It was a Friday night in Southeast Asia and we were in the basement bar of a decent quality hotel. We were in country doing logistical and training support for US military equipment owned by the friendly nation. There were four new guys on our team and I had brought them here for their first night in the country. As usual, guys from the States didn't know how to handle women expressing interest in them. They normally went overboard and this time was no exception.
The four new guys, all of them retired military, were tearing it up on the dance floor with the first bar girl that had talked to them. Well, they were trying to tear it up. Watching fifty-something year old men flail around as if they were teenagers at prom was as fascinating as it was cringe worthy. I had a good vantage point of the action while seated at the bar's counter, facing the stage.
A few of the working girls would look at me then back to my older counterparts. They didn't approach me, and I knew the problem. I looked too young to have money. It always amused me to hear one of the jaded working women say that about me.
I took another swig from my local beer as I watched the guys dance and the girls position themselves around, trying to lock down their prey for the night. Movement to my right drew my attention. A familiar looking bartender had entered the busy back bar and made her way over to me. It was Putri, one of the more experienced bartenders and I'd known her for years now.
"Tony! What are you doing here? Does Tami know you're here?"
"Hey, Putri. Just having a beer and Tami and I aren't together anymore," I replied before taking another swig of my brew.
Putri frowned at me as she considered her next words. Keeping quiet about being split from Tami would've just fired up the gossip circuit. It was best to head everything off and just spill the truth.
"Why? You were with her how many years?"
"Five years," I said with my best nonchalant shrug as if it didn't hurt. It did hurt. A lot actually. But I'd be damned if I showed any overt emotion over the loss of another long term relationship.
Putri just stared at me, waiting. I sighed and finished off the beer.
"Her Mom was furious about her being with a foreigner for five years so she split us up. Locked Tami in her room, threw out her phone and has arranged a marriage next month to a nice kid of a friendly family."
I shrugged as if it was no big deal. It was a big deal. I had proposed, finally, and met her parents. Parents who did not like me at all. The first sign things weren't going well were the arguments about my age. I didn't look my age, looking like I was in my mid-twenties should've been a benefit and not a hindrance.
Putri said some sympathetic things; I tuned most of it out. What could I do really? No nice girl in this country would defy her parents to marry someone they didn't approve of.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"What can I do?" I countered. "Her parents have already decided. Her friends have told me she still wants to see me but cucking some kid because his parents made him marry some girl he didn't know is a dick move, right?"
"Yes but she doesn't love him so it doesn't count," Putri said with conviction.
Women. A woman could say cheating on a guy she didn't love wasn't cheating because there was no love. I never understood female logic; it just didn't make any sense to me. It ran counter to guy code.
"Putri, I'd love a shot of tequila. Have one with me," I said, distracting her from more talk about something that was over and done.
"We'll celebrate my oh and two record."
She looked blankly at me. "Oh and two?" she asked.
Of course, she didn't know sports terminology. I knew that I should've phrased that differently from the start.
"It's the second time I asked a girl to marry me and the second time it's been no, so let's have some shots."
Putri laughed at me, the unfeeling wretch, and turned to get the bottle and shot glasses. I idly glanced around the bar taking in the sights as I waited. The guys were still going at it on the dance floor much to the amusement of the girls. The bouncers kept a wary eye out on the patrons and the employees. All in all, it was a normal Friday night.
Putri set the two shot glasses on the counter before me and took the empty beer glass. Quickly pouring the two shots she set the bottle in the well. While she looked around for the salt and lime, I picked up my shot and downed it, welcoming the burning.
"Wait," she said laughing. "We need the lime at least."
"Too late," I gasped out setting the glass on the counter. "One more."
She made a face at me then downed her shot. She was a trooper. Putri gasped and made gagging noises while shuddering.
"You're crazy," she managed to say.
"Yes, but you followed my lead. That makes you crazy-crazy."
Putri managed to half laugh half wheeze and slammed a hand flat against the counter.
"This time, we use salt and lime."
I nodded, feeling the burning as the tequila heated up my core. "Sure, whatever you say."
She stuck her tongue out at me before turning to rummage around for the required ingredients. A few of the other bartenders were gossiping among themselves while looking in our direction. My attention was diverted as someone brushed past my back. Half-turning, I caught the glimpse of a beautiful girl striding to a corner table just to my left. She was a head shorter than the other girls in the bar but walked with her back straight, head held high as if she owned the place.
The woman was wearing a light blue form fitting dress that hugged her hourglass shape. Her long black hair was lightly curled and cascaded down her back. As she sat at the table, she met my gaze with a smile that caused her dark green eyes to sparkle. Her pale skin looked flawless in the bar's dim lighting, besides her bright red lipstick, it didn't look like she was wearing much makeup.
The sound and movement of Putri setting a small dish of lime wedges and a saltshaker on the counter pulled my attention from the woman. Putri was still making a sour face at me, which caused me to smile.
"Ready?" I asked.
She answered by sticking her tongue back out at me before shaking salt on the back of her hand. After picking up a lime, she held her shot glass with a death grip and took a deep breath.
I smiled at her and picked up my shot glass to wiggle it at her. "They're still empty, Putri."
Putri laughed and shook her head while exclaiming, "You make me crazy."
I couldn't help but laugh as she pulled the bottle of tequila from the well with a shaking hand. She took a deep steadying breath before pouring out our shots.
"
Kepala kosong
," she swore at me as she returned the tequila to the bottle well.
It meant empty head or idiot. I did like their language; it tended to make sense even though the placement of the adverbs and adjectives drove me nuts. She once again salted her already salted hand and she picked up the lime and gripped the shot glass.
"
Kepala kosong
," I toasted as I downed the shot, once again forgoing the salt and lime.
She laughed and choked down her shot, quickly licking her hand and sucking on the green wedge. We both shuddered from the feeling of the tequila burning its way down. Putri dropped the wedge in a trashcan and sucked on a second lime.
I let out a sigh as the burning sensation cleared away any lingering emotions. Putri grimaced at me again and I smiled.
"So," she said. "What have you been doing since the split?"
"The usual," I replied truthfully. "I've returned to being a slut."
She frowned in confusion. I could tell she didn't understand the term.
"Butterfly," I clarified. "I've turned into a night butterfly."
Slut and night butterfly were the same things really. Night butterfly just applied more to guys who were constantly with different girls every day.
She shook her head disapprovingly at me while saying, "You're going to get sick doing that!"
"You need a nice girl to settle down with and have babies to keep you busy," she added.
"I tried that, it didn't work so now it's back to what I know."
Putri tsked at me, she was clearly winding herself up to harp her point home. To distract her I gestured with my head to my left.
