In which Tom introduces Max to Peter...
Sometimes, when I'm out with people and I'm misbehaving and being mischievous, I really feel like I'm on a roll. But not a good roll. Instead, one of those uncontrollable rolls that aircraft have which subsequently turns into a spin which then (inevitably) turns into a crash. And all the way down, I look to the people around me to help me pull out of it. And when I look, most of them are watching me with a smile on their face, saying indulgent things like - "Look at him go. It really is a wonder isn't it".
People seem to like giving sanction and licence to well-intentioned cocky sociopaths. But all I really want them to do is to take me in hand - to quietly and firmly and with tremendous affection (but little demonstration and no condescension) tell me that I've done enough, that I can stop now, and that I probably should.
I'm not going to go into the full details of last night's activities. I think it is almost enough to say that it seems that Max is still talking to me, Katy is still talking to me and I am assuming that Peter is, even though I haven't heard anything from him today, which slightly worries me. Katy liked them both (oh youthful tongue, canst thou ne'er be stilled?), Peter seemed particularly taken with Max (oh youthful groin, etc etc) and Max had a big spot on his forehead (oh youthful pores...).
I said many stupid things, suffered many stupid things, disposed of members of our party to have conversations with other members, and then grabbed the other members and said things to them that I shouldn't have said - with a big grin on my face that said, "Please don't be cross with me, I really don't have the slightest control over myself, and wouldn't I be boring if I did?". And I drank too much. Head swimming, life flashing before my eyes, I stumbled home thinking wild and untameable thoughts.
