Hit me baby one more time

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"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

The Meetups

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This is my fifth time. We all sit round with coffee mugs cradled in our hands. If you saw us you may think we were all trying to warm our hands with our hot mugs on a cold winter’s day. It would be far from the truth. It was a lovely summer’s day and we are all sat outside, basking in the sun.

“And how are you today?”. The fat lady enquires.

15 seconds later I realise that she is addressing me. I grasp my mug even tighter, a reflex reaction. I hate being put on the spot.

My mouth opens slightly. I’m feeling Shss…..t!

I take another 10 seconds to re-phrase the answer in my head before I open my mouth again
“Erm… not too bad… not been sleeping too well the last 4 days ….
but apart from that am not too bad……”

I take a sip of my coffee.

I love these meet-ups. For years I have felt very lonely. I felt no-one really understood me. I felt an outcast with my family. That was until I discovered the Coffee Club. It was a liberating feeling knowing there were others like me. Other coffee lovers.

The fat lady talks again. I take another sip.

As her attention diverts to another member of the Club I find I start drifting into my own world. Concentrate! I must concentrate!
Concentration was one of my major problems. And I was forever reminded of my lack of it by my boss. God I detest him. He’s a tea lover and I would love to pour his tea over his head one day!

“That’s great! Petra, you have started writing your new book” I think it was Fred who spoke.
He is so gorgeous! I give him a flirtatious blink but it looks like he did not notice.

Another reason I attend these meetups is the hope of meeting my soul coffee mate. Of course not! I’m not that shallow!

Concentrate! I take another sip.

After attending four previous meetups I have learnt that there was an underlying theme with the City Diners Coffee Club - Self Development.

For the last two years I felt stuck in a rut being in a job I loved but working with autistic adults ( not in the literal sense!) was making my life hard work! I knew I had to get out of my situation before losing my sanity. But I have been procrastinating ever since my bed broke. It’s no wonder I don’t sleep well I tell myself. My bed is lopsided. I will spare you the details how it arrived at such a state.

Sip.

“I know… I know.. I’ve been meaning to write this book for ages! I’m so proud of myself now that I have started the ball rolling” Petra’s face is of glee and ecstatic.

“Well done Petra” I join in with the praises.

Deep down I was jealous. I wish I had the talent to write a book too.

You can do anything you want, if you put your mind and heart to it! That is what the fat lady keeps telling us.

Before I know it the hour and half is up. Members starts to leave and I need another cup of coffee.

“See you next week!”
“Yes, yes see you next week”

I feel lifted in spirits. Together as a group we have empowered each other.
I tell myself this time next week I will have a new bed and an updated CV.

I give Fred a wink as I depart.

Copyright@2009 by Sandra Fox