the box office, where you bought your entrance ticket. (99p before 21.00 if I remember rightly). The wide hallway swept round in an arc. There was a line of four public telephones on the left, more posters advertising forthcoming concerts. On the right there was the cloakroom. 50p was not much to spend to have someone hang your coat up safely. You received a raffle ticket in return, so that you could pick it up on your way out. Near the cloakroom was the ladies' powder room. Rows of mirrored dressing tables facing each other and velvet upholstered stools told a story of the venue's past grandeur.
Back in the hallway, you could hear the dull base thud of the music playing below. There was another bank of ten or more doors from there to get into the room where we would be spending the majority of the night.
The Mayfair was, in fact, an old ballroom. The doors in the hallway led to the balcony of the massive open space. The balcony stretched out all around the outside of the room, enabling a good view of the dance floor and stage below from all angles. There was a bar at one end and a servery at the other, that sometimes sold burgers and chips later on.
My friend and I descended another set of stairs to the level of the dance floor. Between the stairs we had come down and another set of stairs was another bar. Underneath the balcony were several round tables with chairs. This was another reason for coming early. If we came later we may not get to sit down. We chose a table far enough away from the speakers to make ourselves understood, but we still had to shout, yet close enough to the dance floor, so that we did not have to run when we heard something we liked.
Although it was still early, the rock music was already blasting and there were a few enthusiastic headbangers and air guitar players already in action. Once we were settled, one of us got the drinks in. The drinks here were watered down and served in plastic glasses. It was also better to drink pints because it meant fewer trips back to a crowded bar later on.
Some people Alice knew from Durham came and chatted for a bit.
I didn't know them, but I didn't mind because a song I liked came on and I wanted to dance to it.
Now, those who have never been to The Mayfair, may not understand, but dancing on your own was not unusual, nor was it frowned upon. It was not the type of place where girls dance around their handbags. Handbags ere more of a hazard if they were carried onto the dance floor. They were much better left hanging on the back of your chair or underneath the table. It was very rare to have your handbag stolen or your drink spiked when you left them unattended. Indeed you needed to keep something on the table, or someone else would come and sit there!
It was no unusual for someone to come out of the toilets, hear a song they liked and literally run onto the dance floor.
Once you got there, you could dance however you liked, alone or with whoever you liked. The emphasis was on having fun and enjoying your night out.
Depending on the song played, sometimes people would form a group and dance in a circle, linking arms and skipping around with complete strangers. The atmosphere was friendly and cheerful. Very few people who went there actually got drunk. Drinking was not the sole purpose of being there. Having a good time was. Anyway, if you did have a few too many there was a good chance you would dance yourself sober. You would struggle to get drunk on the watery beer.
From our viewpoint under the balcony, we could see the place start to fill up after nine o'clock. It was good to look out for faces you recognised. It was often the same groups of people who came there every week. Some of them had travelled a considerable distance as there was nothing else similar - anywhere!
Every now and again, Alice and I would have a wander. We'd leave our drinks on the table and go back up the stairs. We'd have a slow walk around the circular balcony to socialise with anyone we knew and to check out the talent.
We both noticed the handsome chap from the Jubilee was there. He was on the far side of the balcony. I'd noticed him earlier, watching me when I was on the dance floor. Hmm. Very nice, I thought admiringly.
I took a closer interest in him. He appeared on the dance floor at one point. He had long athletic legs, without being lanky and a pert bum. Oh yes! I liked that very much indeed!
His hair was fair in colour, not exactly blond, not exactly brown. It was long, but shorter at the front as was the fashion at the time. I'm not exactly sure what he wore, but it was probably slim fit jeans with a casual open necked shirt, with a tee shirt underneath and white ankle length trainers.
Every time I looked in his direction, I caught him looking at me, not Alice, it was definitely me.
If he liked me so much, why did he not come over and talk to me, chat me up? Why didn't he dance with me? I was too shy to approach him, but it was supposed to be the man that made the first move not the woman.

It was a good night. We had a good time, but in the last half hour, we lost our seats at our table. We hung around near the stairs. In the last ten minutes the strange bloke, who'd been watching me all night stood by a nearby pillar.
Still he did not approach.
The last song was played. Whitesnake's 'We Wish You Well' started to play. It was time to go home and many had already left.
Suddenly the strange man jerked his head at me. I took this to be a signal to go over to him. We kissed briefly and exchanged telephone numbers. We had no time to do anything else before we collected our coats and left. All I knew was his name was Stephen and he had come all the way f