Note: This is not an entry for the April Fool's contest. The narrative doesn't revolve around tricks, pranks, or deception--beyond a bit of wordplay and the twist of fate that brings our characters together. Happy Reading!
***
April
"What a dick!" Summer exclaimed animatedly.
I laughed. "Doubt his dick's too happy now, after meeting your knee!"
Summer giggled as we found a couple of seats. "Still, him grabbing at you like that..." She shook her head. "Tommy will have thrown him out by now, though. Fancy heading back to the dance floor?"
"No, it's fine. Good to have a breather," I replied, settling down. The music was less deafening here. I could actually hear Summer--and we weren't even shouting.
"
So
," she stretched out the word playfully. "What's all this about then?"
"Huh?" I played dumb, but she just smirked at me. She
knew
something was up. We didn't hang out often, only when I
really
needed to let my hair down. And tonight I'd reached out last minute, desperate for a night out. Honestly, I still wouldn't have hit her up this time if my usual girlfriends had been available. I was surprised she hadn't already grilled me for details.
"I can wait," she said, keeping up her smirk while taking an exaggeratedly casual sip of her drink. "We both
know
you're going to tell. What is it? Did you lose that big part?"
"No..."
"
Ohh
, something more personal? Is there a man involved?" I looked away, and she burst into laughter. "Okay, girl. Out with it! You'll feel better."
"Urgh! Fine!" I weighed up how to spin the story. Summer was well aware of my relationship track record; I had a knack for ending up with complete jerks. My overly generous friends would say it's because I'm too trusting, always wanting to believe the best in people, and I'd simply met the wrong guys. But eventually, you start to think the problem's
you
, right? By that point, me being a gullible fool seemed the most logical explanation.
I dove into my story, telling her about the date I'd been on earlier. Having lost faith in my own judgement when it came to finding love--or even decency--I'd agreed to a blind date, set up by my cousin. It had started off promisingly enough. We'd clicked, shared some flirty banter over drinks, and he'd seemed into it. We even moved on to dinner, at
his
suggestion. But then things had taken a weird turn.
"He spent the first half of dinner ogling our waitress," I told Summer. "And then, after I caught him at it, he spent the rest of it hiding in the bathroom."
"Oh no!" she cackled, enjoying my misfortune a touch more than I'd have liked. "Wait a minute," she added, as if a thought had just struck her. "Are you telling me, he had
you
right there, and he was checking out
another
woman?" At my nod, she shook her head in disbelief. "What an
idiot
." She gave me an appreciative once-over. "You're looking amazing tonight, girl. His loss."
I allowed myself a small smile, suddenly questioning why I didn't spend more time with her. She never dished out compliments unless she genuinely meant them. Equally, she was never shy about delivering home truths. A straight-talking sort of gal--I could do with a bit more of that in my life.
"You know your problem, April?" she ventured, as if on cue.
A few possibilities sprung to mind:
My bank balance?
Or perhaps,
I'm single while my friends keep sending me plus-one wedding invites?
I looked at her quizzically.
Pray tell, dear Summer
.
"You care too much. Lately, you're always on the hunt for Mr. Right. When's the last time you went for Mr. Right Now? A bit of harmless fun!"
And just like that, I remembered why we didn't hang out more. With Summer, it always circled back to sex. Something must've shown on my face, because she suddenly acted like she
had
to convince me.
"Oh, come on! There's nothing wrong with letting your hair down now and then. No offence girl, but I can tell you're gagging for it!"
Okay, so maybe she had a point. She was probably even right. I mean, I wasn't going to
tell
her that, but a no-strings fling sounded pretty darn good... I'd have settled for being desired by someone whose attention wasn't drifting to another woman over my shoulder.
"How about this," she proposed. "We find you a hot guy, you let yourself have a bit of fun, and I'll cover the drinks next time we're out. Deal?"
I made a show of hesitating appropriately before 'giving in'. "Okay fine."
"Yes!" she beamed. "I've had my eye on just the one." She gestured towards a man, seemingly alone at the bar.
I took a moment to assess him. He
was
cute. Tall, looked to be in his mid-30s. Dressed sharply, nice shoes. He exuded a sense of confidence, even authority.
Hmm
.
"Off you go, then!" Summer giggled, giving me a push. I managed a nervous smile, stood up, and smoothed out my dress. After a quick check with Summer to make sure I looked all right, and getting an enthusiastic double thumbs-up, I took a deep breath, put on my confident face, and headed towards the bar.
The Fool
I was just about to finish my drink and call it a night when a brunette slid onto the barstool next to me.
"Hey there," she said, leaning in to make herself heard above the music. "Mind if I sit?" Her lips curled into a friendly smile. She was
very
cute--mid-20s, and wearing a dress that hugged her in all the right places, ending just above the knee. I was immediately struck by her eyes--a deep, chocolate brown, large and expressive.
"Please do," I replied, trying to be discreet as I checked her out.
What man would
mind
sitting next to her?
"You're a lifesaver," she murmured, touching my forearm. "I needed to escape the dance floor. There's a guy who can't take a hint!" Her hand lingered, sending a jolt of excitement through me.
"I can stick around, make sure he doesn't bother you?" I offered.
She gave a grateful smile. "That's sweet, but I think he's got the message now." She leaned closer, her breath warm against my ear. "But I'm glad you're here. You seem more my kind of man."
I felt myself flush at the compliment.
Play it cool, buddy
. "Thanks."
She giggled and playfully nudged me. "Aww, you're cute! I'm April, by the way."
"Ryan," I replied, introducing myself.
Although I'd received my share of interest from women, April's forwardness was a surprise. I was accustomed to initiating interactions, interpreting subtle cues, and steering the conversation--her confident presence, combined with her youthful energy, was both disorienting and thrilling.
As we chatted, leaning close to hear each other over the blaring music, I was enveloped by her warm, sweet perfume. I couldn't help but sneak glances at her, admiring her body and the way she carried herself. She caught me once, but simply smiled, a playful twinkle in her eyes. Looking straight at me, she tilted her head slightly to one side, reached an arm behind her head, and ran her fingers through her hair. There was a flamboyant, yet understated, sexiness to the gesture that quickened my pulse just a little more.
"So Ryan, what's a good-looking guy like you doing all
alone
?" she asked, drawing out the last word.
I chuckled. "Waiting for a cute girl like you, I guess."
April's smile widened. "Lucky me, deciding to come over then," she quipped.
"Is your boyfriend around tonight?" I ventured, feeling emboldened.