Rachel was ridiculously relieved when at last she saw the signs on the motorway for Bath. She wasn’t clueless behind the wheel but had found herself turning off prematurely a few times on the journey from Cornwall. When she felt completely lost, she’d had to park up somewhere to reset, look at the map, grab a coffee, quick wee break and then chant quite a few positive mantras mostly to help her stay awake for the last few miles ‘Come on Rachel, stay awake, almost there.’

In recent years, Rachel and her best friend from college, Fiona or ‘Fi-Fi la belle’ as she liked to be referred to during those years, had made a firm commitment to each other that no matter what, they had to dedicate one weekend away together each year for the rest of their lives. They both felt they’d been a bit more adventurous in their twenties and thirties with various weekend trips to Italy and Spain. Rachel wasn’t sure if it was the arrival of small children that had impacted their decision to increasingly stay not too far from home or the slow descent into menopause and the related fatigue, but a quiet weekend surrounded by beautiful roman architecture seemed like just the tonic they needed.

As she approached the entrance to the hotel, there was something about the last bit of light over the beautiful city that made Rachel feel nostalgic and think of her college days with Fi.

As she entered the reception to the Georgian boutique hotel, she said to the concierge, ‘I think my friend has already arrived. Mrs. Christopher’s? She text me to say she’s in room 25.’ 

‘Of course, Madam, I’ve given her both cards to your room. Hope you have a lovely stay.’ 

‘Knock knock, it’s Maud.’ She said with a voice of an octogenarian. Are you decent or will I find a naked man in there?’

Fits of giggles ensued ‘Goodness she really used to say that didn’t she? I don’t blame her though. Can you imagine what our poor scout must have been witness to?’ Maud had been one of the more understanding scouts at college and the girls giggled at the thought of the horrendous scenes she must have encountered especially during fresher’s week.

‘Come here darling’ Rachel was greeted in Fiona’s typical way. She always started laughing before anyone had said anything which always lightened the mood in whatever setting. She did always sound as if she was recovering or on the brink of a cold. 

‘God Fi, you look amazing, but you sound awful.’

‘I blame the feral things.’ 

On this occasion, she was referring to the children in her primary school class. Since graduating and after a stint of travelling, Fi seemed to have landed herself the most amazing ‘teaching’ roles in prestigious private schools in Surrey where she didn’t seem to do much teaching and always seemed to develop a totally inappropriate relationship with the headmaster. She got away with murder as a result.

‘What’ve you got away with this term?’ 

‘Well, I sort of crashed the school bus into the Bursar’s jag but it’s all been smoothed over now. Mr Boodle did call me into his office but this time didn’t ask me to sit on his knee.’ 

‘Oh you are hilarious Fi. None of this hashtag MeToo movement at your school by the sounds of it.’

‘Of course not, utter bollocks anyway.’ 

‘How are you sweetie? How was the drive from Cornwall?’ 

‘Not too shabby. Only turned off the motorway incorrectly three times this time.’ 

‘Well, some Prosecco will settle your nerves. I’ve got a bottle chilling and ready for us. Thought we could have some while getting ready for dinner and our night on the town.’ 

‘Sounds wonderful. It’s so good to see you.’ 

‘So good to see you too. How are the fam-a-lam?’ 

‘Fine. Probably wondering where their slave has gone. Will be good for them all.’ 

‘Cheers’ as they both toasted. 

‘Right, what have you brought to wear?’ 

As Fiona held up her beautiful black halter neck dress, Rachel couldn’t help herself. 

‘Oh, my goodness, didn’t you wear that to our fresher’s ball at college? 

‘I did indeed. Thought a bit of nostalgia may be in order this weekend.’ 

‘Oh yes please. We’re going to need more prosecco.’ 

‘And look what I brought with me…’ Fiona pulled out a really large photo album with ‘The college days’ on the front. 

‘Oh my goodness, dare I look at these pics? I’ll feel really old.’

‘You don’t look old. You still look like my Kate Winslet.’ 

‘Kate Winslet my arse…’

As Fi opened the pictures to the past and they sipped Prosecco, Rachel was transported back to fresher’s week at Christ Church College, Oxford… 

Monday 9th October 1996

Rachel entered the refectory for breakfast, grabbed a tray and kept her head forward trying not to think about her mum crying the day before and her dad’s words of encouragement. 

‘We’re so proud of you Rachel. You’re our little trailblazer. Plenty of Vitamin C and we’ll call you when we get home.’ 

Just before her parents left, her dad turned and slipped her a 20-pound note. ‘I’m sure there will be lots of like-minded souls at the bar.’ 

Rachel had tried to hold it together, got tearful and then headed to the JCR. 

Rachel was completely overwhelmed as she walked in, saw that the bar was heaving and so made a beeline for the exit. She was intercepted by a ridiculously excitable girl wearing two braids in her beautifully shiny black hair. She also noticed her very short skirt and very toned legs as did most of the boys in the room. 

‘Hello, how are you?’ She said with a twinkle. 

‘Good I think, how are you?’ 

‘It’s a bit scary in here isn’t it? I’m Fi.’ 

‘Hi Fi, I’m Rachel or Rach as friends like to call me.’ 

‘Hello gosh has anyone told you, you look just like Kate Winslet?.’ 

‘Um, not really.’ 

‘You do. Wow, what a face.’ 

‘Um thanks. What’s going in here?’ 

‘I think a few of us are going for a pint. Fancy joining us?’ 

Rachel was impressed that Fi already seemed to have established a friendship group. 

‘This is Laura, Melassa, Claire and Charlie. Guys this is Rachel. Dosen’t she look like Kate Winslet?’ 

‘You really do. That face will get you into trouble.’ Charlie said with a grin. Rachel wasn’t sure how to take that comment.

As they all chatted about which ‘A’ Levels they had sat and how their interviews for college had gone, Rachel noticed a group of ‘hip’ students walk through the bar. She heard quite a few American accents and Fi said ‘ooh yes that’s the group of hot exchange students from the states. They’re with us this term.

Gorgeous aren’t they. They look like the cast of Friends. 

Rachel watched them closely. She was amazed at how confident they appeared moving around this strange British college and also just how tactile they were with each other. A beautiful girl with amazing dark eyes and a black bob had her arm looped with a chap with a ponytail. On closer inspection, he had the most amazing facial features and incredible eyes. He looked exactly like that hot guy in My so called Life. 

Returning to the conversation, the girls started to disband but agreed to meet the next day at the fair to sign up to various societies. 

****

‘Another top up and then shall we head to dinner? I think I booked our table for 7.30.’ Fi suggested.

‘Sounds great.’ 

Fi pulled out a picture of Rachel sat on Pete’s knee in the JCR. ‘You two were smoking hot. Every girl envied you when Pete chose you.’ 

‘Oh I’m sure no one felt that way. He wasn’t that into me’ 

‘He most certainly was. Do you remember when you guys first spoke?’ 

‘Yes, I do. It was watching you and Matt play squash. I can’t remember how it happened, but I loved it. I think Pete had come to meet Matt and I had come to meet you. Now I think about it, the ultimate ‘meet cute’. We stood side by side watching you both play and just talked about a lot of random things. I think we were both trying to be as cool as we could. I never forget he said, ‘has anyone ever told you, you look just like Scully?’ I had never watched the X-Files but Pete said she was ‘seriously smoking’.

‘And from that point on both of you seemed inseparable. He was wherever you were and vice versa’. Fi added

‘That makes me sound like a stalker, but I guess so, we just gravitated towards the same things.’ 

‘I was aware though that I wasn’t his only admirer.’ 

‘Do you remember the night of the fresher’s ball?’ 

‘I do, it was amazing. Let’s head to dinner and we can reminisce some more.’

Saturday 14 October 1996

Rachel was unsure what to wear but decided on a dress she had worn at her sixth form leavers ball that summer. It was incredibly pretty and seemed to hang on her well. With various shades of pink flowers, it had just the right amount of swish. Pete had mentioned to her that everyone was congregating in Molly’s room before heading to the hall. 

‘Knock knock, is everyone decent?’ Rachel said in a very quiet tone.

‘Ha! Not sure we’ll ever be decent! Come in gorgeous. Wow look at you. Molly dosen’t she look gorgeous’ said Mel, one of the other American exchange students.

‘you do sweetie. Gorgeous.’ said Molly giving her a strained look.

‘Gosh thank you, so do you girls. So, what’s the plan?’

‘We’re just waiting on the boys who have booze. We thought we’d have a shot or two and then head to the Ball.’

A few moments later, the girls heard the boys coming round through the door.

‘Well hello ladies’ said Dan, a tall, incredibly handsome man who looked like he was in training for the marines with his tidy appearance and muscles bulging through this DJ.

Molly put on a mock Russian accent and looking at Pete said ‘Snoop you do scrub up well. I'd like to see what’s under that DJ.' Turning to the others she added ‘funny isn’t it, you can put a perfectly average guy in a DJ and suddenly he oozes James Bond.’ She said wrinkling her nose and smiling knowingly at Pete.

Well, that’s confirmed it, they must be shagging especially if she has a pet name for him like snoop, Rachel thought.

‘Everyone take a glass. I’ll pour whatever crap the boys have brought and let’s cheers to friendship and meeting you all and a fantastic night of getting pissed.’

Walking into the JCR, Rachel was astounded at how amazing everyone looked. It looked like everyone was dressed for a ball from the 1920s. Lots of the girls wore the most amazing shift dresses and headpieces and looked fabulous.

Pete turned to Rachel ‘Shall we grab a beer and then see what’s going on in the main hall?’

‘Definitely. I’ve heard there is a band doing Pulp and Radiohead covers’

‘Ooh I love Radiohead.’

‘Me too. I met Tom Yorke last summer at a festival and he drew me the most amazing sketch. It looked just like the Ok Computer album cover.’

‘Goodness I’d love to see that.’

‘Well, it’s in my room. Maybe I can show you later?’ Rachel couldn’t believe she’d just invited Pete to her bedroom later. 

‘I'll hold you to that’

The band were amazing, and the lead singer was the coolest guy Rachel had ever seen. He looked like Jarvis Cocker, the lead singer of Pulp but was also able to channel Tom Yorke and did an amazing rendition of the song Creep. 

Rachel and Pete were thick as thieves all evening and as Mel, Dan and Matt hit the dance floor, the party really got started. Molly was so confident and was enjoying all the attention by the looks of it from the British boys. After hours of dancing, Fi appeared and said that the ‘after party’ was taking part in a house off campus and would we all like to go.

Rachel was happy to follow Pete’s lead and they headed there together. It didn’t appear that an ‘after party’ was really happening and in fact everyone was just congregated in a chap called Chris’s room. Lots of drunk chatter ensued and Rachel gave Pete a look as if to say, shall we head off. They walked around the cobbled streets of Oxford, mostly looking up to the sky and then found themselves in the entrance to the meadows at Christ Church. Rachel just kept looking at the sky and Pete didn’t seem that drunk and asked, ‘so is there anyone special in your life?’ 

She wasn’t sure what she was thinking but replied ‘yes there was someone before college but I’m not sure how I feel about him.’ It was a complete lie; she had met a chap on her 18th birthday and they had shared a kiss but that was it.

‘What about you?’

‘Um yes it’s sort of complicated. I do have a girlfriend Jess but she found it hard to accept I chose to spend this semester in England.’

‘Where is she then? Couldn’t she have come too?’

‘Not really. I don’t think she was that keen and wanted to focus on her college studies.’

‘Well maybe the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder will be true.’

‘Yep maybe. We’ll see. I think sometimes meeting other people can open your eyes to other possibilities though’

‘Well maybe that’s not a bad thing.’

As they reached Rachel’s room, Pete turned and looked intensively at Rachel, ‘I meant to say, Dan and Matt said how beautiful you looked this evening and I meant to say it too.’

She wasn’t sure what she was thinking but as he turned to walk away Rachel reached out her hand and grabbed his. She pulled him in and said ‘Thank you. You do too. I mean, not beautiful, well yes beautiful. Very handsome.’

‘Maybe we should stop talking’ and with that Pete wrapped his arm around her and kissed her for what felt like hours.

On coming up for air, Rachel said ‘Well you can stay if you like but understand if not.’

‘I would love to but there is no rush. We have time.’

Fi almost welled up on hearing the story again. ‘I’m going to need more Aperol spritz before we order’ and with that ordered two more large drinks for them at Cantina Sicilian.

‘Ok now, I’ve put on my big girl pants, I can handle the rest. So, after a term of being intertwined, how did you feel when you knew he had to leave?’

‘It was awful. I felt sick. I remember my lovely dad drove us to the bus station to get the airport transfer and we were both trying to hold it together. I knew I loved him, but I hadn’t told him as I knew there was someone waiting for him back home so I said goodbye. Just before he headed to the bus, he handed me an envelope with a letter and a mix tape of all the songs we had listened to. I felt devastated.’

Fi grabbed a tissue. ‘I’m not crying, its just the prosecco-aperol combination.’

‘of course, you sap. Anyway, I headed back to college with dad, packed up my room and headed home for Christmas. I felt like someone had punched my heart out and the thought of returning for the next term, filled me with dread.’

‘and then tell me the story about the next term…I love hearing this bit…’

‘Well, I came back, prepped for my first set of exams. I didn’t feel fully motivated but knew I could ace the paper. As I walked into the examination hall, I sat at my desk and felt something taped under my desk. I pulled it out and it was a special edition of ‘Creep’. I immediately stood up and ran from the room looking at each of the doors. When I stepped outside into the chilly air, he was there…smiling.

‘Seriously, I must be extremely menopausal. That is the most romantic thing I’ve heard for years. Why can’t life always be like the college days?’

Back at their hotel by ten, Rachel and Fi were snuggled up in their pyjamas and watching a re-run of The Holiday. Rachel was still in touch with all her college friends including her Pete and noticed on Facebook messenger, he was online.

‘Fi, Pete’s online. Shall we send him a message?’

‘Oh yes do. Tell him we love him and that he could teach my husband a thing or two about romance’ Fi said and then shortly passed out.

Rachel wasn't sure what to say so just started with a simple hello. She immediately noticed that Pete was writing her a reply.