JIMNASIUM

     She likes to drink white wine spritzers. Normally she’ll have 2 and I’ll give her a 3^rd for free because she tips so damn well. The other day she had 5 but that was only because she was wrapped up in a conversation with the hot mother/son pair sitting next to her.  Man, that son was grrrrrr. Not only was he gorgeous with wonderful taste in alcohol, he ordered a Macallen 18 neat which was probably just a few years younger than him but I don’t know because I didn’t card him, but he was also a gentleman with manners. The type of manners that extend as far as smiling every time he spoke. His Mom was just as lovely. Linda adored them. Her and I are similar in that we both like shiny stuff.

     That was actually the first time I had seen her in a while because she’s been recovering from liposuction.  It was a gift to herself for her 55^th birthday. She’s been in a funk for the last year since her husband suddenly died of cancer and needed a little something to boost her spirits. When she walked in she lifted her arms above her head and twirled.

     “Look at you girl!” I said while applauding from behind the bar. I watched as her shoulder length, Texas blonde hair stayed full even after she stopped twirling. She settled in and as I set the glass of wine on the napkin in front her she leaned in dramatically.

     “They almost killed me,” she whispered.

     “What!” I said.

     “Yeap. The doctors perscribed me medication that was too strong. I guess I shouldn’t have taken so much. When the neighbors came by to check on me they said that I was purple and called an ambulance. The paramedics took good care of me, though. Oh, and one of them… Hmph. He was handsome. I delivered a bouquet of flowers to him the next day for being so,” she said while taking a sip of her wine, “well, you know, helpful.”

     Linda is one of my favorite regulars. She’s the type who’d make me break my rule of “Not Hanging Out With Regulars.” I’m picky when it comes to that. There’s this one regular who has been trying to be my friend outside of work for the longest time. He’s an ex-pastor from Georgia who came out of the closet late in life and is bitter about it. I understand where he’s coming from but know that hanging out with him would be a downer and at this point in my life (where there’s already been enough dark) I need to surround myself with shiny things like Linda. But we won’t be hanging out anytime soon because she’s heading to Cabo San Lucas for the next three months to wear a swimsuit.

     So, just a quick note about the date. We met at a cool restaurant/bar on Melrose called Bugatta. It’s supposed to be the new gay hot spot on Tuesday nights so we went on a Friday.  By the time I arrived he was already sitting in a booth on the patio. As I walked towards him I thought, “Fuck, he’s handsome,” and my stomach turned.  I greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The conversation was fun and smooth and comfortable, excpet for one part:

Him: Take the last egg roll.

Me: Nah, I’m good. I normally don’t have an appetite on dates.

Him: Why?

Me: I get too nervous.

Him: You shouldn’t be.

Me: O.K.

Him: (points to the rash on my hand) Oh cute, you’ve got freckles.

Me: (smiles, shrugs, takes another sip of Makers)…

      Other than that, I’d say everything went well. I’m crossing my spotted fingers we go out again. Ya veremos.