5. Michael
The bar was full of familiar faces, some of them much younger than me, only a few closer to my age. Being invited out to the after-work social gatherings had gotten dull after I turned thirty-five. The idea of dating someone more than ten years younger than me didn’t quite sit right, and most of the people my age who’d considered dating me were involved in a relationship now or I’d burned that bridge.
Tonight, however, when Tammy extended the invitation, I decided to take a chance that maybe Sarah would come. The Hub was one of the best bars in Savannah, and I used to frequent it a lot until the past year or so. My dating experiences soured me a little, but not to the point that I’d never try again. I just took a breather, and I hoped that breather would be over now that Sarah had mysteriously come back into my life.
“Dr. Lawson! So good of you to come.” Tammy waltzed over with a drink in hand and offered a big hug—a big, halfway-drunk hug—and I awkwardly hugged her back.
“Thanks for letting me know you were all coming out. Who all is coming?” I asked, not wanting to lay the groundwork for suspicion as to my motive, but I wanted to know if Sarah had said anything.
Tammy shrugged and sighed. “You know, the usuals. Wade will be here later, and Mark, Ellen, and maybe Karen from accounting. But I’m glad you came. We’ll do karaoke later, and I want to hear you do that song you do.” She pointed a crooked finger at me, winked, and walked off.
I wasn’t sure what song she meant, considering I’d only done karaoke a few times here but I’d done a different song every time. Maybe it was her way of flirting, but Tammy just wasn’t my type. I settled that in my mind right away the minute I met her. I preferred a woman with a few curves to enjoy, and Sarah fit that bill perfectly.
Alone again, I headed to the bar, ordered a plate of nachos and a few drinks to be brought to my table, then found a spot in the darkest corner of the place. From where I was sitting, I could see the door and most of the barstools, though the dais and karaoke station were blocked from view. I didn’t mind since I wasn’t here to be entertained by bad singing coming from drunken coworkers.
The waitress brought me my food and drinks, and I munched on half-stale chips feeling a bit irritable. I could have had fresh food at home, and cheaper beer too, but I’d come out on a whim. The beer wasn’t even frosty. It tasted lukewarm, which only irritated me further, and I was about to get out of my seat and leave when the door sprang open and in walked Sarah—or not Sarah. She had the same bold eyes, the same gorgeous smile, but her figure was too slender. And she was taller.
My curiosity was piqued immediately. She stood in the open doorway with her arm stretched out toward the street. It looked as if she was trying to convince someone to come in with her. There was no way this woman wasn’t related to Sarah. That’s just how much they looked alike, so my mind instantly decided they were twins or at the very least sisters close in age.
After a few seconds, “Not-Sarah” pulled hard on whomever it was she was coaxing, and the door opened wider. For a brief second, I saw her silhouette against the backdrop of the fading August sun. And when the door shut behind the two women, Sarah came into view. It was remarkable how much they looked alike, but the full-figured beauty dressed in bold blue caught my eye. She wore a knee-length dress that looked like it wrapped around her body, hugging her curves, and tied at her side. The deep V in the front showed more than enough cleavage to get my juices flowing, but it was the way her blonde tresses had been tied up, exposing her neck and jawline, that captivated me. She was stunning.
I wanted to get up and rush right over to her, but she seemed frazzled or even mildly annoyed that she was here. Tammy—acting as the St. Anne’s greeting committee—walked up to her with a giant hug. It was nice to know I wasn’t special in that regard. I watched them chat and Sarah’s bright smile make an appearance until Tammy walked away, then Sarah and her sister sat down.
My nachos had been completely forgotten, as the only thing on my mind was somehow reconnecting with her and finding out what happened that night. My mind raced with ideas of how to get her alone and talk, or even how to just broach that conversation. It wasn’t easy to think coherently, either. She was so attractive to me that she made my body feel things, bad things, and I couldn’t think straight long enough to process my own desires or the questions I’d ask.
“How’s it going, Doc?” The waitress swept past me, pausing briefly at my table. She clicked her pen a few times and chewed her gum loudly.
“Uh… Good,” I said, eyes still on Sarah and her twin. “How about getting those two beautiful blondes a drink of their choice on my tab?” I nodded at them, and she grinned like she read my mind.
“Absolutely. Consider it done,” she said, then headed off toward the bar. I saw her whisper something to the husky bartender with facial hair who looked more animal than human. His eyes met mine, and I waved at him. He scowled, but maybe he was just mirroring the expression on my face.
When I realized I had a scowl of concentration and that I probably looked like a major jerk, not a man interested in wooing a woman, I attempted to relax. I rubbed my face and took a deep breath, but the tension of whether or not she’d even talk to me had me so lost in thought that darned scowl kept coming back.
I watched the man prepare the drinks, slide them in front of the ladies, and then nod at me. When Sarah turned over her shoulder, along with her sister, to look my way, I wasn’t even prepared. I started to lift my hand in a wave, but she quickly looked down at her glass, covered her face, and then tried to get off her seat. Her sister grabbed her arm and forced her to stay on the stool, which only made them bicker a little. She was cute when she was frustrated.
After a few minutes, the sister slid off the stool and left her purse lying on the bar. She muttered something to Sarah and started in my direction. My body felt tense, shoulders and hips locking into place. Sarah had seemed so overcome with some sort of emotion that day she bumped into me in the hallway, but I wasn’t sure what it was. If I’d have had to guess, I’d have said it was surprise and attraction, but given this response to my buying a drink, I wasn’t sold anymore.
But the leggy blonde who looked just like her stopped at my table and looked down at me. “Dr. Lawson?” she said, and I nodded before she continued. “She’s gonna try to bolt. If you want to talk to her, you”d better get over there quick.”
I wanted to ask why Sarah would just run away, but I wasn’t given the chance. The woman walked off toward the back of the bar where the restrooms were situated, and I picked up my untouched drinks and stood. Sarah never looked up at me until I sat down where her sister had been sitting and set my two beers in front of me.
“Oh, uh… Hi, Dr. Lawson,” she mumbled, and I noticed how deep the crimson warmth was on her cheeks. So flustered, I’d have thought she had a cortisol imbalance, but I knew better. She’d had that same reaction the first night we met.
“Sarah, please call me Michael. You don’t have to use my title here.” I picked up my first drink and downed half of it, then wiped my mouth and set it back down. She hadn’t touched her drink, and I wondered why. She also remained shockingly quiet, which also wasn’t like her—or at least not the “her” I remembered. So, things were needlessly awkward until I decided to break the ice.
I took a deep breath and braced myself, and when I spoke, she spoke too.
“Look, I just wanted to say that?—”
“I know this is odd, but I want to?—”
“Sorry,” she muttered, her blush deepening, if that were even possible.
“No, go ahead…” I turned to face her, and she looked down.
“No, you go.” Her voice was tiny, as if she was intimidated by me or maybe didn’t want to have to let me down. I got the point, and it made me feel upset, but I persevered and tried to stay calm and not get grumpy.
“Is that your sister?” I asked, hoping the lighter topic would help her loosen up. Our first encounter at work had been strictly professional, but maybe I’d read into that since she smiled at me. Our second encounter made me think she was still into me, but again, perhaps she was just flustered because we’d had sex in the past and it was socially uncomfortable for her?
But this was just painful. She didn’t have to spell it out. She wasn’t interested, or maybe I was again reading too much into it. I’d just been burned by too many women to even know how to read them.
“Uh, yeah. Her name’s Nev.” Sarah fiddled with her purse strap and then looked up and snatched Nev’s purse off the bar. “She forgot this.”
Almost five years ago, our encounter had gone entirely differently. I couldn’t even remember who approached who, but we’d talked for hours. She was fun and witty, charming and thoughtful, and most of all, she’d been interested. I didn’t understand. Her behavior frustrated me, and I found myself scowling again without thinking about it.
“Why didn’t you ever call me?” I asked, looking down at my beer. Maybe I wanted the answer, but maybe I didn’t want to see her expression when she gave it.
The bar felt silent, though I knew the loud music and chatter of other patrons were still there. But between us, it felt like ice, like someone or something had consumed the connection we had, and we were perfect strangers all over again, no rapport at all.
“I, uh… I lost the paper you gave me, and then by the time I found it, it was too late,” she blurted out, and it sounded like she’d done so very hastily. I looked up at her face, which instead of being dusted with pink, it was white, pale as a ghost. She swallowed hard, and I shook my head.
“Too late?” I asked, unsure what she meant, and then she was gone, off her seat, hurrying to the bathrooms where Nev had gone.
I turned to watch her, feeling very confused by what she’d said. Why would any time have been too late? Unless someone had told her that I was getting that promotion. I didn’t even remember whether I’d brought that up that night. I wasn’t in the practice of boasting about things like that, especially when I’d been so uncertain whether I even wanted the job or if I’d be any good at it. And now all I could think was what if she had never called because she thought I left?
Now I had to know what was going on, even if there was nothing between us anymore. I wanted an answer. My pleasant side hadn’t gotten through to her, but my grumpiness and demand for an answer had done something, at least. I just hated that she saw that side of me.