The McDead

Drinking lights out

‘I don’t think I’ve had pina coladas before.’ Sarah I had two empty glasses in front of her, working on a third. It was unlikely she’d had a drink of such calibre before.

McDonald knew the barman and had signalled, ‘doubles’, on each round. What used to be called a Mickey Finn but now was simply referred to as ‘loaded’. McDonald was drinking scotch-singles-and watching Sarah go down.

Feeling the alcohol, she said, ‘My Mum would forgive a man anything if he was handsome.’

McDonald posed the obvious, ‘Would she have forgiven me?’

Sarah gave him a shy look, said, ‘You know the answer to that.’

He gave a modest nod which came across as smarmy. She said, ‘My father could dance on the side of a saucer.’

She pronounced it ‘soo-sir’ as the coladas kicked in.

McDonald gave the obligatory chuckle, asked, ‘Fancy one for the road?’

Emboldened, she asked, ‘One what?’

Music to his ears.

Another drink and it would be Ride City.