Epilogue

So much for Bridgit Jones and her singledom lifestyle...

I'm not exactly good at thinking of everyone else around me once I reach my alcohol saturation and tiredness point (AST). Thursday was no exception. I had got 3 house guests on Thursday night, a colleague (J) that I work alongside who stays at my house while he's in the country and a couple (M&M) who have been involved in the Bahamas project for some time.The idea that we'd invite some of our clients to this benefit bash seemed a great idea.

I'd been very organised and ordered a taxi back from LCFC (venue for the "do") at 12.45am, a journey of about 25 miles so a good idea to get that sorted out before starting on the champagne. I had also invited one of our investors as my guest and arranged to meet him at the venue at 6.30pm after giving him directions to his hotel and the venue. So far so good.... you might think.... well it all started very well. Champagne reception, my guest was there on time as arranged and mingling with the best of them. Then onto the main event where we had one of the best tables in the room next to the main man (Nico) right at the front of the room with the other 450 people filling up the rest of the room. We sat in our allocated positions around the table and my guest (H) asked where my partner was tonight?.... now let me tell you a little secret.... I invited H as I had an idea he was single, knew he was not married and to be honest he's not entirely unattractive... that and the fact that he's introduced quite a few investors so it was a politically good move...
I answered "I'm single, I don't have a partner. That's one of the reasons I invited you along as my guest." .... I know it was a bit of a risk but I thought it was worth a go.... "So shall we call this a date then?" came the reply.... Hooray for me I thought!

Now anyone who's read my rantings before will know I'm not averse to a few glasses of vino collapso and have been known to have a few too many on occassions, well let me tell you something... I'm an amateur! This H guy drank faster and faster as the night went on and even though I was trying to match every glass of wine I drank with a glass of water he was topping my glass up as soon as I took a sip. Don't get me wrong here I'm not saying that I was taking it easy, I most certainly was doing my bit for the table's consumption figures. We talked, we laughed, we drank and we danced. My "date" was being attentive and entertaining me with his tales of ski holidays gone by whilst making sure that no-ones glass was ever half empty. My house guests all seemingly having fun as well.

Now you remember how well organised I'd been with the taxi? Well the one thing I might not have explained that well is that once i reach that AST I go onto autopilot and make my way home so when I received a call from my taxi driver to say he was outside I did what I always do. Got my jacket on, said my taxi had arrived and made my way down to the car... along with H hot on my heels. I did apparrently wait for all of 5 minutes for the rest of my houseguests before telling my driver we could leave and asking him to send another car for the rest of my party. I even sent J a text to say I'd left and was sending him another car. It wasn't until half way down the M69 motorway that H asked me where abouts I was going "home" said I... "Is that anywhere near my hotel?" said H.... "no" was my reply. And the taxi went on.

20 minutes later I'm at my house with H making coffee and discussing what beautiful bears I have. 10 minutes later the rest of my houseguests arrive with J giving me daggers about leaving them behind but adding that he had explained to M&M that he was aware I'd just leave them behind in my current state as I'd done it on more than one occassion before (ooops! What sort of a hostess am I?) Luckily I think everyone seemed to see the funny side and the next thing I knew H was rolling around on the floor in his dinner suit and dickie bow with my two dogs falling all over him and covering the suit in their lovely pale labrador hair. The once black suit would never be the same again!

Coffee, brandy and more small talk later I went for the next stage of my hostess with the leastess routine and took myself off to bed without saying goodnight... only to find I was followed by a fur ball who alledgedly came up the stairs on all fours doing a bear impression. I thought it was best that I order him another taxi to take him back to Leicester (yes another 25 miles in a taxi) as this was not my idea of how a first date should end up. So another taxi turned up and H made his way back to his hotel room and I finally got myself to bed...4am!

When I woke at 6.30am I noticed a message on my mobile... "I'm missing some credit cards. Are they at your place? Sorry I just got back (mad taxi driver!)" After a little investigation I found 2 credit cards bearing H's name and a key card for a hotel room which I assumed he might have needed to get in. I sent a reply to give him the good news, drank a litre bottle of water and tried to go back to sleep, unsuccesfully. It seems that not only did I leave my guests at the party, I sent my "date" back to his hotel with no room key! He told me later that he had to blag his way back in after a harrowing journey with a nightmare driver by bribing the night porter, thank goodness he had some cash! Somehow I think I need to work on my people skills!!!