It was Mal, on lookout like a cockatoo, who first noticed the women moving.

"Oh, shit!" he said with equal parts delight and alarm. "They're coming over here!"

"Really? You sure?" Alain whipped around to see for himself, but the pub by now was so crowded that it was hard to be certain where the women were going.

"Totally!" Mal replied, harbouring no such uncertainties himself. He turned to Alain, and to Brent. "Shit, what do we do?"

"Stay cool, man."

"I'm not ready for this! I haven't got myself psyched!"

"Christ!" exclaimed Brent, "If they're coming over here, it's not to give you an exam. Just calm down."

"Yeah man" Alain urged Mal, "just chill. Chicks can smell fear."

"How you two ever get laid is beyond me" Brent sighed. It'd been a while since his last drink and sobriety was starting to reassert itself.

"Here they come, here they come" hissed Mal above the din of the pub. "Make room for them, make room."

Alain looked around furtively and grabbed two nearby chairs, without checking whether they were available or had only been temporarily vacated. He shuffled around and castigated the others so that they all struggled to make room at the small table for the two women. Just in time: the crowd parted and the women, striding with determination, emerged and inserted themselves at the table's edge like they were greeting old friends.

One of them smiled at Mal. He felt a lump in his throat. "Have you been checking us out?" she asked in a tone more of amusement than of outrage.

Alain jumped in before Mal could think of how to reply: "You'll have to forgive my friend" he smiled, "he's a nice boy, but he's not too subtle."

Mal threw a slightly hurt look at Alain: he could already feel himself becoming burdened with the role of loser for the evening. The first woman leaned towards the second and whispered something in her ear.

"I'm Cassie" she said. "And this is Angela."

"I'm Alain" Alain grinned. He pulled out one of the two chairs. "Take a seat" he said.