I knew it was late, very late, when I glanced at my watch and then moved over next to the woman at the bar. As I moved into the seat I could see her quickly glance around to survey her prospects. I guess I was the pick of the few men remaining because she nodded when I asked if I could buy her a drink.
"Last one," the bartender mumbled as he pushed our two drinks to us.
"It's that late already?" I asked.
He smirked and nodded at the clock.
I glanced back at the woman and watched as she held the glass up to her brownish, red lips and took a long drink. As she set the glass back down I noticed a dark lip print on the glass. Looking back to her face I could now see the fine cracks running though her makeup and noticed the loose skin sagging beneath her chin and around her neck.
Realizing I had misjudged the woman's age when I saw her from a distance, I quickly surveyed the room but came to the same conclusion she had earlier, it looked like we were stuck with each other. I quickly gulped my drink and then sat watching her finish her drink. She then pulled her lipstick from her purse, opened a small compact and reapplied her lipstick.
"I'd buy you another but the bartender said, 'No,'" I said, breaking an uncomfortable silence.
She glanced over at me and then returned to her lipsticking. When she finished she snapped the compact closed, eased the top on the lipstick and carefully slipped them back into her bag. As she began to reach for her jacket, I figured the night was over, but then she spoke, "Look, if you'd like another drink, I live near here. If you don't mind the cheap stuff, we can have a drink up there."
"Well that's the best offer I heard all night," I replied.
"Most likely the only one in this dump."