The room was packed. Since there wasn't any more room to sit at the bar, and Jaymie didn't like to get in anyone's way or call too much attention to herself, she perched at a nearby hightop and waited to be noticed by a bartender. She sat up as tall as she could in her seat and shifted around to try and catch the eye of one of the guys making drinks, knowing it could take quite a while before they noticed her there. To her surprise, the slim, bearded bartender was at her table within seconds.
"Hey, welcome to The Wildside, do you know what you would like to drink? Or are you waiting on somebody?"
Still somewhat surprised at the speed of service she'd never experienced here before, Jaymie took a second to remember what she wanted. "Ah, yes... Spiked Arnold Palmer, please? And, yes, I think so. I'm pretty sure he'll be here soon."
With a smile and nod, the bartender walked off.
Jaymie was a little nervous. She was supposed to meet a guy from Tinder tonight. Not only was he pretty cute from his pictures, he had seemed very interested in her during their chats. The only issue was that he hadn't responded when she texted to confirm their date this morning.
"Hey there. Can I buy you a drink?"
Jaymie turned around, excited to meet her date for the first time - but it wasn't him. A taller man with blonde hair and a goatee was standing next to her and smiling in a way she didn't quite understand.
"Uh, no, thanks... I'm meeting someone."
"Oh, okay, no worries. Carry on then." The man shrugged and walked off.
Momentarily, a drink arrived at her table. It was pink, with a mini umbrella in it. Not what Jaymie was expecting. The waiter gestured at a table in the corner, with two men sitting at it. "From those guys over there." As she looked over, one of them tipped his hat at her and winked.
What was going on? Jaymie wondered. Often just a wallflower at events, she was not used to getting this much attention.
Oh, she realized. It must have been Christina's magic. She had let her friend from work come over to do her hair and dress her in her clothes and makeup for the date, and now had more of a college cheerleader look than her usual bookworm-grunge vibe.
She'd forgotten that her hair, usually up in a bun on her head, was around her face in soft brunette waves, her C-cups were pushed up eye-catchingly in a tight blue halter top, and she was wearing makeup for the first time in probably months. A slim 5' 8", Jaymie's legs also seemed to go for miles under her short denim skirt.
Glancing around, Jaymie realized that she was catching the eye of more than one other man at the bar. Finally, the drink she had ordered came and she clutched it and sipped on it nervously, hoping her date would show up so she would stop getting ogled.
Thirty minutes after her date was supposed to show up, she texted him again. Still no response.
Accepting that she was probably being stood up at this point, Jaymie finished her drink and stood up to leave. As she walked toward the exit, she took one last glance around to make sure the guy wasn't sitting somewhere else in the bar - and walked right into someone. Beer sloshed all over her top and skirt and dripped from the skirt to the floor.
"Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry!"
Jaymie, still stunned at what had just happened, looked up into the bright blue eyes of a man about 6' 5" with a broad, muscular chest, one hand held up, and the other holding a half-full glass of beer. He wore a look of sincere dismay.
Jaymie didn't know what to say, so she mumbled something about it being okay but she was going home anyway.
"Shit, seriously, I am so clumsy. Let me get you a bunch of paper towels, and maybe at least buy you a quick drink before you go?"
Jaymie didn't respond for a second, so the man took the opportunity to get towels in her silence. She stood by a wall for a few minutes in the bustling bar, and when he came back, he had towels and a fresh drink. Continuing to be apologetic, he gave her the towels. After Jaymie had gotten as much beer out of her clothes as she could, he handed her the drink.
"Thanks... what is this?" She asked.
"Arnold Palmer, but with vodka. Thought that might be a safe bet?" He shrugged. He had clearly made a stab at getting her something she might like, and fortunately for him, he'd guessed right.