Rose
My oldest friend, Rose builds Rocking Horses, 37. Married with one baby boy. Her husband is a pathetic leach who I detest. Though she's always been naughty, she only found her kniky side in the last couple of years (yes, there are women who have
caught on even later than me!). What a waste. Her real passion, however, are her four horses.
Penny
Penny is an old school chum and near neighbour, now in marketing, 35, habitually single. Outgoing, fun, a big drinker, and very vulgar
when drunk. Likely to drag you into the nearest gay club. But basically, she's a very conventional, straight kind of gay woman, who wears her sexuality on her lapel badge.
Lynn
Lynn is a nutitionalist, 26, single. So super-nice even God has to watch his mouth round her. A harmless childlike innocence surrounds her, as does a posse of clean-faced "nice" boys. (As a
teenager I used to babysit her - now she sometimes babysits for me). Inside, however, is a darker, sader side - she needs a committed partner, and a good shag.
Annie
I met Annie as a family social worker of one of my pupils. I liked Annie straight away, even though she is the closest friend I have to a Bridget Jones: ciggie smoking, dry white wine drinking, always dieting, serial dating (men and women). She used to shares a house with Melinda, a police woman, and former lover, until Rachel (see below) moved in. Though I can't see how a bubble like Annie could have got on with a misery like Melinda.
Debbie
Debbie is scary. Firm. High-handed. Kurt. The kind of doctor whose dismissive, "You'll live" makes you believe that there was nothing much wrong with you in the first place.
No babe, Debbie's wide hips, large breats and mousey bobbed hair all spell mummsy. Which I guess is about right for a pediatrician.
Busty, busy, brainy and bossy - that's Debbie.
I was introduced to Debbie twice. Once by Annie, my social work chum, at a dinner party. Debbie is one of her network of friends - like Rachel - who works in child care related agencies. And then again by Robert, my brother-in-law, quite by surprise. Debbie does private work, doing health checks on the girls he imports from Eastern Europe.
Funny how people suddenly pop-up out of context.
I always had the feeling that Debbie didn't really like me. That I'm to flighty and silly. But I don't think that's true now. Some people just have a stern natural expression on their faces and come across badly.
Rachel
My darling Rachel, 31 is a scamp. Blonde, girlie-boyish, small boobs, big gob, infectuous laugh. A Kiwi girl washed up in England after divorcing her Neanderthal South African husband. Quite possibly the least likely person of find in a police uniform. Though behind the giggles is someone who can fell a 6 foot blokes with a deft bit of kick boxing. Very different from her partner, Melinda. Rachel doesn't do that whole scowling at "civilians" thing that divides the police force from normal people.