remote cards

Across from the cinema there is a corner shop, maybe one of the 24 hour ones, or at least a late night one anyway. A lot of the people who go to the cinema come here to get snacks and drinks, rather than being tied to the over priced brand restricted stuff you can get inside. That’s what I’m doing here, its what the couple in front of me are doing. He has just asked her something about her relationship, to which she responds - it depends on my mood. He is taller than she is, shaven head, a bit stubbly, a smart jacket over totally casual clothes. She is short, wide, long red hair, a skirt and bright red tights. She shrugs when he repeats her words, he adds - that doesn’t sound too good. She laughs, well, I’m thinking about dumping her. But yes, I am that bastard, she says, I’m trying to decide whether I’ll sleep with her one last time before I dump her. He makes a sound, she shrugs, laughs, I am that guy, she says, that bastard we all love to hate.

Labels: cinema, girl, glasgow, guy, hate, love, red head

I am in the photograph that she takes, writing this I guess. Perhaps, depending on her focus. Sitting in the cinema bar. Two guys came in and got themselves drinks. They chatter away – foreign – but I’m not sure from where, some where Mediterranean? One is tubby, his hair straggly and thinning, his belly pronounced, a tufty goatee. The other is younger, more handsome, dressed more smartly, though they could still be brothers. They’ve been here a little while before she arrives. And she is eye catching. Carefully styled hair, shoulder length, wavy, dark, with her fringe a blonde tint. She wears a short, tight, zebra print dress. It shows off her nicely shaped rear and props up and compliments her cleavage. The dress leaves her shoulders bare, it has a back slit that shows a bra strap and bare flesh, it is short enough (and rides up when she sits) to show her nice legs (wearing black tights). She wears gold rings, one with chains across the back of her hand, connecting to a bracelet around her wrist. As soon as she sits down the produces the camera and they take turns snapping each other. The tubby guy get the camera and tells the two to get together. So she clambers into his lap and they snuggle together. Staying that way even when they stop taking pictures. The younger guy running his hand up and down her bare back, his hand through her hair, and they kiss, wetly. At times they switch to English as though they are not quite all from the same place, or they can easily express certain things in a different language. The dress is thin, it clings to her flesh, his hand through that slit, grasps her pink bra, and undoes the clasp. Holding the ends in his fist. She looks at him, a stare, until he does it back up again. Then she moves off his lap, back to her own chair. About ten minutes pass and words are exchanged. The tubby guy stands up and leaves, there almost seems to be an element of hostility in the air. The couple exchange glances after he has gone, before a moment later and she is back in his lap, kissing and having her hair stroked. He fiddles with her bra again, this time she slaps him, enough to get his attention focussed. After a while the pair get up and leave, looking at their watches, time for the film to start. Heads turn all around to watch her leave, to watch that dress cling to her body. She really is something, and totally over done for a Sunday afternoon in the cinema, but she doesn’t care. That’s that then? But five minutes later, the tubby guy reappears, coming round the corner to return to that table. He stops, looks confused. Presumably he popped out for something, but took longer than expected – they aren’t there, so he turns again, and goes off to find them.

Labels: bar, cinema, dress, girl, glasgow, guys, zebra

We’ve been at the cinema. She knows where I park. So she has parked behind me. After the film we sat in the bar till closing time, its after midnight now. So we are walking back to the cars. One parked behind the other. We stand in the street, talking, beside my car. Two guys stagger down the street. They are carrying on, shove each other a little. There is a car parked behind hers. A couple of foot from the curb. A window sitting open. A couple sitting as though waiting for something. The older of the two guys leans towards the car. Shouts something, carries on. Here we go, I say to her. He says something, disappearing behind her back. Pardon, I didn’t catch it all. The younger keeps on going down the street. I asked if you had a blade. I’m totally going to stab him! Oh. Sorry mate, can’t help you. He stops and grins. I’m not really going to stab him. He’s my wee cousin, and he’s doing my head in. He makes another joke about stabbing him. Before deciding to change his tune - no, actually, I’ve got a kebab... round the corner… I’ve got a fork… but I really need a knife to eat it. You’ve got a kebab round the corner? I hope someone is looking after it for you! - I say. He replies. Yeah my auntie is holding it for me. She points down the stairs to her side – there is a restaurant there, you could always ask them for a knife. No, no – he insists - the less people who know about it the better. Who know about your kebab? – I ask. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, what have you been up to? We’ve been to the cinema – I tell him. What did you see – he asks. Adam. How was it? Wasn’t bad. I heard a review of it on the radio, that Edith Bowman on radio 1, the clip made it sound decent, but I thought what does Edith know - she is just a radio DJ – what would you give it out of five? Oh, maybe a 3? He shakes his head - god you’re sitting on the fence, you’re just like Edith mate, you’re nothing but a radio DJ! His cousin re-appears at the next corner and waves at him. He glances at his phone, he has received a message, he shrugs. Then notices the phone, and says – um this phone, its pink, its not mine… its my mums! And shoves it back in his pocket. He sighs – glad I stopped to talk to you guys, you’ve been great, I needed a break. He then hugs us both, in a dude fashion, and goes off to catch his cousin. We look at each other and shake our heads, say our goodnights and head home.

Labels: cinema, glasgow, kebab

Two guys come into the cinema bar, I guess Spanish, skin shade and the language they are speaking. But its one of those cases where I’m only catching fragments from where I am sat, and they could just as easily turn out to be Polish. One of them is quite tubby, probably the older of the two. His belly sticks out, his upper torso is meaty, his hair is scraggly thin, and he has a tufty attempt at a beard. He is dressed entirely in black. The other guy has a better build, looks younger, healthier. His hair is a little thing on top, but not nearly as bare as his friend. The two sit at a table with 3 chairs, sat opposite each other over a table, with the third chair cornered against the wall. They sit and drink beers and chatter away cheerfully. Then the bombshell arrives – she is wearing heels, gives her something of a sway to her walk; she is wearing sheer black tights on long legs; she is wearing a figure hugging zebra patterned dress, its glossy, its shimmery, it screams sex, it rides up her thighs as she sits, it clings to her ass regardless, it dips at the front where her cleavage is shoved into your face, along the back its baggy, and open, so you can see bare flesh, and the pink clasp of a bra; her hair is wavy, Mediterranean, sculpted in gentle curls, dark to her shoulders, except for blonde highlights through her fringe. Yeah, bombshell, and she is with these two guys? They make her clamber past them for the free seat, and almost as soon as she has sat down she has a camera out. She takes a picture of tubby, flash. She takes a picture of skinny, flash. Tubby takes a picture of her, flash. Then he encourages skinny and her to sit together, so she climbs into his lap like a cat. Flash. Once there she stays there, his hand straying into the gap in the back of her dress while they talk, stroking at the naked skin. They kiss. He unfastens her bra, one end of the clip in each hand as he looks at her, teasing, waiting for her reaction. She scowls at him till he fastens her back up, and she takes that as her queue to return to her own seat. Minutes pass, tubby suddenly stands up, and leaves – it seems surprising, the couple look at each other for a moment. But it seems like a good excuse for her to crawl into his lap again, so she does. They kiss, loudly. He says something. She slaps him, classic movie star slap. Then they kiss again, the drama! Another five minutes and they stand up, take their tickets for their film and head up to the screen. Eyes turning to watch her as she leaves, that clinging dress seeming to sparkle. Well, that’s that. Except another five minutes later, the tubby guy staggers round the corner back into the bar. Stops in front of the table where they were sitting, looks confused, then leaves again.

Labels: bombshell, cinema, dress, glasgow, guys, zebra

I’m having a quick bite to eat, sitting by the window, and I glance out the window, which looks out into lane. There is a Chinese guy, coming out a side door – I think there is a Chinese restaurant just at the front. He waves a hand, then holds up a finger – ONE! I glance around, surely he isn’t indicating to me, so who is he? But no one by me even notices him. I glance back, as he approaches the car parked right in front of the window, which is when I realise there is a Chinese girl sitting in it. She gets out and they exchange words. She is dressed in a grey top, long sleeved, with a baggy front, which hangs loose so that you can see that she is a more fitting white top underneath. She is wearing grey black jeans, and brown black cowboy boots. She slips the boots off, leaning against the back door, chucking them into the back seat, as she slips on smart flat soled shoes. Slipping off the lemon yellow socks which she wore with the boots isn’t wearing with the shoes. (This is the second time this weekend I’ve seen a girl changing shoes in the street, something which I’ve actually seen with some frequency – the night before girl was changing from flat soled flip flops, into higher heeled strappy shoes for going out.) Then it’s into the boot, pulling out jackets, a flask, a couple of bars of some kind of Kinder snack, and clutching cinema tickets. A polished metal flask, small sized one, maybe a couple of small cups worth, a curious thing to see someone carrying to the cinema on a summer night. They juggle these between them as they get ready, he watches her pull on a smart black jacket, then she takes the stuff back. He is wearing jeans, with a key chain hanging, and a blue t-shirt with some mass produced design on it, as he pulls the boot of the car down I’m conscious of his biceps, this guy works out. With the chocolate in her pocket, the flask in one hand, tickets in other hand, she exits the alley and heads round corner to cinema. He pulls on his crumpled green jacket, and follows.

Labels: cinema, flask, girl, glasgow, guy, muscle, shoes

The ads have started in the half empty cinema hall and the lights are still on. At the front there is an aisle which separates the main seats from a couple of rows that are too close to the screen. Floating above those - a bright yellow balloon. The over familiar logo of a fast food chain clearly visible as it just hangs there. Where did it come from? I don’t recall passing it on the way in. It hangs there, all nonchalant and balloon like, before it dips self-consciously. Drifting to the floor, and wafting towards to the side of the hall, hoping to be forgotten.

Wild blonde hair, tangles of snakes. A blue dress and leopard print tights. She stamps up the cinema steps with chunky army boots as she follows her boyfriend to the back of the hall. Complaining, she wanted something, wanted to do something. Once they are sat she shucks off her hoodie, and goes back out again. Stomping again, her dress strappy, thin lines leaving shoulders bare, and a rectangle of back, with a line of hieroglyphics up her spine. Five minutes later, she comes back, stomping up the stairs with those boots again.

Labels: balloon, blonde, boots, cinema, glasgow, tattoo

The streets are busy, bustling. People wandering about, bumping into friends. Some sit on benches eating sandwiches from the super market. Other with fragrantly tempting fish and chips. A group of teens spot a friend across the road. Oh, hey, that’s Andrew and his new girlfriend. Oh cool. So they all start shouting Andrew! Andrew! Andrew! People all along the street turn and look. As does Andrew and the group of girls he is with. The girls stand and wait, while Andrew walks towards his friends. Clearly heading them off before they can meet his new girl and her friends. He gets straight in there before any of them can say anything - just saw So-and-so in the cinema round the corner, if your hurry you’ll catch up with them. 8.30pm on a Saturday night, its bright and sunny, spirits run high.

Labels: Andrew, cinema, glasgow, summer

The three of them sit at the opposite end of the row. Two girls and a guy. The girl with the punky Mohawk-mullet thing sits in the aisle street. Something like cm gauge tunnels in her ears and wearing heavy framed glasses. She wears a white, long sleeved shirt, with an occasional blue stripe through it. The next girl is wearing a blue boob-tube, which are boobs are straining against, a star tattooed at the centre point, swirls and banners on either side. She wears a thick belt round her waist, silhouettes of witches on broomsticks repeating round its length. She wears short, short denim shorts, with black tights. He is skinny, wears a white t-shirt, one of those kind polo shirt things, with blue jeans. They plop three empty cardboard Coke cups into the cup holders of the cinema seats, before producing a 2 litre bottle of what appears to be diet coke. Though, as the evening goes on, and their behaviour changes, one has ones suspicions that there is a certain amount of vodka included in that mix. The girl in glasses is the quietest of the three, the couple getting quite loud as things progress. A few times people turn round and tell her in particular to shut the hell up! It’s a horror film, a remake of Korean horror, the girl is arguing with her dad’s new girlfriend, who is about to become her step-mother. The girl is shouting, slurring a little, slap her, slap ra bitch! At the end of the film she is crawling around the floor, trying to find her shoes, then trying to find who knows what. He stands up, and in doing so pulls up his trousers, which seemed to have gone remarkably far south during the film, the entirety of his white boxer shorts visible. As people shuffle by, trying to get out of the cinema, the girl in the white top stands there and apologises wearily.

Labels: cinema, drunk, glasgow