Rain Dance - Part 1

Rain Dance - Part 1


1.
It started like this. I was walking up the Royal Mile, same old shit surrounding me of tourists mixed into do-gooders to locals thinking what the hell. I was on my way to pick up the new Guster record from Coda before they closed for the night. I’d cut over from my good pals flat just off The Meadows. He lectured kids who really should know better at the university for smart arses.

It’s a cool autumn evening and dusk is beginning to settle like an eerie bedfellow.

It was a few things that had caught my eye. Firstly her. An older lady past her prime you might say, but wearing the coolest clothes I’d seen for awhile. There was an air of confidence around her that just had me staring and my god she was a looker. Hair just past shoulder length in a jagged cut and mousy colour. Long leather coat and tight blue jeans sneaking out from underneath. Then the guy beside her. Younger guy, but not that young, with a look of a mature waster art student about him. Scruffy git. No obvious connection between them at all.

They didn’t say a word to each other, just walking easy like. I slipped in behind them, going in the same direction, amused to observe and hidden like a PI.

Some people can wear high heels, you know? Walk with them as though they are the easiest shoe ever made. She made the drop dead leopard Louboutin’s look like they were designed just for her. I was getting hot and bothered just following her.

He said something to her, me too far behind to catch it, but his words caught a nod of the lady’s head and all was well.

200 yards passed and I was due to turn down St Giles Street but I held on. The record could wait. Where were they going?

They turned, of course, as one always must. Dropping down through ancient worn steps, we came out on to West Bow with its usual mixture of colourful cool boho shops and restaurants. At the bottom on Grassmarket a fancy limo awaited.

She turned to me, still ten or fifteen yards back and obviously not as invisible as I’d hoped. She motioned with her long thin finger to join them. So I did.