It was Sunday, and unseasonably cold for October in West Palm Beach. Or so I was told. I had only been living here about a month or so. It had been two weeks since I went out on a date with Shane. We crossed paths at my work once since that time but did nothing other than exchange pleasantries and small talk. He was there to watch college football and hang out with Jimmy, but Jimmy spent most of his time either serving drinks or arguing with his girlfriend, Kat, who was also a bartender at our restaurant. Kat and Jimmy didn't officially live together but she slept at his apartment more often than not. You could tell they were spending too much time together by the way they bickered about every little thing. It made most of us at work uncomfortable but not to the point of intervening.
Other than chatting with my coworkers while working, I didn't have much in the way of friends. My roommate and her boyfriend never left her bedroom, let alone the house. They were extreme homebodies which was not helping my assimilation to West Palm social life. I missed gossiping; having a friend to grab a drink or dinner with. So when Jimmy and Kat invited me out on Tuesday night, I jumped at the chance. I was desperate to make friends and become more comfortable and Kat and Jimmy seemed to know everyone.
Tuesday night rolled around and after eating a light dinner, I stood in front of my mirror, freshly showered and naked, staring at myself and deciding what to wear. My dirty blond hair was beginning to show its roots. My chestnut brown eyes were puffy from working long hours. Thanks to booze and bar food, I had already gained more than five pounds on my 5'6" frame since moving to West Palm. I now weighed 142. Between the weight gain and lack of friends, my confidence was at an all-time low. Luckily the weight gain hadn't changed my pride and joy - my breasts. They were, in my opinion, the perfect size - 36C. They were soft and well-shaped and the only part of my 24 year old body I truly enjoyed looking at. My vagina was getting a bit out of control. I hadn't trimmed since prior to my date with Shane over two weeks ago and the hair was beginning to reach toward the sky as if to say "Trim me!" Maybe I will trim it this weekend I muttered back in my head. There was no need to trim it now because there was no way I was going to have sex tonight. I just wasn't feeling sexy enough.
I threw on a cute red top and black pants - definitely too dressy for the hole in the wall I was meeting my "friends" at, but I wanted to feel cute and this outfit was the winner.
I arrived at the bar, hopped out of the cab, and walked in - by myself of course. My anxiety was through the roof. I hated not having friends. I hated going out by myself, even if I was meeting people. Thankfully, Jimmy walked up to me immediately.
"There she is! Sorry, Shane is up in Tampa this week for work." Jimmy kid.
I gave a half-hearted laugh, part embarrassed, part shy.
There was a group of about 12 people drinking with Jimmy and Kat. I noticed maybe three of them who I saw visiting Jimmy at the bar while I worked. None of them bothered to come over and talk to me though. I sat on the fringe of their circles, awkwardly listening to their conversations; Corona after Corona keeping me company. I was on a lonely island of misery and I'm sure it showed in my face and mannerisms. I found myself staring at the televisions to keep me company and briefly started to cry. Not full out crying but my eyes welled up and a few tears had fallen to my cheeks.
"Are you crying?" I heard a voice say.
I turned around and saw Kevin. Kevin was Jimmy's roommate. I had met him before while I was working but wouldn't consider him a friend.
"Of course not." I laughed back. "I just have sensitive eyes"
Kevin laughed. He was the confident type and had just celebrated his 30th birthday at my work. He was tall, about 6'1, and had brown eyes that were already a tad bloodshot. He was like most men in West Palm - kinda cute, somewhat in shape, and loved to drink. Kevin was known as sloppy, yet harmless drunk. The type that would have four beers and start slurring his words but would still be throwing them back by himself at the end of the night after everyone else had gone home.
"Let's do a shot!"
Why not I thought to myself, although I was already feeling tipsy from all the Corona's I had drank.
We held the shot up to cheers, the heavy pour spilling slightly as we did.