I would love to have a date called Mave, she would be such fun - a straight girl with glasses and a polka dot dress and a handbag, she wouldn't smoke, but would enjoy a drink, about two would do her for the night (she had an uncle called dave who drank too much for his own good) and on friday night I'd drop around to her place, her mum and dad would be in the loungeroom behind the frosted glass doors, and she'd spread the local paper out on the table, and look for a place to go dancing for the night. She'd always select just right - maybe a club playing a sort of middle eastern dub reggae and at the end of the set I'd feel her glow and pulling her closer smell the damp cotton of the polkadot dress. I'd be mostly tongue-tied as we walked home and had a cup of tea, the house quiet, parents asleep already. I went home, I had a 200k audax ride the next day and she had so much energy, was so quick, so lively. that the idea of riding a pushbike for 13h 20m at the speed of Stevenson's Rocket seemed so funny it sent her into giggles.