Despite my best intentions of keeping myself to myself, I had gotten friendly with a couple from Carlton. I first met them one Monday morning in the canteen before work.
“So you into raving?” Warren had asked me out of the blue. Fuck. Monday’s were always the worst day for me, but surely he couldn’t tell just by looking at me.
“No....why?” I replied cautiously.
“Oh just saw all the flyers by your bench, thought you might have been into partying like us. Don’t worry.”
I suppose that was a bit of a giveaway. I felt a little shiver run down my spine as I realised it was possible that everyone I worked with knew about how I chose to spend my weekends.
“Sorry. Yeah mate, I don’t mind the odd rave.”
“Nice one. I’m Warren. That’s my girlfriend Tamara sitting over there,” he said, nodding towards her with his head because his hand was occupied shaking mine.
“Alright mate, I’m Luke, not worked here long.”
He laughed, “Yeah I know. Come and sit over here with us, you don’t wanna sit on your own do you?”
I joined the table with them and was introduced to Tamara; she was rake thin but still quite attractive, with dark shoulder length hair. Warren was stocky which surprised me for someone who spent their weekends dancing, but then he was probably only five-foot-eight tall which helped. Whilst I hadn’t managed to grow any taller than the six feet I was at school, having a diet that at weekends consisted mainly of tablets meant I had managed to get a lot thinner. At seventeen I still had plenty of time to fill out though, they looked to be in their early twenties.
“Do you want to come to Bagleys in London with us?” Tamara asked me straight out.
“You can’t just ask him like that Tamara. He doesn’t even know us yet,” Warren snapped at her.
“What sort of night?” I replied. Warren half smiled.
“Drum and bass in the main arena, hardcore in arena two, old skool in the third arena. Then I think it was techno and hard house in the last two rooms. Have you been to Bagleys before?” Warren said.
“Not yet,” I smiled at the pair of them. “Ask me again on the train journey home.”
“Nice one.” Warren’s face lit up.
“There’s another couple of people coming; well not a couple but one of my mates and one of Warren’s mates. Is that gonna be alright?” Tamara asked me.
Hmmm. Two people I’d only just met and two I hadn’t met at all. A bit daunting for my first London rave.
“Can I bring my mate Al?”
“Well that depends,” Warren said, pulling an overly concerned expression. I felt myself begin to worry. “Is Al gonna get off his fucking nut too?”
The date was set, two Saturdays from the Saturday that week. Part of me thought don’t mix work and your social life, most of me though thought roll on Bagleys!