It was heaving in the Zaaier. An indie band was going to be playing and Vera had dragged along a number of housemates. Bianca and Derk were studying the programme for the Pop Tour.
‘Shall I get us another round?’ asked Vera, in charge of the kitty for the evening, before disappearing promptly in the direction of the bar. The band played a couple of numbers and still there was no sign of her.
‘How long are we going to have to wait for those beers?’ asked Bianca impatiently. She elbowed her way roughly through the crowd towards the bar, where Vera was standing talking to a guy. His hair was a haystack of dreadlocks and he was leaning casually against the bar. In front of them stood five flat-looking beers. Bianca seized Vera’s shoulders.
‘Two words, nine letters,’ she said teasingly, causing Vera to jump.
‘Oh, sorry! Yes, I’m coming.’ She quickly grabbed the beers and followed Bianca.
‘Why did it take you so long?’ asked Bianca. She looked at her frothless beer in dismay. Vera couldn’t hide her blushes.
‘Sorry about that. I bumped into someone,’ she replied. She glanced at the Pop Tour programme and suggested going on to Het Gat.
‘Het Gat?’ cried Bianca. ‘Drum ‘n Bass doesn’t start there ‘til twelve thirty and I really don’t want to see it. In any case, we said we’d go to Buurman and Buurman first and then on to XL. Vera wanted to protest but didn’t get the chance.
‘You wanted to come to the Zaaier and now we’re here. The rest of us have a say too, you know,’ said Bianca emphatically. With a sigh, Vera ambled along behind the group. Outside the door to Café XL she made one last attempt: ‘Het Gat is supposed to be…’
‘Don’t start that again,’ said Bianca. Behind her, she heard Vera sigh for the umpteenth time. Without paying her any attention, they all squeezed their way inside. The group gathered in a space at the back of the pub. A little while later Derk looked round searchingly.
‘Have you seen Vera?’ Bianca too looked worried; there was still quite a bit of money in the kitty. She looked at Derk in disbelief. ‘She hasn’t…’ Derk nodded and followed Bianca to the exit.
Het Gat was full of party-goers but it didn’t take them long to spot her. They found the guy from the Zaaier behind the bar, and Vera opposite him. ‘So, you finally got here, did you?’ she said triumphantly. ‘I’ve got beers for you. On the house.’