Glenlivet with a Coke Back

"Glenlivet with a Coke back."

That's what I said to the bartender as I sank into the leather chair. I had searched for over a half-hour for a parking spot that wasn't over ten dollars an hour and now I just needed a drink. The city was cruel that way. There was a cute blond sitting next to me, yapping away to the two guys next to her. It was just one of those nights.

I couldn't be bothered with the formalities. I just wanted to crawl into a rocks glass. The brown liquid soothed.

Something was eating at me, something I couldn't place my finger on. Things were going well but, in an unfamiliar place, sometimes one can be thrown for a loop. I had gotten a tip from one of the guests at the hotel that the Lounge on 4th Street was the place to be. It was a cozy place. The clientele a mixture of the college crowd and the 50 something. I was focused on the in-between.

The girl was sipping on something green, probably something made of Midori. It was mild, I'm sure; she probably didn't want to get blitzed. After all, it was a school night. Upon inquiring, she said her name was Joan. 'Joan,' I thought. What a fucked up name. I hated that name. It was the name of the woman whom my father thought was his soul mate. She wasn't. But, I wasn't looking for what my father thought he'd found. I was looking for one night. And Joan was as good as any.

"What do you do?" I asked.

"I design buildings for a living," she said.

"Oh, you're an architect." I stirred my scotch with the white straw the bartender was nice enough to supply.

"Yeah. What do you do?"

"I do a lot of things." I made it a point to be vague. I'm not about being specific, especially to someone I knew I would never see again after the morning rolled around.

"Oh. How mysterious." She twirled her jet black hair in her finger. Her blue eyes piercing me.

"I try," was all I could manage.

"Do you live here?"

"No, I'm in town on business."

"Really?" She leaned in, her eyes engaging. There was something about her that screamed 'Fuck me. FUCK ME NOW!" I refused the the blatant invitation. I was going to play for a bit.

"Yeah. Advertising." It was a lie, but I didn't think she cared. As long as she thought I was important, it didn't matter.

"Advertising? What kind of advertising?"

"Internet. I'm meeting with a few people who want to advertise with me." This was true. I wasn't going to tell her I was the owner of a growing Internet company. The boom was over a long time ago. And this wasn't Silicone Valley. Again, I don't think she cared.

"Oh yeah? What kind of site do you have?" Her leg brushed up against mine. She was invading my space. It looked promising.

"Just something in entertainment. It pays the bills." Her eyes widened. God, they were inviting.

She sipped her drink. She was definitely interested. And that was a good thing. I knew I could close this deal and it was time to do just that.

"Are you here with anyone?" I asked.

"Why?" She smiled coyly.

"I thought, maybe, you'd want to join me for a night cap."

"What do you have in mind?" Her smile grew.

I paid the check and gave her directions to my hotel.

It was a good night.