More Play - Vignette 3: Male POV
He knows as he leans against the bar by himself that he cuts a fine figure. He observes the woman on the other end of the room glancing at him, repeatedly, and takes pleasure in it. He is not concerned by the lateness of the girl he has come here to meet. There is too much to see, the Friday night crowd bustles and hums around him.
He looks up in time to see her trip as she enters the room. Typical, he thinks. She looks dishevelled and he dreads the evening ahead, although her obvious interest in him is endearing. I’ll stay for one drink, two max, he thinks.
'Hi,' she says, approaching him warily.He looks at her. She is clearly nervous.
‘You know what your problem is?’ he asks.
‘What?’ she says, a little alarmed.
‘You don’t know whether I’m a good guy or an asshole.’
She swallows. ‘That’s not true,’ she says. ‘I know you’re a good guy.’
He smiles at her, and thinks: Duped.
He orders her a glass of wine and knows he could fuck her by the end of the evening, and that chick across the room too if he wanted to. Sometimes his life is almost boring in its ease.
He decides to mix things up a little.
'You've been eating garlic,' he says, knowing that the bar inflicts close talking as a necessity.
It hits the mark, high colour rising on her cheeks. But he is not expecting her response. She looks up at him, defiant.
‘I take back what I said before. I think you might be an asshole after all.’
It is the first time she has spoken to him like this and the first time he has felt any attraction towards her. Lust seizes him unexpectedly. He raises an eyebrow, artfully.
‘Really?’ he says. ‘Doesn’t that make me a little more interesting?’
She smiles, and he realises she is not insipid as he once thought.
‘Maybe.’ she says. ‘Maybe I’m a bit of a bitch, too, and you don’t know it yet.’
I bet you are, he thinks to himself. But he doesn’t say it. Instead he turns to the maitre de at the bar and asks for a table in the plush restaurant next door.
‘I thought we might have dinner together.’
She looks at him, thoughtfully, catching her plump bottom lip between her teeth.
‘Why not,’ she says. ‘I have nothing better to do.’
But as he turns towards the dining room he feels something cold on the back of his neck. He puts his hand up to catch it and the golden liquid flows through his fingers. He is too late to catch her wine glass, as it falls to the ground, or her arm, as she strides by him out the door.
The fuck that might have been, will never be.
He looks up in time to see her trip as she enters the room. Typical, he thinks. She looks dishevelled and he dreads the evening ahead, although her obvious interest in him is endearing. I’ll stay for one drink, two max, he thinks.
'Hi,' she says, approaching him warily.He looks at her. She is clearly nervous.
‘You know what your problem is?’ he asks.
‘What?’ she says, a little alarmed.
‘You don’t know whether I’m a good guy or an asshole.’
She swallows. ‘That’s not true,’ she says. ‘I know you’re a good guy.’
He smiles at her, and thinks: Duped.
He orders her a glass of wine and knows he could fuck her by the end of the evening, and that chick across the room too if he wanted to. Sometimes his life is almost boring in its ease.
He decides to mix things up a little.
'You've been eating garlic,' he says, knowing that the bar inflicts close talking as a necessity.
It hits the mark, high colour rising on her cheeks. But he is not expecting her response. She looks up at him, defiant.
‘I take back what I said before. I think you might be an asshole after all.’
It is the first time she has spoken to him like this and the first time he has felt any attraction towards her. Lust seizes him unexpectedly. He raises an eyebrow, artfully.
‘Really?’ he says. ‘Doesn’t that make me a little more interesting?’
She smiles, and he realises she is not insipid as he once thought.
‘Maybe.’ she says. ‘Maybe I’m a bit of a bitch, too, and you don’t know it yet.’
I bet you are, he thinks to himself. But he doesn’t say it. Instead he turns to the maitre de at the bar and asks for a table in the plush restaurant next door.
‘I thought we might have dinner together.’
She looks at him, thoughtfully, catching her plump bottom lip between her teeth.
‘Why not,’ she says. ‘I have nothing better to do.’
But as he turns towards the dining room he feels something cold on the back of his neck. He puts his hand up to catch it and the golden liquid flows through his fingers. He is too late to catch her wine glass, as it falls to the ground, or her arm, as she strides by him out the door.
The fuck that might have been, will never be.
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