My watch seemed to move slower as the minutes dragged on. I had been waiting at the neighborhood pub, tapping my boot on the brass rail and nursing a pint of beer. The bartender had been prodding me for at least a half hour, "So, when do we get to meet this mystery woman from Nashville?"
Her grin gave me a bit of comfort. I had been one of Brittney's customers ever since I came back to the American south, some three months while I reconnected with family and met my nieces and nephews for the first time. "She should be arriving any minute really." I chuckled nervously and took another long drink from the sweating glass in front of me. I was dressed plainly today, boot cut jeans with patches of wear from working outside in the sun and dust. My faded shirt had an old slogan across the front with a portrait of skeletal angels gathering around a signal fire. "Don't bite the hand that feeds"
I wondered if the black combat boots I was wearing would be a bit much. First impressions could make or break a meeting like this and I had done a good job so far. My phone and email accounts were full of flattering messages and freely shared details about my mystery woman's wants and desires. Several times, she had sent me messages and random notes that nearly made me blush while I worked on idle chores through the day. The expectation was high and I had every intent to deliver an unforgettable get away for my Southern Belle.
Glancing around the bar, I noticed there were very few people present on this lazy afternoon. The locals must be picking up on my signal and staying out of the way for a change. Neon signs buzzed overhead and the flickering of wall mounted televisions sent flashes across the side of my phone that made me think there was some kind of message waiting for me.
I sighed and took a deep breath. "Hey Brittney, you think I could get one more beer and my usual shot?" She nodded and smiled, her eyes stopping on something just over my shoulder.
"Better make that two hun. I have a feeling this boy needs to calm his nerves down." I recognized the voice at once. It was the bouncy rhythm and friendly tone that could disarm you in a heartbeat that gave her away.
I spun my stool around and saw those big, blue tinted eyes that had only been a phantom on my computer screen some moments before. It was hard not to notice them, set into flawless skin and a crop of wavy almond colored hair. Her broad smile and outstretched arms were all I managed to catch sight of, before she wrapped around me and planted a big kiss on my cheek.
"Babe, you are just as cute as those pictures you teased me with!" She said playfully with a hand on the side of my face.
"How long have you been here? I didn't even see you come in!" I choked out my startled response. Brittney arrived with another beer and two chilled shots just then. She winked at me and purposefully walked away from us to tend to something at the other end of the bar. This was her "Go get her, tiger" signal for me.
Tiffany raised an eyebrow to the shots as a kind of challenge. Obliging, I grabbed my drink and toasted her shot. "Well, welcome to hick town USA." She giggled and slammed the shot nearly as fast as I did. Sitting next to me, she stuck her hands between her thighs and shrugged, "Well, here I am.." Her smile hadn't left those full, pouty lips since she caught sight of me. This was going better than I expected.
"Yes you are. You look a lot better in the flesh. It helps that I can reach over and actually touches you." I winked at her and tried to break the ice. She draped her purse over one of the hooks and settled into her seat. After a deliberate look at me from head to toe, she plopped a straw into her cocktail and raised it to her mouth. "If you play your cards right, you just might get to touch as much as you want."