“You should flirt with him,” Beth says smiling. “Have Jake hook you up!” Beth jumps excitedly.
“I’m trying out online dating, remember?” Beth’s face says it all. Her oh really expression cracks me up. “Yeah, I know. I’m joking, but he’s probably not interested.”
“Whatevs, can we go out tonight?” she whines. “Leave the online creeps at bay tonight and let’s have a girl’s night.”
“Yes! Actually, Jake had mentioned that there would be live music tonight at Southern. I think a local band is playing. We should go check it out. We can always go somewhere else from there.” I smile, remembering Jake’s words to take Beth by the bar tonight. I hadn’t really thought about that when I mentioned going to Southern, but I smile inwardly at his reaction to seeing her. Beth is very cut and dry. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, so I know Jake’s charms don’t always work on her.
“Sounds great! Maybe Parker will be there again,” she winks and walks out to the main room.
I leave some premade salads and sandwiches out front for the few people that come in for a quick lunch. We close earlier on Saturdays, so I know the lunch rush isn’t as hectic as weekdays. I head home to sleep off this hangover before going out tonight. I can use some girl time with Beth. I miss Emily, but I’m glad I have other friends around here to spend time with.
We walk into a cramped Southern after Beth picked me up, and we make our way to the bar in Jake’s direction. We reach Jake and he slides over two beers, smiling at us, and his eyes linger on Beth a minute too long. Taking our drinks, we turn our backs to the bar and look out at the crowd. There are quite a few college students here for the show as well as locals. It’s a melting pot of all ages ready to relax on a Saturday night with some drinks and good music. I’m just happy my hangover is cured so I can thoroughly enjoy this beer and relax.
I know I work a lot and can sometimes lose track of my social life, but I love my bakery and I’ve worked hard to get it up and running. It’s been a dream ever since I was young and cupcakes were just a silly dessert used at birthday parties because they were easier to serve than cake. I had a vision and I worked hard to make that vision a reality. I didn’t have a huge family by my side, but my grandparents and I did just fine together. They pushed me to follow my dreams.
“This place is packed,” Beth says loudly. I nod taking a sip of my beer, letting it cool my insides. Although the weather outside has cooled down, it’s warm in the bar with all the people here tonight. Southern only has live music on special occasions, so people take advantage of that and come out for the unique experience. If Southern is hosting a band, chances are they will be the next big thing in the industry. People love saying that they saw the band or singer when they were unknown and singing at a local bar in Alabama. Tuscaloosa isn’t a tiny town, but we’re definitely no Birmingham.
“Yeah it is! So happy I am here tonight and not because I have a blind date with some online guy. I feel like lately I come here just to meet those guys.”
“Yes! Instead you’re out with me,” Beth winks and drinks her beer, scouting the crowd. Soon after, the band makes its way to the mock stage set up for tonight’s event and begins playing. They’re a blend of modern country with some Alabama overtones. It’s a fun mix that reminds me of Blake Shelton’s diversity and Florida Georgia Line’s younger side.
I love listening to music, so I escape into a world of lyrics and beats as they play song after song. Lost in my own world, I feel someone at my side.
“No blind date tonight?” I turn to stare at Parker’s blue eyes.
“Nope,” I respond and look back at the band.
“I take it the photos they sent you weren’t cutting it. Any other fun stories to share? I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about them last night,” he chuckles softly beside me. I suddenly feel hotter than I did when I first walked in.
“No. It is a girls’ night kinda outing.” I nod towards Beth in case he missed her.
“Ah, always good to do.” He remains silent but doesn’t leave my side. I can’t help but glance over at him from the corner of my eyes, analyzing him. He really is good looking. His dirty blonde hair is longer and falls in waves and his head bobs to the music, a carefree attitude surrounding him. His strong jaw is relaxed, such a contradiction to the power it seems to have. Now I feel creepy breaking him down into such details like his jaw. Since when do I analyze a man’s jawline? Everything about him screams relaxed and confident. I know I thought he looked like the all American baseball player type, but he could also pass for a football player.
Without looking my way, he says, “Enjoying the show?”
“Mmhmm.” I blush. I’ve been caught staring. I turn around to face the bar, waving Jake down. He knows what I want and without a word slides another beer down my way. Then he looks at Parker and waggles his eyebrows suggestively. I roll my eyes and turn away from him. I vaguely remember him mentioning Parker was a nice guy last night when he was putting me to bed. Let him keep working and serving drinks. I’ll just enjoy the music.
After the band finished up, music blared through the speakers and some of the crowd dwindled down, leaving the usual locals to enjoy their Saturday evening. I turn toward the bar in search of Jake. He came up to me after he finished serving his last customer and smiled, eyeing Beth. Laughing at his reaction, I shook my head, giving him a don’t go there look.
“The band was good, right?”
“Yeah, it was! I love when Southern has live music. You should tell Jimmy to have more bands come out and play for us,” I told Jake, knowing the manager would take any suggestions Jake threw his way. “Look how packed this place got.” Southern always has good business, but bringing in more live music will up their sales.
Parker turns around as well, ordering another beer and Jake turns to grab him one. Once he grabs his beer, he looks at me and says, “Are you always in cowboy boots?”
“Yeah, I do. If someone says something, I tell them I wear them in hopes that they will want to ride me like a cowgirl.” He chokes on his beer, some of it dripping off the side of his mouth. I smile sweetly, offering him a napkin. “Need one?” I hand it to him and turn towards Beth.
We talk about the band, moving our bodies to the music filling the bar, and enjoying our girls’ outing. I needed this time to just unwind and relax. Not think about guys that I could possibly meet and try to connect with. Not focus on finding that perfect man with this deal I made with Emily. Simply just enjoy myself, something I haven’t done in a long time and I seriously needed.
I wake up early despite making it home late last night and stumble into the kitchen to make coffee. While I wait for the coffee to brew, my laptop catches my attention. Although I complain about the experiences I’ve had with the people who have contacted me online, my own curiosity drives me to continue checking my profile and messages. I guess I secretly hope I’ll come across a normal man I can have decent conversations with, meet in person, and eventually build a relationship.
I start up my laptop while I warm my milk for my coffee. I fix my coffee just the way I like it, and sit at the breakfast bar with my laptop. I have a few messages. I begin to sort through them, amused at some. I think I’m just getting used to the messages by now. I can’t help but laugh.
Subject: Hey hottie
From: Chris
Hey Bae,
Did you sit on sugar? Because your ass is sweet.
Let’s have some fun with this one. I begin typing my reply.
Subject: Re: Hey hottie
From: Savannah
Umm… either you’re a creep who’s stalking me or think my face looks like an ass. Not sure which I’m more comfortable with.
P.S. I’m no one’s Bae.
Send.
There. That should be entertaining enough for him. It’s hard to ignore some of these messages. I might as well have some fun while I’m at it. I keep scrolling through.
Subject: You!
From: Hotguy22
Um, okay. That one is creepy. I was joking about being stalked. I really don’t want people seeing me out in public asking if it’s me. That is one message I’ll just delete. And gross! If I were to ever have a threesome–which is not on my bucket list–it would not be with my sister.
I grab another cup of coffee, loading up on caffeine to keep going. I think this is the day with the most messages received. Some of these are worse than those random messages you receive on social media accounts. I move down to the next one. The guy looks cute from the picture. God I hope he’s decent. I hold my breath as I open the message.
Subject: Hey
From: Mark
Hey Savannah,
I’m Mark. How are you? I came across your profile and noticed we have a few things in common. I thought I’d introduce myself and give this a shot. I’m new on here, so I’m not sure if there are some rules I need to follow. I would love to talk and get to know you. If you’re interested, shoot me a message. I really hope to hear back from you.
Yes, a normal one. These are rare to come across. I skim through his profile and realize he is right. We do have a few things in common, and the things we don’t have in common intrigue me. He’s a doctor in his early 30s. I write back to him before I keep looking at his profile. I like to have some mystery to it and make conversation. No fun if I know everything about him or everything he has posted, before we can even chat.
Subject: Re: Hey
From: Savannah
Hey Mark,
It’s nice to meet you. I’m new around here, too, but I think you’re doing great. I noticed you’re new to Tuscaloosa. Where are you originally from?
I send him a short and casual message open to more conversation from his part, and then I grab my phone and text Jake. We talked about having lunch today, so I figured I’d start texting him now so he’ll be up and ready to go come lunchtime.
After finishing some things at home, I jump in the shower to get ready for lunch. Jake resurrected from sleep and we planned on meeting at a small café near the bakery. As the warm water falls over me, I wish I were that kind of girl that would just sleep with anyone to relieve the ache between my legs. It’s been a long time since I’ve had sex, and I feel it weighing on me. But no, I need more than a dick to satisfy me. I want to feel intimacy with a partner, whether it’s a relationship or not, something more than body parts meeting. Finishing my shower before my imagination drives me wild, I dry off and dress for lunch, leaving my house before B.O.B. tempts me. How sad my life has become that a vibrator tempts me.
Walking into the café, I spot Jake right away. “You’re early.” I take a seat across from him.
“You’re late,” he counteracts and smiles. “How are you?”
“Good! Actually, I got a decent message on The Perfect Match.” I go into details of the other ridiculous messages I received and tell him about the one Mark sent. I hadn’t heard back from him before I left my house, but I have a feeling I will be hearing from him. We talk about last night and the band that played.
He helps me piece together my drunken Friday night and reassures me that it’s not as bad as I think it is. I was mostly talkative and bragging about the bakery. I already knew that. Jake has been a friend for years, so being in his company is relaxing. He’s like a brother and has been around through the good and the bad, and Lord knows there’s been some bad.
After some time, Jake says, “What about Parker? I know you made this deal with Em to try out the whole online dating world, but what happens if a good guy comes into your life, one who isn’t attached to the online world?”
I give him a quizzical look, confused by his question. “Yeah, I’d thought about the possibility of meeting someone in person while I was still doing the online thing and I decided I’d give that person a chance if it occurred. I just don’t get you bringing up Parker.”
Sometimes when you let go of your barriers, all things are possible. The point of this deal was to put myself out there and meet someone worthy of my time, whether it was via Internet or in person, but what confused me was Jake bringing up Parker.
“He’s a good guy. I’m just sayin’ you could give him a chance.”
“Jake, he hasn’t quite shown an interest.” We’ve only spoken a couple times and I wouldn’t say those conversations were romantically inclined. He’s mostly mocked me and there was that rare time he complimented my bakery, but, besides that, I wouldn’t say Jake had anything to go by to assume Parker was interested in me, or me in him for that matter.
“Well, if he does, you can consider it,” Jake replies.
I nod and continue eating.
The rest of our lunch goes by peacefully, chatting and hanging out with Jake. Emily called sometime during lunch but I told her I’d call her back. Now as I’m getting in my car to head home, I grab my phone desperate to talk to my best friend. For some reason I couldn’t get Jake’s words out of my head. It’s not the first time he’s insinuated something happening with Parker. Emily and I have never lived away from each other, so this move has been harder on me than I thought.
“Why hello there,” I hear her familiar drawl.
“Hey, Em!”
“How’s everything going?” I update Em on work, tell her about last night at Southern and the band we heard, and mention Mark. Emily tells me about work in Atlanta and the different things she’s discovering about her new city. Wes is great, which I wouldn’t expect anything less.
After a much needed conversation with my bestie, I fill up my tub and soak for a while with a glass of wine. Closing my eyes, I rest the back of my head against the wall, and allow myself these quiet moments to think back to my parents. I was young when they passed away, but my grandparents made it a point that I knew everything about them even if they weren’t physically with me. I have a lot of pictures, and in a way, feel like I really got to know them despite their death years ago.
I can’t help but allow my mind to wander back to Parker. He’s really good looking. His smile is gorgeous and I wonder if he mentioned something about me to Jake, or if it was just sheer observation from Jake’s part. Guys don’t normally talk to each other about that kind of stuff, especially if they just met, but Parker’s at Southern enough times that they may have some kind of friendship already. And what do I know if guys talk about girls so openly or not. Maybe he said he’d want to nail me. I feel my sex clench at how his arms flexed in his t-shirt the other night and the thought of him nailing me. I really need to have sex. Sometimes I wish I’d just find a hot guy for a night and let him bang the hell out of me.
I take a sip of my wine and sink back into the water, the warmth and suds surrounding me, as I get lost in the music playing from my laptop and the stillness of my mind.
Giving Beth a break at the front of the bakery, I take over at the register while the rest of the staff prepares orders. We’re short staffed this week since one of my employees had to head home for a family emergency. I forgot what it was like to manage the rush of people who come in all at once looking for their daily fix of caffeine and pastry, or their source of life before continuing with their daily routine.
I’m wiping down a table when I hear someone from behind say, “Hey, aren’t you Savannah?”
I turn around, confusion obvious on my face, and say, “Um… yes. Do I know you?”
“Oh, I’m Kevin. We’ve never met, but I’ve seen your profile on The Perfect Match. I look at it often.” His suggestive tone did not go unnoticed and a chill ran down my spine.
“Ooo-kay,” I slowly let out, very uncomfortable about having people come up to me at my job asking if I am who I am.
I feel an arm slip around my shoulders and pull me in. “Sorry buddy, she’s taken.”
I l
ook over at Parker with a what the fuck? expression.
“Play along,” he whispers in my ear and a different kind of chill rolls down my spine. This chill is welcomed and does something to my skin, cooling and burning at the same time.
“Oh, sorry about that. Well, if it doesn’t work out, you know how to reach me. Bye.”
I notice Parker exhale and release me, and I turn to him “What the-”
“Sorry. I’ve just seen that guy around Southern and he seemed like a creep the way he was checking out girls.”
“Oh.” What is it to him? Jake pops back in my mind and his suggestion to give someone a chance that hasn’t shown interest. Is this a way of him showing interest? Making sure guys, losers or not, don’t approach me. And why is he at the bakery again? I think this is the third time he’s been here since that first visit.
“Thanks, I guess, then,” I say awkwardly.
“No problem. Maybe I crossed a line but you seemed uncomfortable.”
“No…It’s okay. I was uncomfortable,” I say and go ring up the customer waiting for me at the register.
I have another date tonight. The guy seems nice, but he’s no Mark. Although, Mark and I have chatted a few times, he’s been really busy with work. I learned that he tried online dating after his friends bothered him that he works too much and doesn’t make time for his social life. They suggested online dating and he thought he’d give it a try. His hours are long in the hospital so it works out for him, but that makes me wonder if it will work for me. So far, he’s the perfect catch. While I wait for his schedule to clear up, I decide to go out with Bryan and keep my options open.
Sweet on Wilde Page 3