I sat at the bar, picking at my rum and coke and looking at my watch. It was nearly eight-thirty, and there was no sign of my blind date. I felt sorry for myself and wondered how I had wound up there. After being divorced from my husband nearly a year earlier, I finally decided to dip my toe in the dating pool. Talking myself into meeting another man would have been hard enough, but agreeing to meet a woman sight unseen, I was reaching beyond my comfort zone, and now, there I was being stood up on my first attempt.
Just when I was about to give up hope, a gorgeous brunette entered the bar and did a quick scan of the room before heading my way. She wore a tight pair of Levi's jeans, boots, and a black Shania Twain T-shirt circa 1999. Her hair was pulled back snuggly into a ponytail. I was sure it had to be her. She had requested that we meet at Woody's, a country dive bar off Interstate 5, and she warned me that she was a bit of a tomboy.
I tried not to stare as she made her way across the bar. We had only traded texts and never actually spoken on the phone. There were only a handful of other patrons in the bar, and I was sitting by myself. I tucked my hair behind my ear, a nervous habit of mine, as she approached.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked with a smile as she pulled out the chair next to me and took a seat.
"I don't think so." I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.
At first, she said nothing and waited for the bartender to acknowledge her.
"What are we drinking tonight?" he asked as he made his way to our end of the bar.
"Coors Light and cold glass."
"Comin' right up." He quickly retrieved her beer from the well and a glass from the cooler. "Here ya go."
She tilted her glass and carefully poured her beer before taking a drink. "Nothing better than an ice-cold Coors Light." The subtle country twang in her voice was noticeable, endearing, and incredibly sexy.
