“Murphy’s Law”: On The Rebound
“It’s Murphy’s law, I’m gonna meet you tonight
Just one match could relight the flame
And just when everything is goin’ alright
All my hard work goes down the drain”
Lyrics from “Murphy’s Law,” Songwriters: Dean Honer / Michael Ronald Ward / Richard Barrett / Roisin Murphy 2020
Where do I start? At the beginning? That sparked ages ago on Tinder, in August 2018. So much has happened since: other relationships, love, and heartbreak. Then, during the pandemic, we salvaged a friendship, or so I thought.
As his friend I travelled out to Brentford in West London to attend a burlesque show along with his sister, his nephew, and his nephew’s girl. It was the last show of its kind to be held at a classic car garage.
The acts were incredible — the atmosphere electric. Everything enhanced by mild psychedelics. We danced to a random selection of tunes chosen by goddam awful DJs. Sometimes they got it right and I first detected a sexual charge when we were on the dancefloor together. That man can dance! There was an easy synchronicity in our moves. On a more downtempo track, I had to resist the urge to lock in a rhythmic embrace. I wanted to slow it down so our familiar bodies could press each other. When the music ended, the night was still young.
