Dana sat at the bar idly stirring her drink with a little red straw. She had come into the bar over an hour ago to try an unwind after a long week. She thought a drink or two might take her mind off of everything but since she sat down three guys had already been over to talk to her with one bad line after another, at least the last one had bought her this drink but he was no different than the rest. These guys just came up and would say anything to try and please her thinking that was the best way to get her out of here and maybe back to their place for a little hanky panky.
She turned and looked towards the door to see a guy walk in. Nothing special to notice, he was tall and perhaps a little too thin but then he smiled and Dana though "well that's kind of cute" but then dismissed him just like all the others. She turned back to stare at her drink and heard the stool next to her slide across the floor and knew that someone had taken a seat next to her. She idly glanced to the side and noticed it was the skinny guy who had just walked in. He turned toward her briefly, smile and said a quick "hi" then turned to order a drink from the bartender.
Dana noticed as he playfully flirted with the bartender that he smelled kind of nice, a little hint of pineapple but she didn't remember any guy's cologne that smelled like that. She looked down to see he was wearing flip flops with his jeans and button down shirt. He was playfully flirting with the bartender, nothing crude just a little innocent banter and Dana felt a little twinge of jealousy. "Where'd that come from," she thought as she let the feeling go.
"Anything exciting going on here tonight?"
Dana was back to dazing as she took a sip off her drink when the question repeated and she realized the guy was talking to her.
"Um...nothing that I can see," she replied in what she would consider her bitchy tone.
"I see, well if I have interrupted you in your misery I can leave you and your drink to yourselves I was just looking to have a friendly conversation. I don't think everyone came here, to this public place to be alone. May the end of your evening find you better than its beginning."
He slid the stool back and stood up and Dana started to felt bad, he was just being polite and he did not pull some cheesy line or try and buy her attention, "wait," she said "listen I wasn't trying to be rude I've just had a long week."
"Well now if you were a guy I'd say let's do some shots and in an hour you wouldn't remember your week but since you are a woman," he paused and raised an eyebrow, "you are a woman aren't you?"
Dana grinned back and smiled then he continued, "so I would say out with it. Obviously you haven't vented and while I'm not here to solve your problems, unless of course you want me to which I charge $250 an hour for, I can at least lend an ear without giving judgement."
Dana hesistated but then just started telling him about her hellish week. Everything she had been bottling up inside just kind of poured out and after about twenty minutes she just heaved and felt all that negativity just kind of get up and go. She was not sure if it was talking about her troubles or this guy, he had a comforting presence about him, he did not feel threatening or like he was trying to ingratiate himself.
"Well the best part is that the weeks over," he said after she finally finished," and now you are out having a drink and making a new friend. My name is John," he said extending his hand. Dana took it gave it a light shake as she told him her name. "Good to meet you Dana. Listen I have this problem," all Dana could think was "good God what now?" as he said, "well Dana I would like to keep up the conversation but I want to go dance so if you are here in a couple of songs we could continue or you could come along with me to the dance floor."
He just said it so casually Dana could not believe it. She knew he was enjoying talking with her but he just wanted to do what he wanted to do, "and it didn't matter???". She found herself thinking "maybe this guy is different", and he held at his hand which she took and followed him off to the dance floor.
The night was a blur after that, the dancing, some talking, a few more drinks it all just flew by then she had asked him to come up as he dropped her at her door. Things got heated pretty quickly, he was behind her kissing her neck as his hands moved over her stomach towards her belt line then she felt his hot breath whisper on her ear, "tell me to stop".
"What?" she breathe out, "tell me to stop," he replied, "just tell me to stop".
"Whatever for she thought" but found herself telling him to stop when it was in fact the last thing she wanted him to do.
Right as she said it he stopped and backed away from her then put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. He looked her right in the eyes and said" I don't ever want you to feel like you've gone someplace too far to say that to me and believe me when I say I take it very seriously."
