Hit me baby one more time

.
.
"Hit me baby one more time…" I sing quietly under my breath and sway my head in rhythm.
"Oh baby baby ... baby hey hey yeah oh baby baby"

The man next to me creases his forehead in disapproval.

We come to a halt at Green Park tube station.
I give him a smile and a wink as I quickly just off onto the platform.
He looked like the type of guy who would wear the same underwear for more than a day and a coffee drinker … perhaps?

Today's journey is no different from any other mornings.

After 3 years I've gotten immune from the stress of travelling on the London Underground
London tubes are packed with pencil pushers in the rush hour. Packed like sardines inside, it is hell between stops as you find your face buried under armpits(at my height!), some that have not been washed for days!

It is a 10 minute walk for me to the office and is never without a detour to Starbucks for my second dose of caffeine of the day.

I don’t eat breakfast like they say you should. Who wants to live a boring existence ... right?
Eat a healthy breakfast and exercise daily. Are you kidding me? Where would be the fun in that!

It's ironic to say that I am a writer for the “CosmoTimes”, a magazine aimed at the young, concerned with health and beauty with a high disposable income.

It is deadline day today but I have no reason to panic as the past month or so of insomnia and drinking coffee were time well spent in completing my next article for the June edition.

As I enter the office I head straight for the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

"Hey who's nicked my Chippendale cup?"

"Have you finished your write-up yet?" Tom enquires. Bearing a big grin that nearly cuts his face in half. He obviously was gloating over the fact that he's finished his.

I ask myself, how did that answer my question?

"Sure thing!" I answer back. “You’ve seen my cup? Ah here it is…”

"I've started drinking Chai Tea, it's very good for you apparently..."

I ignore him while he talks in the background and I make my black coffee.

"Sounds nice Tom... gotta scoot!"

Chai Tea! Yuk!

Tom is a darling who was willing to do any favours that I've asked of him in the past.
But I never really had the time and patience for him.
He was the type of person who wouldn't hurt a fly, who will wear pyjamas to bed and remember to clean behind his ears every night and he loves tea!

I settle behind my computer. Sip. I have 22 unread emails. I take at look at the time 9:10am. Groan.
Sip. My thoughts drift to the evening.

Thursday evenings were always a busy time for me.

At 6pm I had the Coffee Club Meet-up followed by my part-time evening job at
"The Directors Only" Club.

There are only a handful of people who know about my night job, Stanley and the girls at the Club.


I am a pole dancer three evenings a week.
5'4 tall, 5'7 with heels on a good day. Curvy voluptuous upper asset(100% gelatin-free I hasten to add), I have my mother to thank for that.
And to keep my identity anonymous at the Club, I have long blonde hair (dyed) and blue eyes (isn't coloured contact lens great!) I had every reason to feel confident.

But sometimes my confidence would wither by the end of the day.

That's where the Coffee Club helped. The Coffee Club Meet-ups gave me a sense of empowerment afterwards and it boosted my confidence level before going onto the night job.

2:10pm. I'm into my fifth cup of coffee of the day. My mobile rings, I answer. It is my flatmate, Stanley.

"Sandra baby, your new bed has arrived.....but they're having trouble getting it pass the hallway into your bedroom... it's too big!"

I can hear the music blaring out in the background... "Hit me baby one more time"

Copyright@2009 by Sandra Fox