I had just gotten my degree in Global Positioning Systems, and moved to Tampa, FL from my hometown of Waco, TX. I was offered a job working in the city planner's office making a sizable chunk of money for someone straight out of technical college. I was new in town and had no real idea where or what kind of night life there was in Tampa, so I set out to find out.
I dressed up in a blue button down shirt, and a loose pair of jeans, walked out to the curb in front of my building and hailed a cab. I had no idea where to start so I leaned toward the cabdriver and asked him to take me to the nearest bar. I hoped that the bar was close by, I needed a place to get out and drink and be able to stumble home from. The last thing I needed was to call a cab every time I needed a shot of the sauce.
About five minutes later, the cab pulled to a stop, "Good, its close," I thought as I handed the money and large tip to the cabbie and thanked him for his services. I turned and got my first good look at my new home away from home. A large blue and green neon sign hung over the door.
"The Wet Spot," I thought to myself, "that's a new one," as I grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled the door open. Loud music poured out through the now open doorway and I knew immediately that I was gonna like this place. I pulled a pack off Marlboro Reds from my hip pocket and sauntered up to the corner of the bar. I sat down on a barstool, ordered a draw of Budweiser and began to take survey of my surroundings. This was definitely not the highest class place, but that's the kind of place I like. The conversation is always far more interesting in a dive. The Wet Spot was fairly small but still managed to house an electronic dart board, and a pair of pool tables. The only decor on the walls were beer signs of varying age both cardboard and neon. I was the only person in the bar with the exception of the bartender, which I found both disquieting and encouraging at the same time. I like an uncrowded which this definitely appeared, but I hate an empty one.
The bartender approached me again and sat down my pint. I handed him a five, dropped the change in the tip jar and extended my hand.
"Hi, I'm Jon." I said when the bartenders huge paw wrapped around mine.
"Howyadoon?" He said with an thick Irish brogue, a huge smile lighting up his bearded face, "I'm Chuck, I can tell your not from around here either, where ya from?"
"Actually, I'm from Texas," his smile was contagious, "I just moved here when I got a job with city plann..." My words trailed off as the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on walked into the bar.
Chuck looked up, his grin suddenly widening, as he saw our company.
"Howyadoon, Meghan, its been awhile since you've graced my bar with your beautiful face." His voice booming with his apparent happiness to see her. "I'd like you to meet my new friend, Jon." He said gesturing toward me.
It was then that I got my first good look at the lovely Meghan. She turned and smiled softly at me, and my heart skipped a beat. She was even more beautiful than I had originally thought. She had shoulder-length hair that was the perfect shade of auburn, and the light glittered off of it like a pool of water. She had the face of an angel, and a body straight from hell. She wore a tight badydoll t-shirt that clung to her small breasts as closely as physically possible, and the tightest pair of khaki capri pants that had ever been let loose up on the world. I looked down at my glass to make sure there was no possible way that the alcohol was fogging my sight. When I looked up again, she had moved to the seat next to mine and her hand hung in the air.
