Although it's late April, I can feel the cold deep in my bones. Well, when I stop to ponder this fact, I realize that it's not so much cold as it is damp. As I stop momentarily just inside the door to let my eyes adjust to the ambient light, I quickly scan the room. Most of the room's inhabitants are gathered along the bar, sitting and talking or sipping from their chosen liquid remedy. Since I don't notice anyone familiar in those first instants, I move to an open spot to order my own poison.
That's when I notice HER. I've seen her before but not behind the bar. In fact the last time I saw her, was about a month ago and she was outside smoking a cigarette and she was alone out there. I was out there cheating. I had stopped smoking about a month before, and as I finished and was moving to go inside, we noticed each other at the same time. She was the first to acknowledge the attraction that I, at least, felt. She nodded and said "Hi". I did the same but continued moving towards the door and remember thinking "What kind of asshole are you? She was pretty and she was friendly". Now, while I know that I wasn't going to get laid, I should have at least chatted her up. Let's see (weighing the options in my mind), talking to a pretty woman or standing by a pool table, alone, listening to the music of The Center St. Band. I could not for the life of me know why I chose the latter. In fact on the way home, after closing time and not being able to find her again that night, I promised myself that when I next ran into her, I wouldn't pass up that opportunity again.
Well, here was my first opening. I smiled at her while she floated towards me. When she reached me, I said hi and told her to pour a drink for a friend of mine down at the end of the bar. While she did it, I said, " I haven't seen you bartending before, are you new here?" She glanced at me. I noticed that her eyes were bright and affable, as she said, "No I've tended bar here. I've seen you, before. My name's Michelle." "I'm Rum. Well, that's what my friends call me, anyway." I wondered if that meant that she noticed me from behind the bar or last month. I decided not to pursue that line of thought, though. I could feel the woman next to me taking all of this in while we chatted. When she had poured and passed Jim his drink, I asked if she wanted a pop. She declined and I ordered a coffee with Jameson's and Bailey's. When I had my drink she asked if I wanted a shot. I declined but asked if it was too early for her to have one. She didn't answer but turned around and grabbed the bottle of Jameson's, again. She poured a shot, returned the bottle, lifted her drink and wished me good luck, as did I. Michelle tilted the glass to her mouth and drank it in one swift swallow. "Ah. Just the way a shot should be handled", I thought. I just took a sip of my own drink in response and looked at her and smiled.
After I paid for the drinks, I heard another friend call me from the other end of the bar. At the same time she was called to renew someone's drink. We just smiled at each other. She moved to do her job and I moved towards my friend. I held eye contact with her for as long as possible as I walked down the bar. She kept my gaze for about 4 steps as she moved to her customer. When I reached Donna, I hugged her then shook her husband's hand. I told Wayne (Donna's husband) that the next time the bartender came this way that I was going to ask her to marry me. He laughed and told me that I didn't have the balls. I told him to fuck off and raised my hand to get both of them a drink. Michelle came down the bar and I held her gaze as she floated towards us. I don't think that my obvious attraction was wasted on either Donna or on Michelle. After Michelle filled the order I said "Michelle, let's just blow this popcycle stand and get married." I thought Wayne was going to swallow his tongue but Michelle grinned and said, "I don't think my boyfriend would like that." "Oh, he can come, too, but just to the ceremony. The rest of the night is just for you and me." She laughed and said "Ok."