Are There Other Fools Out There?

I went to a bar last night out on Marco Island. I figured it was 10:00 at night, I wasn’t tired and I just wanted to get out of the hotel and maybe get a little buzz on. I’m not one that drinks much but a few rum and Cokes might do me some good.

The place was a little more crowded than I expected it to be, what with the storm and all, but it was easy enough to find a table/stool that would make me visible enough to any waitress that was serving that section. It took about 10 minutes or so until a girl came up and asked what I’d like. When she arrived with my drink I asked her to bring another before she even set it down. As she walked away I downed what was in front of me and waited another few minutes before the second one appeared.
During my second drink I was able to relax and just do my normal thing of just watching people. I noticed a number of groups of folks scattered throughout the place and I noticed a table of three women that were somewhat near my age or a bit younger. I smiled when caught staring as we all raised our glass to each other.

I sat sipping my second glass when the waitress came up with a third and told me that the women at the table I mentioned had sent it over. I was lost. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before and seeing what I look like it’s quite understandable. I again looked over at the women and we all raised our glasses as I mouthed thank you to them.

Now here’s where we all get to see what a complete and utter idiot I am. Any other guy in the world would have gotten up and walked over to the table where these women were and joined them. Me? I sat and freaked out. Here I have the opportunity to go hang out with some very good-looking women and my head gets so jumbled that all I can do is sit and do nothing.

Turns out I was fortunate enough that they decided to come join me. I can’t believe how nervous I was. They asked if they could sit down and I must have said sure because they did. I learned their names and we talked for a while and then, my biggest fear, they wanted to dance. I tried to play it off by saying how I suffered from “white guys” disease and had no rhythm but the excuse wasn’t going to be accepted.

So I made a fool of myself for some song I don’t even remember and as we all sat back down we started talking some more. One of the women lived here on the island and the other two were visiting from some city in Missouri. We chatted some more and I felt some connection with the local and we stayed at the table talking while her friends went to the bar to order more drinks. She told me a little about herself and I did the same. I left out the part about being totally lost at this point in my life and not having any idea what it was I was going to do.

She invited me over to her place tomorrow night, which was actually tonight, and said she would fire up the grill and make us both dinner. She told me she got off work at 8:00 so I should come over around 8:30. She gave me her business card and wrote her home number on it. I told her I had an interview in Miami the next day but would call her when I got back in town. What we had here folks was every guys dream. I was getting picked up at a bar. Never happened before and I had no idea what to do with, what many would call, this gift. I came back to the hotel, put her card on the table and went to bed.

I woke up today and went to the beach for a bit then came back and got ready for the trip to the other coast. The interview went well I guess. I never know how they go, I mean, they didn’t offer me a job but they also didn’t tell me to get the hell out of their office. They’ll let me know.

The whole ride back was a nightmare. I spent the whole time trying to think of a reason not to call her. When I got back to the hotel I grabbed something to drink and ran down to Bonita Springs to see what turned out to be the most incredible sunset I’ve ever seen. I had my ipod on and played a few songs in particular that I knew would bring a tear or two to my eyes and watched the fire extinguish itself by the gulf. I’m never not amazed at this sight.

I stopped at a store and bought a bottle of rum and some coke and came back to the hotel. When I got to the room I mixed myself a drink and started to change. I went over to the table and grabbed the card with her number on it. I stared and stared but couldn’t get myself to the phone. I put the card back on the table and looked at it some more. I made myself another drink, grabbed the card and walked over to where the phone was. I picked up my lighter and lit the card and set it in the ashtray while I watched it along with so many other things burn into the air.