I have what might be considered a fairly geeky job, as an engineer. I went to a technical school, studied math and science, and became a professional engineer all in good time, so I have a pretty good job. Not only that, but I'm pretty good at what I do. But, I should beg to point out that I am not a geek. In fact, I'm probably not a bad looking guy at all - tall, dark complexion, athletic build, a runner's look. And I like working out, running and biking, and swimming. So, I've not really had much difficulty in gaining the ladies' attentions.
Unusual for an engineer, though, is the fact that I am a musician. I play in a local band that performs regularly at a local tavern, in one of the trendy spots in town. I enjoy playing, and I really like the way that I can play to a crowd and get them happy and excited. And because this is a very popular place in town, there are usually a lot of really good looking people there, men and women alike.
The last time that we played at this tavern, though, led to one of the truly memorable experiences of my life. The night began like all others, with the place half-empty, my partner and I setting up the equipment, drinking a beer, and talking. And as we began playing, I performed my customary audit of the crowd. The usual types were in abundance… girls in tight dresses with expensive haircuts and too much make-up, guys in pretentious clothes with slick hair and obvious attitudes. As the night progressed, the room became smoky, and there was a lot of drinking, but the crowd was getting into our songs more and more.
Then, something caught my eye and did not let go. At a table not far from the back, almost oblivious to our performance, sat a trio of people who looked completely out-of-place. Two women sat across the table from one guy. The women were casual, comfortable, and beautiful, in a simple way. One was a redhead, a stunning thing to me as I am very fond of redheads, with long wavy naturally red hair and a light, freckled face. Her face was bright, pretty, and happy - she laughed easily, with a slightly crooked smile that seemed to evaporate all pageantry. Next to her sat a very tall woman with jet black hair and a more exotic look, who smiled as often, but with a more wicked approach to her smile. She was full figured, but also athletic looking, and her hair and facial features told me that she did not suffer fools. Their male companion had his back to me, but I could tell from his T-shirt and khaki shorts that he was not one of the Fashion Victims that this bar seemed to attract.
What they were doing here, I could hardly know, but I figured that they were in the neighborhood, and decided to drop in. I expected them to merely finish their beers and leave. But, as we launched into "If I Had a Million Dollars," the redhead perked up noticeably, and sang with the sing-along parts at the top of her lungs. From then on, she was more animated and interested in what the band was doing. And she kept my eye the rest of that set.
As I made my way to the bar during a break, she happened to be walking past to visit the ladies room and introduced herself as Erin. The conversation was brief, but there was more than a hint of chemistry that passed between us. She gave me her smile, which was completely beautiful, and headed on to the bathroom. Nothing more was said that night, and we finished playing and went home as usual.
Two nights later, we played another bar, this time a funkier and less pretentious place, where we could let our hair down and do songs that were less refined and out of the ordinary. Before we even began playing, I saw Erin walk in with the same two friends. She saw me, waved, and came to speak. Pleasantries were exchanged, and she introduced me to her friends, a married couple named Matt and Julie. As we began playing, the positioned themselves at a table near our stage, and made excellent requests, and completely enjoyed the evening with us. During the song "Laid" I dedicated it to “my new friend Erin”, and watched her blush a bit… but then she sang every word of the song, and made a special point of looking at me and mouthing the words, in an exaggerated manner, when I sang "but she only comes when she's on top." It was obvious that we were both attracted to one another. How far would this go?
