“Yeah. You’ve asked me enough. I figured I’d give in to your constant bitching.” I laugh.
“Whatever, asshole. Alright, I’ll bite. Would you mind stopping in at this new bar? We could get a few drinks there first. Maybe try some of the new stuff that I’ve already shipped in.” I hear the turn signal clicking in his Mustang through the pauses of his question.
“Yeah, sure. No problem. What’s this place called? Is there a dress code? Anything I need to know before we make our way over there?” Questioning this evening’s plans, I look down and give myself a once-over in my business casual outfit I already have on.
“The Neon Rose Lounge. It’s a fairly new place. Pretty casual. You know it?”Fuck yes, I know it.What are the odds of that?My heart is pounding through my dress shirt.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up tonight around eight.”
“Eight sounds good.” My smile at this point is a permanent fixture on my face.
“Alright, sounds good. See you then.” He hangs up the phone. Fuck, am I excited? Or am I nervous?Keepit cool, Alan.
Eight comes faster than expected. I have been sitting on my couch, waiting for Lee like he’s my fucking prom date; my knee bounces in anticipation. I’ve not changed from work. My black shirt is still tucked into my charcoal gray slacks. My red hair is still perfectly in place from this morning. It seems as if my pomade works. It’s messy in all of the right places–not a strand out of place. I haven’t been out with Lee in years and honestly, I have no idea what to expect.
Like an addict, I keep scrolling through Thalia’s page. I could pick her out of a crowd if I needed to. Her bright red hair, vivid tattoos on her pale skin and upturned smile are like a beacon guiding me in her direction. Her profile would be impossible to miss among the waves of people in this city.
The lights from Lee’s headlights shine through my large living room windows. My nervousness is tucked back under my mask as I put on a face of confidence.Play it cool, Alan. This is all part of the plan.My black pea coat hangs from the back of my large gray chair. It swings around my body as if in slow motion. My arms slide in the silk lining. It fits perfectly over my toned arms. My phone fits snugly in the inside pocket and my keys sit at the bottom of the pocket on the front of my coat. “Guys' night has begun.”
“What’s up, you handsome bastard? Why are you all dressed up?” Lee asks as I open the passenger side door of his black Mustang.
“I just got home from work and I didn’t bother changing.” He looks at me in disbelief, all while his hands stay on the leathersteering wheel. He belongs in this car, blending in with his black leather interior aside from his olive-toned skin.
“You sure it isn’t because you know the ladies love you in your business casual shit?” He laughs.
“What the hell do I care about that? I’m married.”If I can get Thalia to look at me, married or not, my night will be made.
“Listen, evenyoudeserve to have someone else look at you once in a while. Your wife is hot, but she’s Ashley. You see her every day. Plus, you know when she goes out and does whatever the hell she does with her friends, she’s getting hit on by every guy there.” He isn’t wrong.
“Yeah, asshole. We’re married. Seeing each other every day is the whole fucking point.” He doesn’t answer and I don’t comment about the rest of his statement. I know she does. I just don’t give a shit anymore.I don’t know if I ever really have.
Lee speeds out of my neighborhood and towards the city. The car ride out of my suburb goes quiet.
“So… guys night,” he interrupts the silence.
“Guys night,” I repeat, hoping it’s an answer all on its own.
“What made you want to come out tonight?”My obsession with meeting one of our new female followers. An addiction, you could call it, for a woman I have never met.
“I just needed to get out of the house. Ashley is out for the night and I thought it was a perfect opportunity.”
“Right.”The lights from the city get brighter the further away we drive from my house. I forget how much I miss the lights and the busy city. All the people and nonstop life even after I would normally go to sleep. Married life has changed me. Lee slows down the car next to a large parking garage behind his apartment.
“I thought we could take a taxi. A few drinks may turn into more than we planned.”
“Right. Safety first.” I nod agreeably.
“Always.” His eyebrow cocks while turning to look at me. “You okay? You seem off or something.”Something is off. I have never thought about a woman like this before.
“Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.” It’s only half a lie. Who knows how I will feel once I see her face to face?
“That’s a bullshit answer. Whatever the fuck you’re thinking about, you’re going to forget. We’re going to have a good night and forget about work, women and whatever else you need to forget about for the night.”
“Aren’t we going to a bar that sells your product?” I cross my arms over my chest at the question.
“That’s beside the fucking point. The point is, Alan, we’re going to have a good fucking night.”
