Strangers in the night

Yesterday, after a leaving do for a colleague, I was walking home alone along Coldharbour Lane, and a young lady said 'Hi'. I said 'Hi' back, as I was brought up with good manners, and she asked me if I was looking for business.

The answer in that situation is probably a polite 'no', but I opted for 'No, just a good conversation'. The clear, sober head this morning said that could have been interpreted in a number of ways, but at the time, I think we both took it at face value, so for the ten minute walk to Brixton, I had someone to chat to.

She asked what I did - I told her. She answered the phone a couple of times and arranged a meeting with a client. I asked her whether her evening job was her only source of income - she said it was all she'd done for three years. She bemoaned the cold weather, and said this was really the hardest time of year for her line of work, and she was glad most of her business came through the phone and not off the street, so she could find somewhere indoors if she had to. She said something about it being difficult to find customers, and I said somehing about my father being in a similar situation, 'Self employed, I mean' I said. 'I guess at least what you're doing is tax free - if they legalise it, it'll just be so they can tax it'.

Then she asked if I'd said no specifically at her, or just generally wasn't looking for business. I wasn't sure what to say - thinking I was being sensitive I replied 'I vowed at an early age never to pay for it'. That's beer for you... She replied, slightly hurt 'that's not all it's about you know, some guys just want someone to talk to, some company'. I apologised sheepishly.

She said she was from Newmarket, but she'd spent a lot of time in Norwich. I idly said something about the race course and my grandfather being a jockey. She said 'Was he small?' and I said yeah, and my father's side of the family are tall, so I end up middle sized, which suits me fine. It was about here that I realised I'd run out of interesting conversation.

The client was going to meet her at Brixton in half an hour. I asked if she had somewhere warm to wait, but she said she'd be ok out in the cold. So she said 'Nice talking to you' and I said 'Look after yourself' and hopped on a bus.

I realise in hindsight that I would have been far too embarrassed to have that conversation sober, so maybe there are advantages in the occasional beer. I feel like I've learned something; that what she does is just a job to her, that people in that line of work are people too, and there's nothing to be scared of, or just that sometimes London isn't as unfriendly as it can seem, and it can be a surprise where you find a friendly face.