Girl at the bar
Reeva had had enough. “Why can’t I have fun by myself?”, she thought to herself. She wasn’t getting any younger. Most of her friends were either married or engaged, a few even had kids. She however was waiting for her Mr. Right. She didn’t date, she hadn’t even had her first kiss yet. The forced slimy encounter with her uncle didn’t count. She was saving herself for “him”. Every time she called her friends to hangout, they’ve been busy. It was either work or meetings or a family holiday or “Sorry girl, but I’ve already made plans for the weekend. I promise I’ll make it up to you babes!”. She was tired of attending those birthday parties of her friends’ kids and calling it quality time.
“If you want to be happy, just be!”, one of her friends had posted on FB some time back. It just stuck with her. She remembered the incident last month, as she was passing through the Kings Cross station. The guy at the entrance of the strip club had called out to her “Hey! Independent lady! Come on inside, have some fun!!!” She was startled but gathered her composure quickly, as she had learned to, living alone all these years... “Some other time mate!!” she said and hurried away. What are these guys called anyway? There has to be some designation right.
She didn’t even have to think about it before refusing him. But today, she wondered why? “Why can’t I have fun by myself?” she thought long n hard. It was quickly followed by “What would be fun to do?” She started googling. Holidays? Nope, I may end up feeling lonelier. Cruises? Naah, too expensive! “Learn to walk before you run!!” a voice screamed in her head. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!” blasted another one. “Why does everything have to be so difficult? Arghhhh!”
She chose the corner-most table in the dark to avoid unnecessary attention. “Im here... Yeah baby!” The bar was almost full. Couples, ladies, but mostly just groups of guys. “No.. Im not intimidated. I refuse to be intimidated.” She put her foot down as she sipped on her large scotch. Scotch... It was burning her throat. Hell, it was burning her entire body inside out. “How do people drink this? I should ask for some soda...” Cut to... “Yeah baby!” Some guy was performing some act on the little stage. The crowd was laughing out loud. She wasn’t even listening to him. The scotch was having her way with her.
“I had this gf who would continuously try to feed me different foods. She believed the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach...” He was saying. Reeva thought to herself “Ahhh! Women jokes. How boring...” Suddenly everyone was quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Reeva looked around. Everyone was staring at her, even the artist on the stage. “OMG, did I say that out loud?” She froze; almost got up to leave. But changed her mind. Out of nowhere, she just declared “I think the fastest way to a man’s heart is with a knife... through his chest!!” The audience erupted in laughter at this sudden witty remark.
The guy flushed. But it was HIS show. He let the audience calm down, and said “Knife... You know the difference between a knife and a woman’s argument?” He looked at the audience and asked them, waiting for their answer. Then declared “The knife... has a point!” The bar roared again. “With women it’s like ‘You can either agree with me or you can be wrong’” He said, imitating the voice of a nagging woman.
He continued. “I can tell you the worlds shortest joke guys. It goes like this... 2 women were sitting quietly...” He waited for people to realize that That was the joke. Without missing a beat, Reeva shouted “False! Your penis.” And the bar erupted in a massive applause.
He tried to contain the situation. “These women... They fool you, you know people... No, no, no.. Don’t let them fool you. With all the make-up, the fake hair, fake breasts, fake everything...” Again, before he could finish, she said “Come on.... We don’t fool men... Most of ‘em are the do-it-yourself types...!” Reeva laughed hard at her own joke with the people... She was on a roll. She was stealing his show. “You mess with me, I mess with you.. That’s the kind of lady I am” she declared. Loads of hoots n whistles followed.
He tried to compose himself. “Heh.. Can you see this people.. We are almost duelling here”.
“We’re duelling? Where’s your wand then?” she said. OMG, did I just say Thaaat?
“You want to see my wand????” he said chuckling. “Let me show you my wand...” No, no, no... This was going somewhere else. Her face was blushing volcanoes.
“Sure, should I get a magnifying glass”. Who the hell is putting these words in my mouth??? The audience was rolling on the floor laughing.
“Come with me babe.. I’ll show you what my wand can do..”
“Ok people, I’ll be back in 10 mins. Ahh... would 10 mins be too much for you... babe??” She looked at him as she asked him. Yeah, baby! She ruled him. She owned him. The people were going crazy. She owned them all. The guy started laughing in defeat too.
He got down from the stage and started walking towards her. ”Oh no!” Reeva froze. Before he could say anything, Reeva stood up to leave. She didn’t want any trouble. “Should I apologize?” a thought crossed her mind. She could hear her heart beat hard in her brain. She looked at him. He didn’t look offended. He was in fact smiling at her. “Care to join me for a drink?” he said. Reeva’s heart was racing. She got up as fast as she could and started walking towards the exit. She walked a few steps, but stopped.
“Why am I running?” She owned him not long ago. SHE was in control. It was HER night. Something had changed. The panic vanished. She suddenly felt calm, tranquil. Like time had stopped. Everything was still. The people, the bar, the guy and her mind. She turned back to him, looked at him straight in the eye, walked up straight to him and kissed him on his lips. It wasn’t a deep long one, but it wasn’t a quick peck either. Like she knew what she was doing. Or at least she thought she did. He stared at her in shock. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and managed to say “Erm... Hi, Im Mark”. She looked at him and without blinking an eye, she replied “Mark? Good bye... Mark”. She turned and left the bar without looking back. Fast. Her long hairs were hitting her shoulders and her back as if patting her for her “achievement”.
She got out of the bar and the crisp chilly Sydney air hit her body hard. Like it was hugging her. Welcoming her. Accepting her. And she was accepting it too. The harsh cold wind was painful, but it was also tranquil. Something had definitely changed. A ripped stocking, a wasted first kiss and liberated... Like a long-time prisoner just out of jail... “Happy Independence day Reeva” she said to herself. And Reeva replied “Yeah baby!!!”
- Piyu.
Reeva had had enough. “Why can’t I have fun by myself?”, she thought to herself. She wasn’t getting any younger. Most of her friends were either married or engaged, a few even had kids. She however was waiting for her Mr. Right. She didn’t date, she hadn’t even had her first kiss yet. The forced slimy encounter with her uncle didn’t count. She was saving herself for “him”. Every time she called her friends to hangout, they’ve been busy. It was either work or meetings or a family holiday or “Sorry girl, but I’ve already made plans for the weekend. I promise I’ll make it up to you babes!”. She was tired of attending those birthday parties of her friends’ kids and calling it quality time.
“If you want to be happy, just be!”, one of her friends had posted on FB some time back. It just stuck with her. She remembered the incident last month, as she was passing through the Kings Cross station. The guy at the entrance of the strip club had called out to her “Hey! Independent lady! Come on inside, have some fun!!!” She was startled but gathered her composure quickly, as she had learned to, living alone all these years... “Some other time mate!!” she said and hurried away. What are these guys called anyway? There has to be some designation right.
She didn’t even have to think about it before refusing him. But today, she wondered why? “Why can’t I have fun by myself?” she thought long n hard. It was quickly followed by “What would be fun to do?” She started googling. Holidays? Nope, I may end up feeling lonelier. Cruises? Naah, too expensive! “Learn to walk before you run!!” a voice screamed in her head. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!” blasted another one. “Why does everything have to be so difficult? Arghhhh!”
She chose the corner-most table in the dark to avoid unnecessary attention. “Im here... Yeah baby!” The bar was almost full. Couples, ladies, but mostly just groups of guys. “No.. Im not intimidated. I refuse to be intimidated.” She put her foot down as she sipped on her large scotch. Scotch... It was burning her throat. Hell, it was burning her entire body inside out. “How do people drink this? I should ask for some soda...” Cut to... “Yeah baby!” Some guy was performing some act on the little stage. The crowd was laughing out loud. She wasn’t even listening to him. The scotch was having her way with her.
“I had this gf who would continuously try to feed me different foods. She believed the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach...” He was saying. Reeva thought to herself “Ahhh! Women jokes. How boring...” Suddenly everyone was quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Reeva looked around. Everyone was staring at her, even the artist on the stage. “OMG, did I say that out loud?” She froze; almost got up to leave. But changed her mind. Out of nowhere, she just declared “I think the fastest way to a man’s heart is with a knife... through his chest!!” The audience erupted in laughter at this sudden witty remark.
The guy flushed. But it was HIS show. He let the audience calm down, and said “Knife... You know the difference between a knife and a woman’s argument?” He looked at the audience and asked them, waiting for their answer. Then declared “The knife... has a point!” The bar roared again. “With women it’s like ‘You can either agree with me or you can be wrong’” He said, imitating the voice of a nagging woman.
He continued. “I can tell you the worlds shortest joke guys. It goes like this... 2 women were sitting quietly...” He waited for people to realize that That was the joke. Without missing a beat, Reeva shouted “False! Your penis.” And the bar erupted in a massive applause.
He tried to contain the situation. “These women... They fool you, you know people... No, no, no.. Don’t let them fool you. With all the make-up, the fake hair, fake breasts, fake everything...” Again, before he could finish, she said “Come on.... We don’t fool men... Most of ‘em are the do-it-yourself types...!” Reeva laughed hard at her own joke with the people... She was on a roll. She was stealing his show. “You mess with me, I mess with you.. That’s the kind of lady I am” she declared. Loads of hoots n whistles followed.
He tried to compose himself. “Heh.. Can you see this people.. We are almost duelling here”.
“We’re duelling? Where’s your wand then?” she said. OMG, did I just say Thaaat?
“You want to see my wand????” he said chuckling. “Let me show you my wand...” No, no, no... This was going somewhere else. Her face was blushing volcanoes.
“Sure, should I get a magnifying glass”. Who the hell is putting these words in my mouth??? The audience was rolling on the floor laughing.
“Come with me babe.. I’ll show you what my wand can do..”
“Ok people, I’ll be back in 10 mins. Ahh... would 10 mins be too much for you... babe??” She looked at him as she asked him. Yeah, baby! She ruled him. She owned him. The people were going crazy. She owned them all. The guy started laughing in defeat too.
He got down from the stage and started walking towards her. ”Oh no!” Reeva froze. Before he could say anything, Reeva stood up to leave. She didn’t want any trouble. “Should I apologize?” a thought crossed her mind. She could hear her heart beat hard in her brain. She looked at him. He didn’t look offended. He was in fact smiling at her. “Care to join me for a drink?” he said. Reeva’s heart was racing. She got up as fast as she could and started walking towards the exit. She walked a few steps, but stopped.
“Why am I running?” She owned him not long ago. SHE was in control. It was HER night. Something had changed. The panic vanished. She suddenly felt calm, tranquil. Like time had stopped. Everything was still. The people, the bar, the guy and her mind. She turned back to him, looked at him straight in the eye, walked up straight to him and kissed him on his lips. It wasn’t a deep long one, but it wasn’t a quick peck either. Like she knew what she was doing. Or at least she thought she did. He stared at her in shock. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and managed to say “Erm... Hi, Im Mark”. She looked at him and without blinking an eye, she replied “Mark? Good bye... Mark”. She turned and left the bar without looking back. Fast. Her long hairs were hitting her shoulders and her back as if patting her for her “achievement”.
She got out of the bar and the crisp chilly Sydney air hit her body hard. Like it was hugging her. Welcoming her. Accepting her. And she was accepting it too. The harsh cold wind was painful, but it was also tranquil. Something had definitely changed. A ripped stocking, a wasted first kiss and liberated... Like a long-time prisoner just out of jail... “Happy Independence day Reeva” she said to herself. And Reeva replied “Yeah baby!!!”
- Piyu.
Nice one!!
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