Note from the Writer: I would first like to say how appreciative I am to the fans of this series. The positive comments and praise for this series have pushed me to continue this series, and I'm grateful that others can appreciate the story that I have crafted. When I first started writing these stories, I would type them on my phone, later copying and pasting them onto the website. As a result, my first few chapters have a number of spelling and grammatical errors that weren't corrected before submission. Also, my early work, especially the first chapter, lacks some of the in-depth story telling that I am proud to have in my later works. This is the reason I have decided to write a remastered version of the first chapter. Hopefully, this remastered chapter will better reflect the series as a whole.
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There was a coolness in the air as I walked to the bar on Friday night. This was a rarity in Los Angeles, even in the winter. My pace quickened, seeking the warmth of the local bar.
John's Keg was a Friday night staple for my friends and me. It had turned into one of the few places we got to see each other anymore. Most everyone in our group had friends since college. After graduating, we stayed in Los Angeles, but all went our separate ways. We had a doctor, a lawyer, an artist, a couple of teachers, and myself a salesman.
I often found myself regretting my business major. The feelings of regret were strongest on Friday's when the guys would talk about how much they enjoyed their jobs. I was happy with the money I brought in, but the job itself wasn't fulfilling.
Friday nights were our one opportunity to hang out each week. The rest of the guys in the group were either married or engaged. A couple of them even had kids, which seemed early to me. We were all in our mid-20s and I was still hoping to enjoy freedom while I could. I'd had a few serious girlfriends, but I had never met that person I couldn't live without.
My friends all enjoyed talking about their lives as husbands and fiancés, but seemed to also live vicariously through me. I wouldn't consider myself a player, but I enjoyed the benefits of the single life. They used my singleness as an opportunity to pick out the women they found attractive and coax me into picking them up. Most nights I'd ignore them, but when I was in the right mood I would give it a try. I scored far more often than I struck out.
Tonight, they all had their eyes on one particular woman in the bar. She was a tall tan brunette who was slim, but still had assets in the desirable areas. She wore a beautiful blue dress that found a nice balance between modesty and sexiness. The tightness of the dress accentuated her curves, but left the rest to the imagination.
We were a couple of drinks in and the woman still sat alone at the bar. Most of the normal patrons at the bar were generally with a group, having a girls' or guys' night out. It wasn't often you saw a woman sitting alone at the bar, especially one as attractive as this.
"Dude, you've got to go talk to her," my buddy Caleb said, "She is easily the most attractive woman I've ever seen!"
"Weren't you just talking about how beautiful you thought your wife was?" I joked.
"That's different. I'm obligated to find my wife attractive, but this woman is beautiful by every objective measure. We've been going to this bar for years and there has never been one like that. If you don't at least try to pick her up, my penis will be mad at you."
"Well I'd hate to anger the five inches of fury!" I quipped.
The rest of the group laughed and Caleb's face turned red in embarrassment. Caleb was right though; this woman was incredible. I wasn't a male model, but I was normally very secure in my looks; however, in this scenario I felt a tad out of my league.
I guzzled down the rest of my glass of liquid courage.
"This is for you, bud," I said, patting Caleb's shoulder as I walked toward the bar.
As I approached, the woman was scrolling through her phone. She had spent much of her time on her phone since arriving at the bar, which concerned me that she might be waiting on someone. Nonetheless, I knew she was worth a try.
"Can I buy you another drink?" I asked standing beside her seat as I approached the bar.
The woman turned and looked up from her phone. Her face of indifference turned into to a beautiful white smile.
"Sure, another martini would be great!"
I leaned across the bar and placed our order with the bartender and sat down at the bar stool beside her. The woman slid her cell phone into her clutch and seemed excited by my presence.
"I'm Joe, by the way," I said.
"Eliza," the beautiful brunette said, sweeping her long hair behind her ear.
Once our drinks arrived, we began to talk. Eliza was surprisingly sharp, which was a pleasant surprise from some of the other beauties I had picked up in the past. She was quick witted and our conversation was seamless.
A few drinks later, I was feeling pretty good. Things were going well with Eliza, and I was doing my best to not seem too tipsy.
"It is starting to get late," Eliza said, glancing at the clock on the wall, "Would you like to get out of here and go to my place? It is just a few blocks from here."
I was surprised at her request, but wasn't about to object. It had taken surprisingly little flirting to get an invite to Eliza's place.
I vividly remember walking to Eliza's apartment, but once we arrived things turned to a blur. I remember kissing in her living room on the couch. The next thing I remembered was falling back onto the bed and seeing Eliza's blue dress drop off her body, revealing a sexy matching blue lingerie underneath. The last thing my memory could recall was her tan body landing next to mine on the mattress as we panted from torrid sex.
I awoke the next morning with bright light entering the bedroom. I found myself alone in bed, still naked from the night before. It was hard to recall what had happened the previous evening. My head throbbed, as the alcohol had taken its toll.
Through squinted eyes, I found my pants on the floor and slipped them back on. I made my way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where Eliza stood at the bar pouring two cups of coffee. She wore a gray pantsuit and white blouse. Even in business-wear, she looked gorgeous.
