So I was at a bar with my friends Tina and Joe. They'd just gotten together and we were playing pool. I was watching and drinking neat scotch - just the house variety, I was only 22.
While Tina and Joe were fawning over each other my attention was drawn towards the bar where an older guy was sitting alone and looking over at me. I had no idea why the guy was looking but then it hit me. I recognised him.
His name was Tom, and he was a friend of my parents, married to their friend Marilyn, but they split up and he wasn't at the BBQs anymore. I suppose he was more of a peripheral friend than a main one, but still it was weird when he was just gone. I hadn't interacted with him much at all - just said hello now and then. They didn't have any kids so they didn't really register.
I looked back over in time to see him look away. My friends were still arguing about whose shot it was, so I went to buy another drink.
I walked up to the bar, and stood a little way away from him. I wanted to see if he would recognise me before I said hi. The bartender was in the back and as I looked around the man spoke to me.
"Not going to say hello Sally?" He said. His voice was rough and deep.
"Oh, Hi Tom," I said, "I thought that was you."
He grunted, but he was smiling at me.
"It's been a while", he said.
"I know," I said, walking closer. "I must have been 16 or so?"
"How old are you now?" he asked.
"22," I said, "Just turned."
He nodded. "And you're looking good," he said.
Looking good? I wasn't sure I heard right.
"Pardon?" I said.
He laughed.
"I said you're looking good." He repeated. "You've become a pretty bitch."
Well I definitely heard that right. He called me a pretty bitch. I wondered where he thought it it was OK to call a woman that. I was about to walk away when he spoke again.
"Aahh, I've offended you," he said. "I do that. I don't tend to care anymore. I am just myself. No use pretending like I did when I was married. I see a pretty bitch, I tell her. If she has nice tits, I tell her that too. Like you, you have nice tits."
I was about to get offended when he continued.
"Don't tell me you left the house in that bikini top and singlet without thinking that people wouldn't look at your perky little tits, now..."
My jaw dropped. My 'perky little tits'? Who says that? My mind was saying, leave, walk away from this perv, but for some reason I felt like maybe I should try and reason with him.
"You haven't left," he said. "That tells me I'm right. You wanted people to look at you, and you are enjoying me looking at you. You can say it. Sally, you are a pretty bitch, nice to look at. You can say it."
I stood there with my mouth open. He was saying these things to me. My friends were right over there. It's like I was in shock. This man had known me as a girl and was talking to me like a sex object.
"I, I..." I managed before he spoke again.
"I get it," he said. "You've got this idea of how you should be treated. My wife was the same. But I think you want it the other way. How I am treating you is how you want to be treated. We both know you wear that bikini rather than a bra so that your nipples show through. You want people to look at your tits. You should, Sally. You have nice tits Sally. You should be able to say that. Say it Sally, say 'I have nice tits'. Say it to me now."
I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do or say. Maybe that's why I said what he told me to say. Maybe he was right. I hadn't left and I was doing as he told me.
"I have nice tits," I said.
"Good bitch!" He said. "Now say it again, but say 'titties' this time."
I took a deep breath "I have nice titties," I said. I felt relieved.
"Good start bitch," he said. "Get your drinks and go." He turned away.
I saw that the bartender was there waiting to take my order. He was smiling. He must have heard all I said. I went red straight away. I ordered my drink and went back to my seat.
I noticed that Tom didn't look around at me again. My friends kept playing pool, and I pretty much ignored them. How did I let myself say that? Why? My head was a mess. Then it struck me. He wanted me to say it, so I said it. I pleased him. I liked the feeling. I wanted it more.
I walked back over to where Tom was sitting. He didn't look up. I stood there a moment and the bartender came over smiling again. I said I didn't need any help.
"Yes bitch?" Tom finally said.
"Umm..." I said
"What?"