drinking at Poe’s, first come-on

I’m in my bedroom right now. Jane is in the bathroom, showering off the smoke smell. We were too tired to go out after the move so Kara ended up taking us bar hopping last night instead.

The evening air was practically scorching even at 11…I’m still trying to get used to feeling like I live in an Easy Bake. I wore a little jean skirt and this red silky halter I inherited from one of my friends in WVA after she got pregnant…actually, the majority of my cute clothes come from friends who stopped exercising after they got married or shacked up with their boyfriends, or got pregnant. They call it “relationship weight.” It’s a little depressing…but not for my wardrobe!

We started out at a lame sports-bar type place called Teller’s where they were playing this trivia game about 90’s sitcoms, so we knocked off of that pretty quickly. Kara drove us to this other place called Poe’s that had a raven on the sign, like Edgar A. Poe I guess. Inside it had some predictable spider web decorations and red backlighting, but the crowd was good– lively, not too bourgey but not too rough. Some polos, but mostly geeky indie T shirts. No white collars. They had the typical goth-themed drinks; I think my first one was called a Vampire kiss, made from pomegranate juice, a few splashes of triple sec, vodka, and a little wedge of blood orange.

I met a boy. Usually, this is a non-event. I take care of myself physically and I have a brain, and for some guys in bars, the first thing is enough. Really, for most of them, I’d only need the former and about enough cerebral matter for basic motor functions like drinking, brushing my own teeth, and…you can imagine. One. two. And repeat.

Well this boy, or man, I haven’t decided which he is yet, actually tried to hit on me. Did the whole, “can I buy you a second,” right after I’d downed the last swallow of my red cocktail.

Darcy: Actually, I’m good for now.

Dude: Hi, I’m Ford. <awkwardly sweeps hair to the side and offers his hand, I notice his watch from a chic Tokyo designer, Hanako…now I’m slightly interested in chatting>

Darcy: <SIGH> I’m Darcy, and I’m really pleased to meet you, but I’m like, almost 100% gay…so…I’m not really interested in…?

Dude <quietly, blushing, looking down at his feet>: Quoth the Darcy, nevermore!

It was completely awkward but endearing, and I’m a sucker for cheesy literature jokes. So we talked for most of the night. He’s from North Carolina and at Vanderbilt in Med School. He didn’t even try to chat Jane up. I think he legitimately wants to be friends. Or he’s hiding a unicorn horn under that floppy dark brown hair.