Sometimes you meet the man of your dreams in a bar

Sometime or another you’ll meet the man of your dreams when you’re least expecting it.

You’ll meet him not once, but twice. You’ll be out with your girlfriend, your childhood best friend in fact, ready to spend the evening knee deep in drinks, lipstick, and tunes. You’ll be looking for fun and you’ll be looking for attention. A relationship will be the furthest thing from your mind; especially in a city you don’t plan on spending much time in. The floor will be dirty and the DJ will play all your favorite 90’s rap songs.

You’ll see him right away- the first time, and flirt aggressively. He’ll ignore you. You’ll pout over vodka cocktails until someone else asks for your number, you’ll give it to him just to push a dare.

You’ll go home alone- best friend in tow, and forget about both of the men you met.

A few weeks later you’ll end up at the same basement bar with your same best friend ready for round two. The man you flirted with is old news and completely out of your mind until you walk in and see him again, you’ll blush and say hello and wonder if he remembers you (he doesn’t) You’ll drink more, put on more lipstick, dance more, and contemplate bold moves.

Finally, a man with a keen Edward Norton appearance will convince you to go upstairs and chat him up. You’ll pretend to make a phone call to your other best friend in Chicago. You’ll leave a lengthy voice mail about nothing when she doesn’t pick up, just to kill time and work up your nerve.

Just as you are about to give up and head inside, a dead drunk man will fall on his face with a crack loud enough to make your stomach turn. This gives you something to talk to the man about who previously ignored you.

You’ll talk until the bar closes (the drunk will get up and stumble away, just fine). You’ll give him your phone number and wonder whether or not he’ll call. In fact, he will call you and ask for a date later in the week.

He’ll call the next day to ask if he can see you before (and in addition) to your scheduled dinner date claiming he can’t wait to get to know you. You wont know what to say or do since nothing like this has ever happened in your long line of dating. You’ll flip a coin to make a decision. Heads say go. Your coin will turn up heads. You’ll go. In a moment, that coin flip begins the rest of your life.

{ The Sometimes Series is a new essay series by Blog-The New Black. The first story, on love, is brought you by the lovely month of February}

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