Weekend Reading!

3/7/2024

It was making Nick’s job of checking out the people coming and going much easier. He readjusted his chair and inched it closer to the bar so he could hear what Todd said. Todd stood at the end of the bar closest to their table. The kid got up, took a few steps toward Nick, and snagged a menu from the empty table near him. He nodded to Nick, then sat close to Todd, separated by an empty stool. Todd glanced sideways at the kid,
sighed, and waved to the bartender.

The kid raked his gaze up and down Todd. Nick leaned forward, rested an elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. He raised his eyebrows when the boy said to Todd, “It’s a nice night. Have you been to this place much?”

Nick coughed, and Todd tossed a dirty look over his shoulder at him. Todd placed their food order, then said to the kid, “Passing through on a business trip.”

The kid turned his stool so he fully faced Todd and held out his hand. “Drew Pell.”

Nick tried very hard not to laugh, but he wasn’t as successful as he would have liked. He shoved his chair around and grabbed up the menu to cover his face again when both Todd and the kid looked over at him. Todd nodded politely but didn’t shake the offered hand. His expression changed from confusion to relief when the bartender came by and set down the drinks Todd had ordered.

Before Todd could respond to the kid, a young woman swept into the bar. Nick pulled his attention from the entertainment of Todd and the kid and was immediately riveted to the woman. Todd saw Nick’s response to the woman and turned to look as well. That’s when Nick noticed nearly everyone in the bar, including the staff, was having the same reaction. Nick mentally corrected himself: everyone who was male. Nick had never been attracted to women, and no doubt he wasn’t the only one in this bar with similar tastes. Yet it was quite clear every male in the place was drawn to her and watched her.

The kid laid a hand on Todd’s arm, making him start. Drew asked, “Do you know her?”

“No, I…” Todd grabbed the drinks and hurried back to their table.

The woman wasn’t overly beautiful, but she was alluring, and that made no sense to Nick. He was willing to concede that, maybe to a man attracted to women, she was gorgeous. She swayed when she walked and almost seemed to be floating over the floor instead of stepping on it. Her hair was short and had a nice wave that made it bounce softly as she moved. The garment she wore covered her entirely. It was an odd, straight sort of dress that did nothing to show off or accentuate whatever figure she might have. Her skin had a sort of bluish cast to it, but the dress was blue and somewhat shiny, so Nick could attribute her complexion, at least in part, to what she wore.

“That’s her,” Nick whispered. “And your boyfriend is coming to hit on you some more.”