Didn't happen

So that party?

Yeah I didn’t go.

When I left to go teach at 3, I knew I pretty much had no chance of getting in. The tickets didn’t sell in one after noon, they sold in 14 minutes. And the girl in charge of the media guestlist? Yeah… same as last year.

Meh, whatever. I figured, I’d stop by The Drinkery on my way home.

Just before I’m done, I receive a text message from Cynthia: Come have dinner with me at The Drinkery.

How perfect!

Cynthia is among my very best, best friends. She works in the office at The Drinkery, doing all the accounting. Now she’s actually a shareholder of the restaurant, but when I used to work there, she was just an employee as well.

Back when Cynthia was single, she would always party like there were no tomorrow. I can’t even remember the number of times we got ourselves completely wasted at the best restaurants and most exclusive clubs in town. She had the same spending problems as me and fancied the same things: cocktails and nice restaurants. We hit it off right away.

A year and a half ago, she met her boyfriend, a really great guy, perfect for her. So she left the circuit and disappeared quite abruptly. I was not on the circuit anymore myself at that time, mind you.

But now I’m back, and she’s not. And it’s just ok like that. Cynthia really wanted to find her guy, the one, the father of her kids. And she did, so I’m way happy for her, even though I hardly see her anymore.

But Cynthia is this kind of friend that I know will always be there in my life, no matter how much I actually see her.

All this to say that I was more than happy to join her at The Drinkery.

The last time we had dinner there, we stayed until closing time and I took a girl home, a girl I had just met an hour earlier at the bar. She left in the middle of the night in a hurry, I think cause the spell broke and she just snapped: what the hell am I doing here with a guy at least 5 years younger than me who I don’t know at all. I say I think cause I was way drunk and don’t remember a thing.

I know it’s not something I've done. First, I stay pretty much the same no matter how drunk I get. Sure I’ll be a drunk version of myself, but I’ll never be out of place, I’ll never do things I wouldn’t do if I weren’t drunk. And if I do reach such a stage, it means that I’m about to fall into an ethylic coma. Just give me one more shot and you won’t hear anymore from me.

But yeah, the next morning, when I woke up, I had NO IDEA what the girl looked like. Nothing, zip, not even a blur. I know she was cute, I don’t hit on non cute girls, but I still had to make sure. I called my two friends who were working the bar the night before. They confirmed that she was cute, also confirmed my impression that she was a bit older than me.

I saw her again. It made for an interesting date: So hello girl, basically you must assume that I know strictly nothing about you, no matter what you told me last night. Let’s start off by you telling me what you know about me. She was actually much prettier than I expected, she looked like a good girl, an intelligent girl, the kind of girl you’re proud to introduce to your parents. She certainly doesn’t strike you as the kind of girl who’d go home with a guy she’s known for a full hour. That either says a lot about appearances or about my abilities. You pick.

Tonight, sitting at a table behind us was an amazingly beautiful girl. I mean, truly beautiful. She was sitting with 4 other girls, they all look about 30 and they all look pretty.

The guy who was there with Cynthia and me last time and who had a great deal of responsibility in my drunkness, and the amnesia that followed, was supposed to be here on a date with a girl. We hadn’t seen him yet.

At one point in the night, I turn around and look at the table of girls.

“Cynthia… is it me, or Frank is actually sitting at the table of hot girls?”

We go say high to Frank. Turns out his date evolved in a dinner with friends. Cynthia knows one of the girls, I realize I know one of them too. She was sitting facing back, so I didn’t recognize her at first. She used to come with her sister all the time, back when I was working here.

At this point, I had spoken or introduced myself to everyone at the table, except the beautiful girl. I purposely ignore her.

She points at me and says : you..!

I point back at her and say : you!

She says: Don’t I know you from somewhere?.

I say: Well I’m the lead singer of Green Day, so that’s probably why ( I do look like this guy, a lot!).

She laughs.

And then I say, while looking her straight in the eyes, with a little mischievous smile and deep confidence: No. If we had met, I’d remember

At the same time, the waiter comes with their plates. “Bon apetit.” And I go back to the bar with Cynthia.

After we’re all finished eating, we return to their table to have a few shots. The pretty girl immediately starts to talk to me, obviously wanting my attention. Turns out she’s been an entertainment lawyer in LA for 6 years and she came back in town to celebrate her 30th birthday with old friends.

It was cute, after those 6 years in LA, she now had an English accent when she spoke.

We chatted a bit, but it was one of these times where you just can’t beat logistics. She was sleeping at her friend’s house and they had to wake up at 5 am to be somewhere.

Good night and have a nice life.

If I ever go to LA… well no. There’s already another girl I’d go see if I was in LA, but that’s a story for another time.