Publisher wanted for my book

Chapter 4 I wandered aimlessly down the streets and along the canals, eventually ending up on the other side of town. Deciding that the only course of action now was to get totally shit-faced, I walked into a bar, found the toilets, and checked my face in the mirror for any signs of damage. Luckily, I had no black eyes, and no split lip, just a very sore jaw. Brad couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag. No wonder he had Rex with him. The throbbing in the back of my head and my aching ribs was testament to that. I washed my face under the tap and walked back out into the bar. It was quite busy, and as I found a stool and sat at the bar, I noticed that most of the people were Dutch locals instead of tourists. I ordered an Amstel, then found a table by a window overlooking the canal and sat pondering my next move. Fishing into my pocket, I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I reflected on the recent events, and after much debate and five more Amstels, I decided that if Katie was going to let some sleaze ruin everything we had built over the past two days, the closeness and the companionship and all that, then she wasn’t the girl for me anyway. Arriving at this decision had made me thirsty, so I staggered up to the bar and ordered another beer. A woman sitting at the bar turned, and smiling sexily, she asked me in a very thick Dutch accent: “Where are you from, good looking?” “New Zealand” I replied, looking her up and down, maybe a bit too obviously due to my slightly drunken state. She was maybe thirty, brunette, long legs and slim build. She had a lovely smile, and her eyes were deep pools of blue. After all those Amstels, She was actually quite tasty! “Would you like to join me for a drink” She invited. “Sweet as girl!” I answered eagerly, “My name’s Tai” “And you can call me Hilda. I am pleased to meet you Tai” And as she spoke with those soft full lips, she held out her hand and twinkled her gorgeous blue eyes at me. I found out Hilda was a hairdresser and that she lived in Amsterdam. We drank and danced for most of the night. She was a fantastic dancer, moving her body against mine with all the grace of a gazelle, while I struggled along with about as much grace as a charging bull. As we left the dancefloor, Hilda, whispering softly in my ear, invited me back to her flat which was not very far from the bar we were in. Leaving the bar and walking alongside the canal, we chatted and flirted with each other, occasionally stopping to cuddle each other and kissing passionately. She was an incredible kisser and I felt my crotch swelling as she worked her tongue between my lips. I am sure she must have noticed my excitement too! Hilda’s flat was on the second storey of a fairly run-down building, but as we entered her flat, it was amazing to see the place had been fully renovated inside. I sat down on her sofa, which was a large leather antique piece, and very comfy too. Hilda went to the stereo and put on some soft relaxing music. “Would you like a beer Tai?” She asked as she walked towards the kitchen. “Yeah, that would be choice mate” I replied “Do you smoke pot Tai?” Hilda inquired “Yeah, a bit aye!” “In the tin on the table, there is some grass if you would like to roll a smoke” She called out from the kitchen. I opened a silver tin that sat in the middle of the table and inside I found a bag of the most incredible skunk I had ever seen. As I rolled a joint, I heard Hilda in the kitchen, rummaging round. She reappeared with my beer and passed it to me, followed with a kiss. “I’ll be back in a minute ok?” She whispered softly into my ear. “Sweet as babe!” I replied, smacking her bum as she stood up. “Oh Tai, you have such a way with words” She giggled, and walked out of the room, dimming the lights as she went. I finished skinning the joint, and after what seemed an eternity I was beginning to wonder where Hilda had gone, when suddenly I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Hilda stood in the doorway, and in the dim light, I could see she was wearing only her underwear. I almost choked on my beer, and as I looked at her walking towards me, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Tai you have hit the jackpot man! She cuddled up next to me as I lit up the joint. Hilda wasn’t in any hurry and neither was I. I wanted this to last as long as possible. I couldn’t remember the last time I got laid, and tonight I wanted to make it last forever. As we puffed away on the joint, I told Hilda about the events of earlier in the night and she agreed with me that Katie wasn’t worth it. She asked me if I still had any mushrooms left. It was only then I remembered I had the two half-bags of mushrooms on me. Well, that was it. We ate the mushrooms that were left and the night turned into a huge sexual feast. We made love all night! The next morning, I woke to find Hilda under the sheets between my legs giving me the business. This was followed by a hot breakfast which Hilda insisted on cooking for me. Finishing off the last of the toast, and swallowing back my coffee, Hilda explained she had to go to work. She said I was welcome to stay with her for a few days if I wished. “Gosh, you trusting me girl?” I enquired “Tai, I have a good sense of character, and yes, I trust you, but remember! This is not a long-term thing. I just want you to stay with me for a few days, ok?” She was looking at me sincerely. “No worries babe!” I said openly “You really helped me out last night, I was on a downer, and you came to the rescue. So, Hilda, I owe you one” “Ok I’ll hold you to that! Here you go,” She threw me a bunch of keys, “The house keys, so you can go out if you want to, I’m off to work now, but when I get home, I’ll take you out for dinner, and you can buy the drinks afterwards” She said, kissing me and then rushing out the door. “Bye babe” I yelled after her I slept until about ten, then got up and had a shower. It felt great to be able to just relax and not worry about the hassles of being a backpacker. Even if this was just temporary, it was definitely a respite, especially after the night before with Katie and the bullshit that went with it. I got dressed, had another coffee, and headed back to the backpackers to retrieve my belongings. I walked along the streets down past the canals, enjoying the fresh morning air and relishing the new surroundings, god it was great to be alive! I felt so good! Last night was fantastic with Hilda. She really knew how to please a man. I was as carefree as a man could be. I was really starting to enjoy this holiday, more than I had ever before! Suddenly, I froze as I remembered Katie and I had been sharing a locker together. ‘Shit, that bitch might have taken all my stuff!’ Suddenly I wasn’t walking anymore. I was sprinting along the streets, my mind racing as I approached the hostel. Oh fuck, why didn’t I think about that last night! Shit, SHIT!