Amy had not been in college long, but was often unhappy. She was doing fine with her studies, but less than pleased with her social life. She had left a boring small town full of young guys that didn't care anything about treating a woman right. After some very disappointing attempts at relationships, she had looked forward to college as a means of meeting new (and hopefully better) people.
Yet somehow, the time she'd spent at school still wasn't living up to her expectations. Despite her attractive body and charming smile, she still couldn't seem to find the right kind of guy. Still lonely, and still hurting from previous guys cheating on her, lying to her, etc., she felt like something meaningful would never happen.
Her older friend, Marie, was no stranger to the frustrations Amy was going through, and felt for her friend. A great deal of their conversations consisted of Amy getting advice from her wiser friend.
"Am I being too picky?", Amy would often ask. "Maybe I should just give up and settle for the next guy who shows an interest."
"Nonsense. You just need to be a little more patient. You've got a lot to offer-- you'll find your nice guy yet."
"That's easy for your to say", complained Amy. "You've got Mike in your life. Sometimes I think you found the last good guy around."
"Tell you what", Marie encouraged one evening on the phone, "Next Friday, why don't we go out for a night on the town. Mike has to work late that night, so you and I can go hang out at Lou's club for a while, and he can join us there later. We'll have some fun and maybe get you to meet some good guys."
"Alright, Marie, I won't give up just yet. But I'm going to rely on your guidance this time. Don't let me make my usual mistakes and wind up with the wrong guy again."
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As she promised, Marie picked up Amy on Friday. Lou's was a low-key restaurant/club/bar owned and run by an old friend of Marie's. The music tended to be a little quieter than many typical clubs, so it was a more suitable place for conversation and getting to know new people. There was often a regular crowd, so the place was busy, but not overly full.
Marie and Amy ordered some food and relaxed for a while. They traded some funny stories from recent events in their lives and just enjoyed catching up as friends do.
After a bit, Marie asked, "So what do you think, Amy? Any guys here catch your interest?"
"Gee, I'm not sure. I don't really see a lot of unattached guys in here tonight. Most of the good looking ones seem to be here with someone."
"What about that quiet guy sitting by himself in that booth near the back?" Marie indicated a dark haired guy quietly hanging out alone. He had a good sized build, was a little on the rounder side, and appeared to be a few years older than Marie.
"Hmmm... to be honest, I didn't even notice him until you said something. He looks shy. Either that or he's antisocial." Amy giggled. "What makes you think I should talk to him?"
"Well for one, the quiet shy guys will often surprise you, Amy. But the real reason I pointed him out is he's been checking you out."
"Get out! You are making that up!"
"No, I'm serious. He's been doing a good job of only looking your way when you can't see. But he obviously didn't count on me keeping an eye on him." Marie smiled.
"Well he is kinda cute. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go talk with him a little. What about you? I don't want to abandon you here."
"Oh don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Plus Mike should be showing up before much longer anyway. You go have fun, girl."
Amy screwed up her courage, took a deep breath, and slowly walked over to the booth with the dark haired guy. He was reading a newspaper and didn't notice Amy until she spoke. "I was wondering if you'd like a little company?"
Looking up with a slightly startled expression, he recovered his wits enough to reply, "Oh sure! That would be nice." Then he broke into a somewhat silly grin.
Amy slid into the seat opposite him. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, sorry." He blushed a little. "It's rather unusual for a pretty woman to offer to sit with me, is all. But I'm very glad you did. I'm Doug. Can I get you a drink or something?"
"Nice to meet you, Doug. I'm Amy. And you really don't need to get me anything."
"Are you sure? I think it's the least I can do if you are going to keep me company. Not even one drink?"
Amy hesitated for a second, then figured she'd level with him. "Well, to be honest with you Doug, I'm too young to be drinking in here. Lou, the owner, let's my friend Marie bring me here to hang out on the condition that I don't drink and get him in any trouble. So I appreciate your offer, but you see why I can't take you up on it."
"Oh, that's fine, Amy. I certainly wouldn't want to cause any troubles. Thanks for being honest with me. How about a soft drink?"
"Okay, an iced tea sounds good."
Doug asked a passing waitress for a iced tea, then got a contemplative look on his face.
"Everything okay?", inquired Amy. "You look like something is wrong."
"Oh, sorry. I just realized if you aren't old enough to drink, you must be a lot younger than I thought."
"I'm 19. Is that a problem?"