neighborhood shit

I got a black W stamped on my hand, and I climbed onto the first open bar stool I saw. I greeted the guy to the left, and ignored the couple making out on my right. “What’ll ya have, dear?” Lynette asked as soon as I sat. “7 and 7, please!” I spoke up over the live band that just began to play. “and a shot of, what?” she laughed with a wink as she spun around for a rocks glass.

It was 10pm on a Friday and I’d been off work for only a few hours. Working so late that I ordered dinner to the office, in an effort to not have to drive to Sacramento to play catch up over the weekend. I stopped by my house just for a second, let the cats in, and wash my face before I headed up to the neighborhood bar.

Lynette stacked my drink onto a coaster before she began shaking a shooter for us to share. “It’s been awhile since I saw you last!” she filled two glasses. “Yeah,” I cheered her glass. “I guess it has been.”

I knew what I was there for.

The bar stools began to clear as the band began to cover more popular songs. The clacking of pool balls was consistent behind me, with the occasional profanity, and the shout of “DOLLAR!” as a bartender held a bucket over the bar- collecting a dollar for each time the felt on the table was gouged with a pool cue.

Everyday, I’m learning new things about myself, and the gratitude comes in waves, washing over me in the form of a random giggle at something that happened last week. I was slapping my thighs to the tempo of the live music as I scanned the bar, absorbing all of the energy around me, perpetually grateful for my decisions this summer. As I made a full scan of the room I felt eyes on me; I immediately met their gaze. I smiled, and sat up straight before I turned back to the bar and picked up my drink. I felt him sit down, leaving a bar stool empty between us. I hid my shit eating grin behind my glass.

“What are you having, gorgeous?” Lynette asked him from a few feet away. “Rum and coke, babe.” Then he placed his eyes back on me.

I set my glass down and turned to face him, obviously flirty, and a little tipsy. “That your date?” He questioned me, nodding to the guy behind me. I shook my head with a smile.

“Come here then,” he said at the same time I was pushing my drink down the bar, closer to him. I hopped onto the stool between us, “I don’t fucking know that guy.” I told him with a laugh, lingering during my lean into him. He wrapped an arm around me and leaned into my ear, “then why didn’t you say Hi to me?” I shrugged, with a grin. He ran his fingers through my hair and held his lips to my ear. “If I’ve buried my face between your legs, you have to say hi to me.”

We both grabbed for our glasses after letting our a howl of laughter.