Chapter 2: Nice to Meet You

“The best way to get over an old man is to find a new man,” Caitlin, a friend of Laura’s, announced, determined to help her best friend get over her break up with Luke, a no good man who was no good for women. “And you are not going to meet anyone by locking yourself away and playing your cello!” Caitlin exclaimed.

“But I’m not ready. The wound is still fresh,” Laura responded. “We were together so long, you know? I thought we would be together forever,” Laura explained.

Caitlin was having none of these reasons her friend was offering up. If Laura was an 8 on a scale of 1-10 measuring external beauty, then Caitlin was an 11. And like all of those in the double digit category of that scale, she not only knew her worth in the world of dating eligible men, but she knew the best places to fish for them.

“Let’s go out tonight to a club that I heard of,” Caitlin decided. “It’s called ‘Cream of the Crop’. And believe me, they deliver, no less than the best.”

“The best?” Laura asked. It was not that she was interested per se. From her point of view she was just being polite by asking for some clarification for her longtime best friend.

“Successful corporate types. They attract them in droves like bees to honey. And you are the honey, Honey,” Caitlin laughed at her own play on words. “We aren’t stopping there. They have booths at the club for those who are the cream of the cream of the crop. Can you imagine?” Caitlin inquired.

“No, I can’t imagine and I don’t want to!” Laura maintained.

“I bet you can’t even remember the last time you went out. It’ll be as fun. Tonight’s Lady’s Night. Come on, Lor. Free admission and one free drink on the house with ten cent Buffalo wings. And I can be your wingman with the fellows,” again laughing at her own joke.

“You are in rare form tonight, aren’t you, Kit-Cate?” Laura smiled.

“We’ll have fun together whether we meet anyone or not. Let’s call it Project Diana,” Caitlin said.

“Why, dare I ask, Project Diana?” Laura asked.

“Because she was the Goddess of the Hunt and we are hunting only men who are the cream of the crop! It’s a club with a small, loyal group of party people, but I think I can get us on the list even with it being Lady’s Night tonight. What do you say?” Caitlin asked.

“I’d say ‘no thank you’, however, I’m guessing that was a rhetorical question,” Laura said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Pick you up at 10 p.m.” Caitlin cheerily and voluntarily offered.

“I guess that is to make sure that this ‘huntress’ actually goes?” Laura conceded.

“Yes, ma’am,” Caitlin beamed, “And wear something sexy that shows off your assets! Men haven’t changed, Lor. You have.”

# # #

This was absolutely not what Laura thought of as fun. Not the venue. Not the reason. Not the crowd. Caitlin was right on some points, but what if Laura met another Luke? She attracted charmers and learned from her last Mr. Suave and Seductive two lessons.

One: they can spot quiet wallflower women like her a mile away and prey upon them as sport.

Two: all of that irresistible charm will not be limited exclusively to you. They will charm other women just as easily as they did you. She was pissed; these men just used you until they grew tired then threw you away.

Laura hyped herself up for the night out.

As Caitlin promised, she arrived at Laura’s loft at 10 p.m. sharp and picked Laura up. Before they took off in Caitlin’s car, Caitlin shared some affirmations she had made especially for her friend.

“Look in the mirror, Lor, and repeat after me: ‘Tonight I vow, I will NOT be club meat. I’ll keep it light and casual. I am a huntress and I call the shots. I am just going to socialize, not to find my next long-term boyfriend. Asking for my number is not a marriage proposal. I will leave with my ego intact and without compromising myself in any way. I know that I can leave at any time.’”

Laura reached over and hugged her friend Caitlin and thanked her for knowing her so well. “Let’s go. I’m in!” Laura agreed.

Since Laura lived in a loft in a nice part of the city, she was right in the heart of downtown. It struck her as odd that for all of those years with Luke and living in proximity to all of these hip, fun spots, she could count on one hand the number of times they had gone out on the town.

She could also count on one hand the number of times he had paid for such a night. She would try her best tonight to think little of Luke and, when she did, regard it as ancient history. And she would make sure that piece of her history did not repeat itself.

True to her word, Caitlin had gotten them on the list and they were quickly ushered inside.

There was a bar, of course, and she told her friend, “Kit-Cate, let’s start here. I need some liquid courage,” Laura shouted in Caitlin’s ear over the loud music from the DJ. Nothing extreme for Laura; her first drink was a simple glass of Merlot. Caitlin got a Long Island Iced Tea.

Halfway through their drinks, Caitlin poked Laura on the arm to indicate a man who had been smiling at her from across the room in a booth. He sent over ten wings and a beer to Laura.

“See,” Caitlin said. The man started making his way over to the bar, and, like a finely choreographed dance, Caitlin moved toward the dance floor to give her girlfriend some space and time alone with the tall, dark and handsome stranger now approaching Laura.

“Hi. I’m Don. I didn’t know if you were vegan or vegetarian, spicy hot or mild, but I caught a glimpse of your beautiful smile and I decided to take the risk with the food, hoping you would take a chance on me.”

“Smooth,” Laura thought. “You must do this kinda thing a lot to have such well-rehearsed pick up lines.”

“Guilty as charged. What’s your name?” he persisted without skipping a beat.

“You can call me Diana,” she said playfully.

“Oh, like the Huntress. Then am I your prey?” he played back. “Clever,” Laura thought.

“Maybe I could spare your life if you tell me why you really came over,” Laura coyly asked.

“Hey, I saw you. You looked pretty. I wanted to get your number and maybe we could go out sometime. I come to this spot regularly but I do not recall ever seeing you on the downtown club scene. Sometimes it gets old, same places, same faces. You were new and that intrigued me. Wanna dance or just cross examine me some more?” Don grinned.

“We can dance,” Laura encouraged.

They danced for a couple of songs and went to the booth where he was sitting earlier, where their drinks and food had been moved.

“This is nice,” Laura said.

“The food, the dance, the drink, or the company?” Don asked her.

“All of the above,” she agreed and smiled at him.

“Well,” Don said,”Since we are playing ‘To Tell the Truth’, what’s your real name?”

“My name’s really Laura.” The wine and the beer made her a little tipsy since she was unaccustomed to alcohol of any sort. She made a bold, atypical move and offered him her number. He put it in his phone and then gave her his number in return.

“But, how did you know?” Laura wondered.

“Your friend. She mouthed your real name and I can read lips!” he exclaimed. The man has mad social skills, Laura thought. Out of practice and in the spirit of full disclosure that’s more comfortable among strangers, Laura asked, “Are you a player; am I getting played?”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out. Pick up the phone when I call you and come on a date with me in a different, quieter spot, so we can get to know each other better,” he explained matter-of-factly.

As if on cue, Caitlin sauntered over to their booth. Laura briefly introduced them to each other and Laura took her friend’s presence as a sign that it was time to go.

“I will call you!” Don shouted as Laura walked away, a blush coloring her cheeks.