Leaning against the bar, I scan the crowd of McCoy’s, holding tightly onto my whiskey glass. The music is far too loud in here for my liking, but I did this to appease my friends. Spending the last four years hidden away, wallowing in my own self-pity.
“Someone’s got a taker,” Hope says, nudging my side and nodding towards an out-of-towner who’s sitting with a group of men, I don’t recognise. I look up and directly into his eyes as he gives me a shy smile.
“Go talk to him,” Iris begs, nudging my shoulder.
“Oh, uhm, I can’t-” I start, buckling with the pressure, taking another sip of my drink.
“No, not doing that,” Iris cuts me off with her hand.
I look between my best friends who are giving each other a knowing glance. “Honey, it’s been four years-” Hope starts. “You need to move on.” Iris finishes firmly, placing her hand on my arm.
I look back over to the fairly handsome stranger and offer him a shy smile. I understand what my girls are trying to do.
Four years ago, the love of my life went to college, and I never heard from him again after two weeks of him being gone. My heart still aches for him, and I’m still not ready to move on, much to everyone’s dismay.
“I’m not ready,” I say, shoulders slumped.
“You haven’t got to marry the guy!” Hope says. “But you need a good seeing to-” Iris laughs and I give her a dirty look.
Iris is one of the most forthcoming people when it comes to sex. Or anything if I’m honest. The girl’s an open book and not scared to say what she thinks. The firecracker she is.
Mack refills our tequila glasses, and I immediately shoot one glass down the back of my throat, hoping for the liquor to give me some courage.
“Okay, I’ll talk to him.” I relent.
Iris is right, I need something more than my favourite pink vibrating friend that I keep in my nightstand draw whenever the itch starts. I can’t live off that forever; I need to feel something real. Maybe a one-night stand is what I need to try and move on.
“Atta’ girl!” Hope says, shooting back her own shot. “How’d I look?” I ask, giving the girls a twirlin my white dress and pink cowboy boots.
“Stunning!” They say back in unison.
I look back towards the direction of the man who’s staring at me, accept he’s already walking towards me. I look back at my girls who have got their thumbs up.
I walk towards the stranger, taking smaller steps than him. “Hi-” I muster out when he reaches me.
“Hi.” He smiles down at me.
“Could I buy you a drink?” he asks.
“Sure.” I smile back at him.
I notice his accent isn’t from around here, sounds more North but I can’t place it. I put my hand in his and let him lead me back towards the bar. He signals Mack to get us a drink. Mack automatically sees me and grabs my favourite whiskey from the shelf and starts pouring it over ice, before handing it to me.
“For you?” He points at the stranger, his hand still in mine.
“Bud, please,” he says as Mack pulls the bottle from under the bar.
I take my drink and look at the stranger who bought them. He isn’t overly tall and had a caramel-coloured clean haircut. Clean shaven too, unlike Maverick who couldn’t have been more different from the man standing in front of me.
“Austin.” He smiles, holding his hand up for me to shake.
“Mabel.” I take his hand in mine.
“Pretty name,” he adds, bringing his beer up to his lips.
“Thank you.” I can feel myself blushing. I look back over to my girls and see them both with huge smiles across their faces.
Maybe this won’t be as hard as I’m making it out. I overthink everything and maybe I shouldn’t.
