When Grace got to the bar, she was a little frustrated. Already a long drive to get to the location that was out of the way and therefore a safe place to keep the secret of this hidden part of her life, traffic had been horrible. It had taken her almost 30 minutes longer than normal. And even before that, she had made the mistake of checking her work email and found a series of emails that once seen, couldn't be ignored. Between the two things, she hadn't made it to the bar until 10 pm.
Pausing before entering, Grace took a deep breath. She slowly let it out. Grace willed her frustration away. She needed to be in control in every way. Tonight was all about being in control and being true to herself. Letting that frustration get in her way was a poor way to start.
Opening up the door, Grace was hit by the noise of the patrons and the jukebox, as well as the warmth of the bodies filling the place. She smiled at the familiar sights, sounds and smells. She belonged here in a way that she had not elsewhere. Grace took her time as she walked over to the bar. She stopped here and there to say hello to friends, exchanging hugs and brushed lips against the cheek. Occasionally, she received a soft goose but it wasn't her nature to make such a personal gesture to mere friends. Maybe if they had been casual lovers, but as yet, none of them were.
Finally making it to the bar, Grace found a glass of red wine waiting for her. It was that wonderful cab from the night before. She smiled at Corky. "Thank you, dear! You anticipated me."
"But of course! It is nice to see you again so soon." Corky leaned across the bar to give Grace a warm hug. She looked Grace over. "I love the outfit. I wish I had your legs so that I felt better about wearing something like that."
Grace laughed and said, "This old thing? I just threw it on." And then she laughed all the harder with Corky joining her.
"I almost hesitate to ask, but how did the rest of last night go?" Corky inquired.
A brief frown crossed Grace's face. "The less said the better. It was a mistake but it was one that I didn't recognize until it was too late." Grace looked a little closer at Corky and added, "You knew that, didn't you?"
"Well I suspected it would be. I know you well enough and know enough about her. I saw the two of you just as you were leaving so it was too late for me to do anything," Corky said, looking a little chagrined.
"Hey, not your fault. It was all on me," Grace smiled at Corky. "But I am determined not to let a momentary lapse keep me down! I'll take my lumps and learn from them and then move on."
Corky chuckled a little as she smiled back at Grace. "Well if you aren't gun shy, take a casual look off to the right."
Grace slowly turned and glanced over in the direction Corky directed. She raised an eyebrow. Standing off on the side was the college girl from the night before. She was intently watching the entrance.
"She has been here since about 7:30. She has either been standing or sitting there for most of the night. She is a cute young thing so she has gotten her fair share of nibbles but she has shot them all down, all the while she has kept her eye on the door." Corky paused and looked Grace with a sparkle in her eye. "I think she has been waiting for a particular someone. Unfortunately for her, I think she picked a bad time to go to the john since that was when you got here."
Grace turned away from looking at the girl to glance at Corky. "What makes you think she is waiting on me?"
"I heard her asking one of the other younger women if they knew anything about someone who fit you to a T. Or do you think I am wrong?"
Grace laughed again. This time it was a low throaty laugh. It reminded Corky of a nature show she had recently watched about leopards. Grace's laugh had a distinct similarity to the leopard's growl. "No, I don't. I just wondered how you made the connection."
As Grace started to walk away, she turned her head back to Corky. "I'll talk to you later. And wish me luck!"
"Ha, I don't think you need any luck! I'll wish you a good time instead!" Corky smiled as she said it. There was something about the way Grace walked away that also reminded her of a cat stalking her prey.
Rather than going directly to the girl, Grace took a more indirect route that let her approach from behind. Grace knew that Corky was pretty good about checking ID on the patrons so she knew that this girl had to be at least 21. Her body was lithe and well proportioned. She was wearing tight jeans and a sort T-shirt that showed skin. Unlike some, this girl wore that very well. Her belly was flat and showed none of the flab that took away from the effect she no doubt wanted to give.
Coming up fairly close, Grace greeted her. "Hello precious, I didn't expect to see you here again."
Grace had to suppress a small snort of laughter when the girl jumped and started at the sound of her voice. At the same time, relief seemed to cross her face as she saw who it was.
"Hello ... umm ... Ma'am," she remembered at the last second to add.
"Been hiding in the corner for long?" Grace asked, even though she knew the answer.
"A while," she replied. As much as she wanted to spend time with this fascinating woman, she didn't want to let on to her how much that was. But as she looked into Grace's eyes, she could feel how well Grace read her. She felt as if Grace could read every silly thought that was running through her mind.
