I see you there with a couple of girlfriends. You are laughing and enjoying conversation with them. It is obvious that you are all old friends. Occasionally, you take a sip of your drink and look around the bar. It is during one of these times that our eyes first meet. I have been surreptitiously eyeing you ever since I got a glimpse of you.
When we see each other looking, we linger for just a second and exchange a slight smile. I am sitting here with three other guy friends, a couple of who are getting a bit loud and drunk. I don't normally mind that, but I am trying to look poised for you, and it isn't easy under these circumstances. I subtly distance myself from the noise, not moving, just changing position, a little turn toward you, a little turn away from them.
Now I can see you have on a red button up shirt that is carefully buttoned just enough to provide complete modesty while still leaving a guy wishing he had a slightly higher position to look from. I see you lean over the table a bit to whisper to the woman across from you. Just then a beer comes pouring over the table at me as Bill spills a full one. I jump out of the booth, but still manage to get a fair drenching. Disgusted, I look up to find not only am I covered with beer but also you are gone! Damn! Thanks a lot guys I think to myself as I head for the bathroom to dry off.
I am so preoccupied with trying to keep the wet spot from spreading, that I fail to see you heading the other way and I nearly knock you over as we come face to face. I catch your arms to stop you from falling, but now that I see whom it is, I nearly drop you again out of embarrassment! I try to say something polite, but I don't think even I know what it was supposed to be. I excuse myself, and head to the john. I discover that the only way to dry off is with one of those stupid air dryers. Not too bad for the shirt, but really difficult for the jeans, that is if you don't want to get arrested anyway. There is no way I am taking off my jeans in the men's room. Finally, nearly satisfied that I am presentable, I head back to the table.
As I am passing by your table, I see that the three of you are about to head out. My composure is back, and I want to make amends. Not to mention get a few more minutes to see you. Now for the first time I get a clear view of you and you are stunning. Not in a movie star kind of way, but in a very pretty girl-next-door sort of way. The kind of neighbors I wish I had. Anyway, I say a few words to excuse myself, and you introduce yourself as Peggy. There is an instant kind of chemistry, and I take a chance and ask you to stay. "I will drive you home." You laugh and say "you don't even know where I live!" "True, but I will take you there anyway."
After an uncomfortable second, you look up at me and say "Ok." Suddenly I am on cloud nine! I escort you over to the bar and order a couple of drinks. It occurs to me that I better tell the guys I'm going to hang with you for a while when suddenly I remember that I didn't drive! I always drive...why not tonight?
Unfortunately I had ridden with Joel. Not only that, but he has a rather tight back seat in his camry. Oh well, shit happens. I excuse myself for a second to go make arrangements. I ask Joel if he is willing to drive you home. Naturally, he wants to see whom I am talking about, so I motion over to the bar towards where you are sitting. "Wow!" is all he said, "As long as I can leave you here" he added jokingly.
Making my way back to you, I can help noticing how well your jeans fit your slim figure. Even seated at the bar it is obvious that you have great legs. I learn from you that you are working as an executive secretary in a law firm, and you have been attending night school working toward a Bachelors degree in pre-law. To my astonishment, I also discover that you are the mother of a sixteen-year old boy. Lastly that you had moved back home after the divorce four years ago. I had you pegged at 28 or so, but now I figure you must be at least 36.
I answer that I own a small business, which keeps me very busy as well. I sense that it might be time to suggest moving on. I enquire if we might go some place more private. You smile and admonish me not to get in too much of a rush. I laugh and let you know that we have a chaperon on the way. Now it is my turn to point out Joel. I mention that we have been friends since fourth grade. This begs the question, so I let you do the math and say that that was thirty years ago. Now it is your turn to be surprised. "That makes you thirty-nine?" she asks. "Close enough, actually I just turned forty."
We make our way back to the table just as the group is breaking up. I ask Joel for his keys as he is in no shape to drive. He complains, but only a little. We head out to the parking lot and Joel slides into the back seat. We pull out of the lot and head out on the dirt road towards the highway. It is a manual transmission, and I use the opportunity to slide my hand over to your knee. I am please that you don't offer any resistance to this move. In fact you move a little closer to me on your seat. Our shoulders are lightly touching and I feel sparks wherever they come in contact. It is quite dark on this country road with only the reflection of the headlights on the trees to see you by.