The smell of rain filled the air that evening. Fall approached quickly and the weather that Thursday, made for an was absolutely beautiful night. The sun began to set as the lights from the local nightlife brightly glowed nearby. Tatum pulled up to the first bar she saw. She put the car in park and let out a deep exhale. It had been a long fucking day....who the hell was she kidding? It had been a long fucking month. She was killing it at work with her investment firm, but that success was based on the fact work had become her entire existence.
Tatum made work her life. She often found herself working so late into the night making it nearly impossible to go out with friends or even on dates. Tatum pretty much gave up on the idea of a boyfriend. At this point, her work was her boyfriend. She accepted that. Still, she couldn't deny how the long hours made her incredibly lonely. She always held on to hope that one day the time would come, after she worked her way to the top. She would finally be able to really enjoy life. Get to the top and it will all pay off, she used say to herself. What she couldn't deny to herself, was how much she really missed the touch of a man. If it wasn't for her vibrator, she was going to start thinking of herself as a virgin again.
Today, however, Tatum decided to finally treat herself and leave work a little early. She had received praise from one of the partners at her firm for a project she was lead on. She deserved a little me time. She thought if she didn't take just a little break, she would have an absolute meltdown. She needed to socialize with people other than co-workers. She needed to get out for just one night.
As Tatum got out of her car, she unbuttoned her blazer and threw it across on to the passenger side seat. She tugged down at her dress which had slightly scrunched during the drive. No longer hidden by her blazer, her curves hugged the long-sleeve, deep V-neck, black dress like it was meant for her. Her cleavage popped in the dress which spotlighted her voluptuous chest. She grabbed at the clip holding her dark brown hair up into a bun and released the long strands of hair which fell down her back.
"God that felt good," she thought to herself.
She gave herself one last glance in the reflection of her car window. She was feeling confident in how she looked.
"Shame to waste it on a solo date with myself," she thought to herself.
She let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes at how pathetic she felt. She was essentially taking herself out on a date because that was all she had time to do. Fuck it. She was going to enjoy her evening and unwind no matter what.
The bar was dimly lit and while it wasn't very crowded, it was filled with the sound of soft chatter and giggles from the customers. 3 Doors Down played lightly and Tatum immediately fell in love with the vibes. Tatum took a seat at the bar and tossed her phone into her purse. She didn't even want to be tempted to check any work emails. As she soaked in the calm surroundings, her eyes were met with the sharpest, bluest eyes she had ever seen. The eyes stared just has hard back into hers as he walked towards Tatum from behind the bar.
"What can I get ya?"
His voice was deep yet calming. His smile...hypnotic. For the first time in a long time, Tatum found herself unable to find words. She became lost in his presence. Something about him put a hold on her. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Tatum snapped herself back to reality.
"I'm sorry! I think I zoned out there for a minute," Tatum chuckled, trying to hide her awkwardness.
"Long day?" He asked.
"Long few months," Tatum responded. "I've been working incredibly hard trying to climb that good old corporate ladder."
"Is that so? And how's that going for you?"
"It's going pretty well actually, but success in my industry comes with a cost of not having any sort of a social life or relationships of any kind."
"Why the fuck was she telling him all this," Tatum thought to herself.
Tatum's mind began to spiral in embarrassment. She just dumped all that baggage on a complete stranger, within the first five seconds of meeting.
"Dirty martini with olives please," Tatum blurts out, trying to move past her unusual awkwardness.
Did she finally lose all her social skills?
"You're in luck," he smirked. "Dirty is my specialty."
Tatum could feel the warmth in her cheeks as she blushed. She caught a glimpse of a flicker in his eyes. She knew he noticed her reaction.
She made sure she diverted her eyes away while he made her drink.
He placed a chilled martini glass on top of a cocktail napkin. His physique made Tatum bite her lower lip. She couldn't stop herself as she scanned every inch of him. His body was strong. His muscular arms looked so good from the tight black t-shirt that clung to his body. His body almost glistened under the bar lights. His thick, dark hair gave him a villain look at first glance, but his smile and his voice gave off misunderstood hero vibes. He was dripping sex appeal and she was trying hard to not become some giggly, bashful school girl.
He threaded three olives onto a skewer and placed it on her glass gazing down at Tatum. Her hazel eyes meeting his again.
There was something about this girl. As soon as he saw her walk in, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She was stunning. She carried herself with confidence and authority, but her face seemed so soft and sweet.
He gave Tatum a warm smile, "I'm Justin."
"Tatum," she replied with a warm smile.
"Enjoy that drink. It seems like you've earned it and need it," Justin said. "This one's on me."
"Thank you so much," Tatum responded softly.
"Success! Tonight is on course," Tatum thought. She got a man to buy her a drink. Tatum closed her eyes as she brought the martini glass up to her pink glossy lips. The strong, cold liquid tasted so good. A warm sensation took over her as the alcohol began to settle in.
An hour passed and the bar began to buzz with lively conversation and laughter as a mix of alternative rock music played in the background. A few more patrons had filled the table seats and the laughter grew slightly louder with each passing cocktail. As Tatum took the last sip of her first drink, Justin slid another martini in front of her. Tatum started to say thank you when a hand slapped down on the bar next to her, startling her.
"Put the pretty girl's drink on me," the stranger with the loud hand slapping said.
Tatum looked up, a tall man stood next to her, inching closer and closer. His cheap cologne almost made her choke. He was dressed in a black collared dress shirt with matching dress pants and God awful brown shoes. As he stared at Tatum, he licked his lips. His eyes glared at her like she was a steak that he wanted to devour.
Tatum shifted in her seat trying to lean left in an attempt to distance herself. Tatum immediately notice Justin's stance had changed. He no longer leaned over the bar across from her, but stood straight up, the muscles in his arm twitching as he clenched his fists. His blue eyes beamed at the stranger.
"That is very kind, but I'm good. Thank you so much though," Tatum said sweetly with a smile. She figured if she was as polite as possible, maybe he would get the hint and just leave her alone.
