'Not everyone. You can get a buzz from the music, the atmosphere, being with a crowd of people looking good and enjoying themselves. Anyway, so you went back to this courier man's flat?'
'Yeah. Not right away... everyone was having a great time, we danced and talked a bit more and - got a bit close. He asked me back to his flat, where he gave me this mug of Irish coffee that was really strong, but he'd put something in it.' In the sludge at the bottom of the mug were the remains of two capsules. He challenged the man, but he immediately snatched the mug back and emptied the dregs down the sink. Darren was confused about what happened next. He could remember falling over and hitting his head on the table, and being helped into the bedroom where they had sex.
'Was it full sex?'
'What do you mean?'
'Did you take precautions?' He looked down at the floor. 'Did he use a condom?'
'He had condoms. When I went back with him I didn't know what he was like,' he said, not looking at me.
'Oh god.' How could he have let a stranger take advantage of him like that? 'It's all right. You're not to blame.'
He had slept, and woken in daylight, his head throbbing, his limbs shaking, his bruises and his back passage hurting. He found the man having breakfast in the kitchen, asked for directions to the nearest Underground station, but let himself be talked into waiting until his new acquaintance had washed and shaved and they could go together. The walk, however, ended not at the Underground station but at a nearby pub, where the courier said he had to go inside for a few minutes to meet some friends.
Darren felt ill and did not want more to drink, but followed obediently into the pub where he was told that what he needed was a 'morning after special', a concoction of tomato juice and spirits that helped stop his limbs shaking and made his stomach and head feel better. He sat quietly, bothered by the noise and the smoke-laden atmosphere, not thinking clearly. Confused and lacking will power he allowed himself to be taken back to the flat again along with several of the man's friends.
For their Sunday dinner they ate triangles of tomato-stained pizza followed by chocolate biscuits, and then watched a film on television. They drank beer and smoked cannabis for some hours, listening to music when the film was over, until at around seven o'clock all but one of the courier's friends left.