Once a year, we make a business trip to national convention for our industry. I stopped taking classes long ago and now enjoy this annual trek to cool new cities to simply enjoy spending time with the large network of friends we have garnered all these years. Oh, and play trophy wife for my hot husband when needed. He is one of the busiest, most sought out persons at the convention.... meetings, dinners, more meetings, teaching classes, etc. You get the picture and it's in a frame that says I have lots of free unsupervised time on my hands!
Our very first night in Nashville, he got called into a "working dinner" with his peer group, so I was left to devise my own entertainment for the evening. We've been to Nashville a few times, so I already had a destination in mind, Broadway Street right in the Music Row area. I called an Uber to drop me off right in the middle of the action.
I'm normally not big on going out alone due largely to lack of confidence, but I have recently decided to expand my horizons and comfort zone by doing just that very thing. I will say, Music Row at night is top notch for partying and easy to get lost in the crowd. I walked into the first loud honky-tonk I came upon, Acme Feed & Seed. Four stories of live music, loud conversation and hot as fuck country boys, all looking to get laid.
Found a seat at the cool, retro bar and settled in for a bit of alcohol infused bravery and supreme people watching. The bar tender himself, Shane as it turns out, was damn easy on the eyes himself, and made a big show of winking and flirting with all the ladies. He finally made his way down the bar to me. He paused, looking at me for several seconds with a quizzical smile on his face then said, "I know just what you need, beautiful". Well that was certainly intriguing. "Does it come in a glass?" I asked teasingly. "The first part does...." He replied with another of those flirty winks while he concocted this drink I apparently needed.
Making quick work of it, he presents his offering in a tall glass. He runs down the contents as I took my first sip (and loved it!), but I really wasn't listening. His gorgeous sky-blue eyes ringed in thick black lashes held my gaze and managed to take out my audio system at the same time. I smiled and simply said "Thanks" when I realized he was standing there looking at me quizzically, waiting for a response. Now, I feel like a dumb ass. Oh well, not like I was going to hook up with him, more's the pity.
I spin around on my stool to start in on the afore mentioned primo people watching. There were at least three bachelorette parties, loud and boisterously annoying to anyone within 20 feet of each. Several groupings of singles all eye balling each other across the way. And then there were the dancers out on the floor, spinning in mesmerizing beat to the country tunes. Now that is the very thing my husband and I like to do, and what better place than Nashville to get in a twirl or two around the floor!
This placed is crazy crowded so to say I got jostled at the bar probably once every few minutes, may be an understatement. I finally stopped looking around to ensure the space encroacher it was fine, when I realized very few were looking to be absolved. So, it's understandable that when I felt an arm go around behind me on the bar, I just didn't react. At least, not until the hand slid smoothly up my back and under my long hair and began gently massaging my neck. Now that made my head swing around rapid fire to glare at the offender. Shane. It was Shane on the wrong side of the bar, wedged in between my stool and a couple of rowdy cowboys shouting for drinks on the other side. "What are you doing?" I blurted out. "Well, as luck would have it, I'm off shift and free the rest of the evening. How about you? Are you free tonight?"
I studied him for a few seconds and then finally held up my left hand... with the wedding ring on it. He looked at it, then back into my eyes. "Well then, the ball is completely in your court, beautiful". It occurred to me, this was a prime opportunity to discover if my new-found courage was non-existent or all liquored up and ready to rumble, with a stranger. "According to my husband, the only rule is I have to share everything I do with him after. Got any problems with that?" And now he slays me with an unbelievably gorgeous grin and holds his hand out, waiting for me to take that first big leap off the bar stool and into his arms.
Weaving through the drunken masses, we popped out onto a side street, almost stunned by the fresh air. "I have an apartment just a few blocks over. How about I whip us up some cocktails and chat for a bit?" I just smiled and nodded my head a little bashfully. SOOOO out of my comfort zone, but I'm all in now. His 6' plus frame ate up the side walk at a fast pace, but I had no problem keeping up with the adrenalin rush that was hitting right then. We literally walked two blocks to a high-rise condominium and buzzed straight in. Fancy! Very fancy indeed. His rooms took over half of the top floor, with a phenomenal balcony sporting a view of downtown Nashville in all it's lit glory (both drunken and illuminated). After a quick tour, he led me into the living room and settled me into a huge, lush couch sitting right in front of the beautiful stone fireplace.
A small bar, with all the accoutrements, sat off just to the side beside the glass doors to the balcony. He started in whipping up the cocktails as I slipped my boots off (and maybe unbuttoned my blouse a few more buttons), got comfy and faced him, pondering how a bartender could afford a place like this. But another thought struck me harder... "So, I have to ask.... Why me?", I asked out of extreme curiosity. "I mean, seriously, all those young girls wearing pretty much nothing didn't catch your eye, but I did?" "Those girls are a dime a dozen and I'm not into blue light specials on aisle 5 or flavor of the hour. You stuck out because you were genuine, just having a drink and watching the fun, not trying to hook up with anyone. I don't see that very often and that immediately turned me on." He brought the drinks over and sat beside me.
I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but he stopped looking interested in any "bit of chat" and looked distracted. I realized with equal parts embarrassment and delight that he's staring intently at me, his eyes lingering on my waist, my legs, my chest. He runs his thumb gently along the side of my top, tracing the curve of my body. This intensity heats up my insides like a flash fire.
Standing quickly, he holds out his hand without a word and pulls me across the room and into his bedroom. A bad ass, huge iron bed sits in the middle of a grey toned room. There's a huge screen across one wall that's the size of a small cinema, making me wonder how much "in your face" porn action plays across its surface.
