“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” I say as I sit. “I’m not sure why anyone tries those apps, really.”
“Lack of other options,” she says.
“There have to be a few options out there that aren’t douchebags.”
She laughs and then quickly covers her mouth.
“Sorry for the language.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” she says. “He was acting like a douchebag the moment we got here. I should have trusted my instincts and left sooner.”
“Was he your ride?”
“No, thankfully. I took an Uber here. Lesson learned in the past.”
“I’ll have to make sure you get home safely, then.”
“No, that’s all right.” She glances up at me, and there is suspicion in her eyes. “I got myself here, and I can find my own way home.”
“I insist.”
“No.” She speaks firmly. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Since he’s been escorted out,” I say, “the club will get you a cab, no charge. Don’t worry about that. I just don’t want your whole night ruined. By the way, I’m Nate.” I hold out my hand, and she takes it briefly.
“Cherry,” she says, “and if you make any comments like the ones he made, I might have you escorted out, too.”
“Never,” I reply, glad I didn’t have a chance to say something asinine about her name. “So, will you please stay? At least for one more drink?”
She glances at her phone, seems to ponder my request for a moment, and then looks back at me. Her tongue darts out over her lips, and I feel my stomach tighten.
“All right. One drink.”
“Wonderful.” I smile at her, and she smiles back. It’s tentative, but I’ll take it. I turn to the bartender. “Hey, Jude!”
Immediately, the patrons sitting at the bar begin to sing.
“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad…”
Jude places his hand over his heart and belts out a few lines himself as he walks over to me with a big grin on his face.
“That has to drive you crazy,” Cherry says, snickering.
“You get used to it,” Jude replies with a shrug. “Occupational hazard and all. What can I get ya, boss?”
“Bourbon,” I reply, “and whatever the lady wants.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Cherry says.
“I do. I need to make up for the asshole you came in here with.”
“It’s not necessary,” she says. “Besides, I’m beginning to get used to assholes.”
“I hope I don’t fall into that category.”
“Not yet.” She eyes me, but her mouth is turned up as she presses her lips together.
Oh, so it’s going to be banter, is it?
My dick twitches.
“I’ll have to be on my best behavior,” I say with a polite nod.
“You’ve got tonight won,” Cherry says, “but the bar was set rather low.”
I have to stop myself from saying, “I think it’s rising.” It would be crass and over the top, but I can’t help thinking it.
“I guess internet dating isn’t going well for you,” I say instead.
“It is not.” Cherry holds her hands up in front of her as if surrendering.
“I’ve never tried it myself,” I admit. “My cousin has, but I’m not sure if the results could be considered quality dates. I honestly have no idea how people are supposed to meet these days, let alone avoid the assholes.”
Jude places our drinks in front of us and slinks away.
“No matter where you meet,” Cherry says, “there is always that chance.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a bit of experience there.”
“I have though this is the first one I’ve tried off an app. None of them have been worthwhile. I should probably just give up on the idea. For now, at least.”
“Just internet dating or dating altogether?”
“Either. Both. I don’t know.” She laughs. “They’ve all left a pretty bad impression.”
“How so?”
She takes a sip of her martini and stares at me over the rim of the glass. The look makes my heart beat faster, and I turn toward her, leaning an elbow on the bar and trying to maintain my casual appearance.
“Do you really want to hear this?” she asks.
“I’ve got to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes.”
She looks at me, blinks a few times, and then presses her lips together. I hope I’m not coming on too strong, but I want her to have a good experience here at my club. If I’m being honest with myself, I also want her to think of me as the person who improved her evening out and not think of Antony as some kind of savior.
“Right after high school, I was set up on a blind date by a friend of mine. In her defense, she didn’t know him. He was an acquaintance of her brother’s, and she felt awful about it afterward.”
“What happened?”
“At the start, the date was going fairly well. I should have known there was something wrong with him though.”
“Why is that?”
“He was rude to the bartender,” Cherry says, shaking her head. “Anyone who has ever worked any kind of service job knows to treat waitstaff well. He was impatient and rude. I should have just left then. Aaron—the guy I met up with tonight—was rude to the bartender, too. I guess I…”
“You what?” I ask when her voice trails off.
“I guess I haven’t learned that lesson,” Cherry finally says. “Rudeness should be a red flag, and I didn’t treat it like one. Like tonight, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I think it’s a female curse. We’re taught to always put other’s feelings before our own, always give people a second chance even if they don’t deserve it.”
“I think that’s the only way us idiot guys have a chance.”
“Anyway, at the
