20070528

Hug Goodbye

by Simon Stratton

I walked off to the changing room thinking about the hug goodbye. I did the "squeeze release" with her (where you give a final squeeze and let go) rather than the "pat and out" (where you give them a pat on the back and that signals the letting go). And straight afterwards it was all awkward, as though a line had been crossed. I know a few of her male friends have been telling her that they are in love with her at the moment, and so she is understandably suspicious of men, but still. Is the squeeze release wrong to use with friends? Maybe nudists should never hug, I thought as I pulled my trousers back on.

6S

Simon Stratton, author of Career History, lost his MA in Creative Writing in a curry fight.