Actually, it was relatively quiet in there; it was my ears that were still thumping and bumping along.Actually, it was relatively quiet in there; it was my ears that were still thumping and bumping along. "Wow." I said, rubbing the side of my head. "It seems so quiet in here after being out there." I have never been the king of opening lines, but at least this one had a little truth in it. She gave a short laugh. "I like to dance to it, but sometimes it is a bit much." She sat down on a bar stool and patted the one next to her. "My name is Maggie." I hoisted up onto the stool and held out my hand. "I'm Ben." I said. She held out her ringed fingers and I folded them in my hand for a moment. It was kind of awkward somehow, shaking hands with a girl at two in the morning. It's hard to explain. She ordered another drink - a Tom Collins or one of those kinds, which is sort of like grown-up lemonade - and I had another gin and tonic. I figured if my breath was going to reek, it could at least reek of pine needles, which is what gin always smells like to me. I paid for our drinks, not tipping the bartender too much because he was looking like he was starving and Maggie was a chicken sandwich. I've always mistrusted bartenders. I mean, they're already at a bar at work, so when they get off they're right there. Bet they never sleep alone. "Wanna go outside? It's kind of stuffy in here." Maggie said suddenly, surprising me. I felt a little guilty, like she had read my unkind thoughts about the bartender. "Good idea." I slid from my stool. "You lead the way. I'm lost." She smiled at me and walked toward a different door than we had entered. In my best Sherlock Holmes style, I surmised she had been here before. Every once in a while she would look back and smile at me, making sure I wasn't getting lost in the crush of bodies, and every time she did I got this feeling. I know this sounds egotistical and all, but I just got the feeling that this was a girl who knew what she wanted, and right now what she wanted was me. |