“Having sex with a stranger isn’t going to fix my life,” I say just as the bartender steps in front of us and a blush makes its way from the swell of my breasts all the way up to my hairline.
“You sure you don’t want the salt and lime?” he asks.
“Yes. I mean no. I mean, I don’t want it. I’m tired of using training wheels, gosh damn it!”
“Okay,” he says indifferently before walking away.
“I am going to do it,” I say, not caring how crazy I sound.
“Yes, you are!” Josie cheers.
“I’m going to hook up with a stranger!”
“Hell yeah!”
“I’m going to find a random, single man and flirt with him until he asks if I want toget out of here!”
“You go, girl! Now let’s find you that man!”
I stop, ducking on my stool. “Wait, now? Tonight? Here?!”
“Yes, now, and yes tonight and here. Listen to you, Charlotte. You’re more liberated than you’ve ever been. The prude little sensible voice inside of you is distracted or drunk. You need to pounce on this before she sobers up!”
Josie isn’t wrong.
If I allow myself to think this through, I’m never going to go through with it.
So I look around. The cantina is mostly couples or groups, but there is the occasional stag here and there.
“What about that guy?” Josie asks. “Twelve o’clock. The blond.”
“Ehh, I don’t really like blonds,” I admit.
“Okay. No Reynolds or Goslings. Got it. Ooh, what about the guy by the wall? I’m a slut for a man with a backwards ball cap,” she swoons.
“Are you a slut for married men because I see a ring,” I point out.
“Damn. Well–”
“End of the bar,” I cut her off, and Josie looks around.
“Who…?Oh…”
Sitting by himself, with dark brown hair and no ring in sight, is a man with warm eyes. He has a serious jawline and lips that look like they could stop your heart with one kiss. I am pretty sure he is exactly what I need to explore my spontaneous side.
“He’s hot,” she says.
“And well-dressed,” I say.
“Look at those forearms,” she adds.
“Look at his shoulder muscles,” I say.
“He has salt and pepper temples!” she gushes. “Girl. He’s a fox!”
“A silver fox,” I smirk.
“That’s the best kind of fox,” she swoons.
