After frightening off the woman Alain been talking to, Hannah bought him another drink to placate him. They were sitting at the bar now, their seats having been taken when they both stood up.

"Shit, I'm so far gone I can't even taste it anymore" he said.

"Dammit, why didn't you say so earlier? I would've bought you something fuckin' cheap!"

Eventually nature caught up with Alain. "Gotta take a leak, back in a minute." Hannah attempted a raised eyebrow as he left but couldn't quite manage it.

She leaned over the bar. "Do I know you?" she whispered suggestively to the barmaid.

"Pardon?" shouted the barmaid over the noise of the bar.

"Do I know you?" bellowed Hannah.

The barmaid smiled. "No." She turned around to serve someone. Hannah slumped back onto her stool and almost fell off.

"Trying to get a free drink?" asked a deep voice to her left. Hannah turned. A man with suspiciously brown hair was sitting next to her. "Seems to me" he continued, "a girl as beautiful as you could get all the free drinks you wanted, if you played your cards right."

Hannah thought about this, and then snorted with laughter, her eyes shut tight. When she opened her eyes she suddenly noticed a shot of tequila by her elbow. She didn't recall ordering anything but she drank it anyway. (Behind her another man turned from his friends to find his glass mysteriously empty.)

"So . . ." continued the brown-haired man, and Hannah turned back towards him and almost burst out laughing again. The man seemed totally oblivious: "That guy you were with, with the funny hair, is he your boyfriend?"

"Who, Alain?" Hannah laughed, incredulous. The man smiled: Alain sounded like a gay name to him. "Nah" Hannah continued, "he's just a friend. I guess." Hannah knotted her brow, puzzling over the technicalities of her relationship with Alain.

"So . . ." said the man again lasciviously, "You're single."

Hannah looked down at the man's bulging black P.V.C. trousers and suddenly cottoned on. "Oohh . . . No, sorry mate, I only like innies." The man's face fell.

Just then she felt a tap on her shoulder. The barmaid leaned towards her. "I've called you a taxi" she said.

"Ohh . . ." said Hannah, "But I wanna stay here with you!"