Chapter 01
“Shit.”
Blood pooled near the strip of skin now hanging loose.
Jane bit her lip and concentrated on pulling the last of the hangnail free.
“Great. Real sexy,” She said under her breath. She looked down the bar, thinking maybe she could ask the bartender for a Band-Aid.
College students packed the small pub. A popular place because of their tendency to not scrutinize IDs. The place smelled like they never truly cleaned all the spilled beer up off the floor. The dim lighting made it so you could almost imagine the place wasn’t as dirty as it was.
Shifting her gaze, Jane wondered about her outfit choice. She thought jeans and a loose top were appropriate for a first date but seeing the sorority girls dressed like they were at a club instead of a dive bar made her wonder if she didn’t try hard enough. She could have at least put a skirt on. Maybe more than lipstick and mascara.
And now she had blood running down her finger too. At least there were napkins on the counter.
The bar was busy for a Thursday night but then again, maybe a college bar was always filled with students celebrating their freedom with cheap alcohol. Nothing taste like avoiding writing your midterm like a two-dollar PBR.
In the corner a brunette female laughed as the guy she was with grabbed her by the waist. He picked her up, proving to all watching that he could throw her over his shoulder as she shrieked in fake panic. When he put her down she grabbed his jeans and pulled him against her in a kiss. He pushed her against the wall in a display of affection that most of their friends rolled their eyes at and returned to whatever they were talking about.
“Should I worry that my date is into voyeurism?”
Jane turned in surprised, her cheeks turning a violent shade of red.
The guy noticed and laughed, “Sorry didn’t mean to…I mean…Sorry. I was joking. You are Jane right?”
She nodded.
“Phillip.” He held his hand out. The gesture seemed too formal for the setting but Jane took it.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Should we get drinks?” He had very defined dimples as he smiled at her.
“Yes of course.” Drinks would be expected after agreeing to meet at a bar. Just one though. It wouldn’t be smart to get drunk with some guy she had met online. Sure he seemed nice enough but you never knew, Jane thought to herself.
It took a few minutes to get the bartender’s attention but when at last they had a whiskey sour and vodka tonic, they found a table near the back of the room.
“Do you go here?”
Phillip looked uncomfortable. “Yes and no.”
Jane waited for him to supply more information.
“Well there was a thing a couple weeks ago that I got in trouble for. Don’t worry, it isn’t like I’m a delinquent or something. I just was part of a rally thing that got out of hand.”
“A rally? What against?”
Phillip took a sip of his drink, “Damn corporations and bullshit. Hey, let’s not get into that. It really gets my blood boiling if you know what I mean.”
“Oh. Okay.” Jane let the lemon on the side of her drink fall in.
“What about you? You said you didn’t know the bar without Googling it. I’m assuming you don’t go to school here. Torrance?” Referring to Torrance Community College on the other side of town.
“Nope. Maybe someday. Can’t afford to right now. Working just to make rent.”
Phillip laughed. He had the kind of laugh that made you want to join him. His shaggy blonde hair fell in his face while he laughed. “Isn’t that what students loans are for.”
“Maybe. I don’t want to be in debt though.”
Wow, this date was going great. Maybe next they could talk about the weather.
“That probably makes you smarter than the rest of us racking up the bills for a degree that will probably not mean much once we graduate.”
“But the degree will look so nice up on the wall of the office job you probably could have got in the first place. You could get it professionally framed.”
Again with the easy laugh. “Ah the sad truth as told by Jane. So what does a girl like you do to occupy your time then?”
The night continued, mostly with small talk. The normal first date questions of where are you from, do you have siblings, what kind of movies do you like, and so on.
Jane was surprised when the bartender made last call.
“Looks like you made it the whole night without having to do one of those fake ‘my friend is in trouble and needs me now’ calls.”
“Is that what all the girls you meet online have to end up doing? And here I was thinking you were a nice guy Phillip, “ Jane smiled as she realized it was true. He did seem like a nice guy. Charismatic. The type that people would listen to.
“Well that has yet to be determined. However I will be a gentleman and walk you to your car.”
In the dark alley behind the bar, Phillip kissed Jane on the cheek before making sure she got safely in her car.
He’s the one, Jane thought as she drove away.