Ireland was a world away from London. Having been raised in a super religious family, Erin had known she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The first opportunity came when applying for university. She had made sure she studied hard and chose a subject which would make her parents proud. It was best chance of gaining their support for her move. She applied to five universities, all in the UK and today was the day she got her wish.

Erin was the only one who knew Erin. Ask any of her friends and family and she was the quiet, obedient, book smart girl who was always polite and never wanted a thing. She had it all planned out. As soon as her mother and father were back in Ireland, the real Erin would be born and the old one would be stored away until she had to go back home.

It was exciting yet a scary time. All these ideas, hopes and dreams were so close to being a reality, but she wanted to do it alone in a strange country. Sure, Ireland seemed not that dissimilar to England, but for Erin it may as well have been Australia. A completely different way of life, different expectations, more liberal views, no oppressive Catholic Church breathing down her neck and a total freedom to be her true authentic self.

Imperial College London was the true grace of God. Their acceptance of her application was her ticket to freedom. Saint Marys campus had seen the likes of the great Alexander Fleming, one of her father’s hero’s. He was that excited at the prospect of his daughter attending the same campus that he had secured Erin a semi decent bedsit in Marylebone all for herself, paid in full as recognition of her devotion, hard work and success.

Little did he know, Erin had a few other plans for her time in London. As soon as the bedsit was secured, she pinpointed it on her map. She had spent months devouring the street names, the locality of one area to another, the tube map, bus map, all the free things to do, see and visit Not that you’ll have much time now, Erin’ her father reminded her.

He was right. The course was long and intense. Erin had smiled sweetly at her father in reply. “I know Daddy. Studies will continue to come first.” She had lied.

Serendipity was a funny thing. Although of all the Universities she had applied to, dotted all over the UK, it was Imperial College which was closest to one of the main attractions for Erin. Soho. When realising how close Marylebone was to Soho, she had internally jumped for joy.

Erin’s lust for a full and varied sexual existence had been an urge since she hit puberty. The constrained religious upbringing had meant that not only had she had to supress her curiosity, but she was also extremely inexperienced, and had a lot of catching up to do. This was the plan. Deep dive the world in which she craved so much, catch up and then enjoy a normal, healthy existence which included accepting and embracing that sex was not just for procreation.

After finally waving her mother and father away from her modest bedsit, she watched as their cab slowly navigated the traffic, and away to the airport. Her excitement was palpable. She had spent years thinking about this moment and months planning it. Yet now it was here, she didn’t know where to start.

“Soho!” She thought, throwing on her green dowdy coat, and braving the chilly autumn air. As already researched, it took Erin a 20 minutes’ walk to reach the well photographed streets she had come to be so obsessed with. Sex shops, bars and advertisements for shows lined the streets. She pinched herself. I did it. I’m here.

She walked past a shop with a huge window, lingerie, bondage gear, sex toys and strange looking furniture were all displayed proudly. Definitely wouldn’t see this in Cork!’ she thought to herself.

She stood at the window for a good 15 minutes taking it all in and as the light started to fade, the neon’s looks warmer and more inviting. A fleeting moment of embarrassment soon passed as she remembered she was completely alone now able to be who she wanted to be. And with that she stepped inside, welcomed by an alternative looking girl who was about her age.

“Hey, welcome to Simple Pleasures! Have you shopped with us before?” she greeted.

“Hello, I haven’t no. I was hoping you could help meÉ”

Mike smeared the dust from his face. Another embassy renovation job, dusty, dirty, very awkward but very lucrative. It had never been his plan, but his parents had been right. Being a professional footballer had always been his dream but no matter how hard he wished for it, it never happened. He would be forever thankful to them for pushing him to learn a trade, and now he reaped the benefits.

Quality and trustworthy electricians were scarce in London. It had taken him some time to get the good jobs but the last couple of months had seen him make more money than he did in the last entire year. However, he earned it. Most sparkies would only touch new buildings, and there wasn’t a shortage of them. Brand new office blocks, apartments, and skyscrapers needed thousands of electricians and they paid well. However, London was an extremely old city and one which had a huge aging wiring issue in a lot of listed buildings. A short course during the hottest summer months a few years ago meant he was one of very few electricians qualified and trusted to work on listed buildings. Since then, Mike could name his price and they very rarely went elsewhere.

There were a few interesting items he had found in some of the most historic buildings in London, but nothing to rewrite history. However, it was dirty, dusty work and his bulky gym-going frame struggled navigating the crawl spaces.

Half day Friday as always and today he was ready for that pint and more so the weekend. One the joys of single life in the city was the nightlife and those looking for one night of excitement. He had never not been successful; this weekend was to be no different.

“I’m done mate. Pint in the usual in 30?” Mike text his friend and weekend wingman.

“Abso-fucking-lutely. Just on a showing on Nine Elms though. I may be more like 2 hours.” His friend replied.

“No worries, I’ll pop the gym and get showered. I need it. Won’t stop me starting our weekend plans tonight then lol.”

Mike packed away his tools, signed out of the embassy and looked up the closest gym of his chain. Moral of the story, always have a spare set of pulling gear in the van’.

Ben could only dream of living somewhere like this. Dressed in his sharp suit he gently led the young professional couple around one of the many available units. As he provided all the charges and costs, which in his opinion were astronomical, they nodded acceptingly and continued to gaze around the huge airy penthouse.

The view from up here was breath-taking and that’s what usually sells it. Nothing he could say would make much difference, so he let them float at their own pace, staying not far behind in case they needed him.

A silent buzz in his suit jacket pocket and Ben checked his phone.

“I’m done mate. Pint in the usual in 30?” his friend had text.

“Abso-fucking-lutely. Just on a showing on Nine Elms though. I may be more like 2 hours.” Ben replied.

“No worries, I’ll pop the gym and get showered. I need it. Won’t stop me starting our weekend plans tonight then lol”

Ben grinned as he returned his phone to his pocket then quickly returned is face to its neutral position in case his clients thought it inappropriate.

Mike had been Ben’s best friend since school and although they shared some obvious differences, they had always been as thick as thieves when they went hunting’ as Mike has coined it.

Friday and Saturday nights were open season and Ben had watched his friend sweet talk himself into bed with half of the female population of London. However, that was the beauty of the city; there were always new woman either visiting or just arrived to seek out and try. Although Ben was a little more reserved than his friend, his success rate wasn’t bad.

“Thank you, Ben, I really like this place, but I am going to have a think on it. Mind if I call you next week?” the male of the couple said, as he shook his hand and walked away before Ben could answer.

Another waste of time.’ Ben thought to himself as he secured the empty unit and called the elevator.

An hour and a half later, Ben arrived at The Haston in Soho. Mike was insistent that this was their local even if it was nowhere close to where either of them lived. Mikes theory was that Soho attracted a certain type of woman, and a certain type of tourist, “and when the two meet, Ben, what do you get?” Mike had asked one night when Ben was trying to convince him that a pub actually closer to home would be more appropriately considered a local’.

“Horny, freaky women who are looking for one night of excitement!” Mike proclaimed.

“And here we will be, local guides more than willing to show them the real London.”

It pained Ben to admit but he wasn’t wrong. Unless you were extremely particular, Soho was exactly that. Like the Japanese restaurants with the dishes circulating the room. See something you like? Just take it off the conveyor and eat it. Pay for it later. Ben had spent many an hour watching the master at work. The dishes would walk down the street, scantily clad, slightly drunk with neon horny’ signs above their heads. As soon as Mike saw something he liked the look of, off the street he plucked her, her friends would follow and so the games would begin.

Ben selected their favourite table close to the pavement and within shouting range to the passers-by. It was still early, but Ben knew this would be one of those nights of not moving until Mike saw something he liked. Ben never did the inviting, Mike didn’t trust him to and for Ben, that was fine by him. There was rarely someone he liked that Mike didn’t and Mike always got in there first. The only time Ben didn’t go home alone was if one of the chosen main meals came with a reasonably tasty dessert or side dish. However, like clockwork, the longer they sat there watching people walk by, the options got less appealing and instead of calling it a night and going home alone, Mike would drop his standards. Anything which came with those selections were not worth having.

Ben bought their usuals then sat and waited.

Freshly showered, drenched in aftershave and ready for his drink, Mike dropped his van in its usual location and walked to The Haston. Ben was already in prime position with his pint condensing and pooling water on the table.

“Been here long mate?” Mike asked.

“Nah, 10 minutes if that. Here, get this down you before it goes warm.”

Mike chugged at his glass thirstily.

“Seen anything worth a sniff yet?” Mike asked jokingly. Ben had never been as outgoing as him and he sometimes felt like Ben was his apprentice when it came to women even though Ben was 10 months older than him.

“Not yet. I think it’s a bit cold for them tonight.” Ben answered.

Mike took the last gulp of his pint. “They will come, I always make sure they do.” He said winking at Ben. “Same again?”

Ben nodded as Mike grabbed their empties and headed off to the bar. As he waited, he kept watch over the moving and evolving crowd, it was rare to see the same people pass by, so you only got one chance. However, even in a big city, Soho was small and somewhere where those who repeatedly frequented the same places on the same nights got to know one another.

Unbeknownst to Mike, even when Mike was working elsewhere in the country which happened a couple of times a year, Ben would be back in Soho alone, although not at The Haston. Ben had known Mike for nearly 15 years, and he still hadn’t mustered up the courage to tell Mike he was bi; and it had never seemed relevant. However, he never told Mike the truth when he got back to London. The Friday and Saturday nights where Mike was elsewhere, Ben always said he had stayed at home when in reality, he was browsing the menu of a different cuisine in The Village.

Mike returned to the table with the drinks and snacks to kerb the hunger, throwing a packet at Ben. “Here, can’t afford to leave this table unattended. These will have to see us through.”

“Come on then mate, tell me about your week. Any hot rich woman I can befriend? I need to settle down” Mike said to Ben with the worse poker face before laughing. “Nah, can still fuck them in their nice plush apartments though! Who have you met?”

Erin squeezed into the tiny black PVC top. It had been a culture shock of a fortnight; but Erin loved it. With a fresh, sleek bob, a new make-up look, a whole set of new curve complimenting clothes, together with some interesting pieces for other intentions she had.

Meghan had been a God send; maybe even literally sent by God. The sales assistant from Simple Pleasures had been the first person she had spoken to, and she had spilled her heart. Making not much sense at first, the setting of the store and being surrounded by all manner of taboo items, she blurted out her intentions, how long she had waited to be in London, how she felt repressed and how she had never even orgasmed.

Meghan had taken the time to sit her down in the back, made her a coffee and they spent that whole evening together. Erin’s new best friend helped her work through what she wanted, what she wanted to experience and what she was presently comfortable with. Erin returned to Simple Pleasures the next day and allowed Meghan to help her around the store picking out some starter toys, some lingerie, sexy club wear and had given her a crash course in staying safe.

Tonight, was the night that the new Erin debuted. Meghan had insisted she come with her, but Erin was steadfast, she wanted to do this alone. This night was something she had thought about for a long time.