Pete’s Vile Colleague

A sea of guffawing 33-40 somethings in non-iron shirts
A mottled carpet of salmon pink and baby blue blazers draped over tables
Ties removed
Subtle smirks at waiter's tattoos
Blinding sun
Liquid lunch
£6.50 pints of heineken

Vile

Pete turns the other cheek to the mockery of colleagues and nurses his cranberry juice
Think of your health, he tells himself
Lose some weight
Colour in those greys
He couldn't wait to see Janine's face when hе dropped off the kids on sunday
Fresh from thе tanning booths with news he'd quit the booze

Little did he know
But Janine's new beau was stood behind him in the bar queue
He looked at Pete
Chuckled inwardly
And called Janine to arrange this evening's rendezvous

Vile