Introducing lover number one

About a girl, by Caitlin Webb @WriterCaits

I  didn’t really notice him at first. I thought he was good looking, but I wouldn’t ever say it was love or even lust at first sight. To be honest Peyton wasn’t really on my radar. So I really didn’t expect him to ask me to walk with him to the pub one Friday night. I got a message from him saying: “I don’t really know anyone and I thought I might socialise for once, can I meet up with you and go to the pub together?” Well I wasn’t going to say no.

We met up at the bus stop then walked to meet up with some more friends, the night became a blur of pub hopping until we made it to a gay bar. I found out that my party-animal friend, Phil, was also there so I thought that we should tag along.

As a general rule no straight girl goes to a gay club and expects to get lucky – if anything we go there to get away from all the creepy drunk guys that hit on us. But it didn’t quite work out the way I expected.

“Hey I think your friend likes me and I’m not gay. Could you dance with me?” said Peyton. Not quite like being asked in the movies but I was too drunk to question him and realise how borderline-homophobic his request was.

It had been four years since I made out with someone on the dance floor. Dancing turned into grinding and then into snogging and I just thought it was a bit of fun. I had plans to take a night bus with my friend back home so going round Peyton’s wasn’t even an option.

When he left, I got a bus and life went on. Checking my phone in the morning, a text from Peyton read: “Last night was fun but I don’t want to mess you about. I’m on a break with my girlfriend.” After years of watching Rachel and Ross, I was relieved for the close call.