tired after a long week and a late shift i put on my dancing shoes and head out for a low key night with my house mate. it happens to be my birthday but the major celebration was a joint one the following weekend, tonight is just another night for me.

my wing and i bounce from bar to club and park up in the lounge area to shoot the shit while i enjoy my first drink of the venue. whilst deep in conversation a hb10 interjects asking me to mind her champagne whilst her and two friends go to powder their nose. sure i say, without even noticing her [it's loud dark and she interrupted whatever witty retort i was sharing with my mate] as shes leaned in i naturally extend my hand for a shake and exchange names [one thing i've learnt on comfort building and now do instinctively] and off she goes.

upon returning to thank me i now see her face and immediately realise the hottest girl in the club is talking to me. time to nut up. i ask what the champagne worthy occasion is, and turns out these 3 besties go way back and they haven't met up in a while. she starts whining how shes getting too old to go to clubs and my dopey wing starts pouring out youthful compliments while in my head this alpha chick at worst was 22, perfect physique. i ask how old is too old, with the idea to set up some banter to work with. turns out shes my age [late twenties].

my mans eyes light up and with the enthusiasm of a lottery winner announces we are out celebrating the fact that its my birthday, and wouldn't you know it thats how old i am. i have come straight from work. i have not showered shaved or fixed my hair. i dont look homeless, but this isn't my final form. she looks at me and what now appears to this losers solitary friend, who is still rocking a cheshire grin from his whiff of pussy. her posture deflates and she spins back to her two cutouts.

i collapse back into my seat and bury my head on the table in hysterics til im crying. my padre is baffled and once i catch my breath i slowly explain in detail the killer dlv he just napalmed on the finest crumpet that has ever opened us, and why i'd previously told him to hush the birthday talk for this very reason. his heart sinks and without defending myself to her i let it go, case closed.

still my mind races with regret and while zoned out of my friends apologetic monologue the cogs are whirring. rare name, check. my age, check. mixed ethenicity, check. face aging... calibrating... check. i walk over and tap her on the arm. "you're honey bagel ten. i haven't seen you since little school. i thought you were dead" [not my greatest opener but she'd had a suicidal crack whore phase in her teens before vanishing from the extended radar completely.]

she recognises, and so we hug and oh-my-gosh and joke and catch up for a few minutes whilst my boy opens her wall flowers. then she pulls her smokes. "do you smoke?" my response started with no but all three ninja vanished before i got to the end of my sentence. and that was the last i saw of the ghost of christmas past.

i don't smoke but have no problem with others smoking. but was this an invite or exit strategy?if i go with her and not smoke it looks needy and tag along. i gambled on the connection being enough rapport to bring her back after, which failed, and the set was nowhere near closing

in truth i see that she was just being polite to an old aquaintance, but my question is >>>

how does a non smoker handle cigarette breaks?