She slid into the chair exactly like I did.She slid into the chair exactly like I did. For some reason, this pleased me. She set down her suede purse on the table and unclasped it, took out a cigarette. Wordlessly, she offered me one, which I took. Silently, she slid two out of the pack, pulled out a gold lighter and lit them both. Not really remarkable, unless you figure I quit smoking 5 years ago. The waitress came by and she whispered, "Vodka gimlet and freshen up my girlfriend's drink at the same time. I heard the swish, swish, swish of the petticoats heading toward the bar. I gazed at my new companion. She smiled and after our drinks came and the swish disappeared into the dark, she finally broke the ice. "First time I take it." "Why would you say that?", I wittingly demanded. "Because you act exactly like I did 3 months ago when I made my debut", the redhead sang. "Look, I was even more nervous than you are. I had only dressed in private. I learned makeup from magazines. I saw you with Jake when you came in. He told us last week that he had a special friend he was going to bring in tonight. Just asked us to be friendly." I was more confused than before. Not only had Jake planned this entire evening, he was so confident in the outcome, he told everyone except me. I felt my cheeks redden. I'm sure my eyes reflected my ire because the redhead shook her head and said, "Hey, don't be upset. I only came over because I know the first time is almost impossible. |