Chapter 1 – The Meeting

Joshua flipped open his cell phone. It was ten minutes after eight. He'd been stood up.

Just as he put his bottle of beer to his mouth, someone stumbled into him. Beer poured down his chin onto his shirt and pants.

Fucking idiot! He saw red.

He turned around, and realized the man that bumped into him did so because a drunk bumped into him.

Joshua saw the man push the drunk back off him. The drunk stumbled into another man. After a second, he turned around and looked at Joshua. "I'm sorry, stupid ass drunks." He looked at Joshua's shirt and his pants. "Dude, I am really sorry. Let me buy you another beer."

He reached out his hand to Joshua. "My name is Brian." Joshua shook his hand.

"Joshua."

"Let's get that beer. My girlfriend is in the corner." He looked back and Joshua saw his girlfriend. From what he could see, she was pretty.

"Okay."

Brian got a 7-up and two Coronas with lemon. He gave the 7-up to his girlfriend and then introduced him. "Shelly this is Joshua. He just became another casualty of mine. In all fairness though, this time it was not completely my fault."

She smiled at Joshua. She had the most amazing smile and beautiful green eyes. Her hair was light brown and was just a few inches longer than her shoulders. "Forgive him. I can't take him anywhere without him spilling something on someone."

"Oh give me a break. Last time we went out I didn't spill anything." He scooted into the round, bench seat table.

"That's right sweetheart, splashing ketchup on restaurant patrons really isn't the same thing as spilling." She was smiling at Brian.

Brian said, "I forgot about that." He smiled back at her.

Okay, two's company; threes a crowd.

"Well," he interrupted their love play, "It was really nice meeting you."

Shelly looked up. "No don't go." She scooted into the center of the bench seat to make room. "Please, sit down. At least finish your beer."

Joshua thought about it a minute then he scooted in.

Shelly looked at him. "So do you come here often?" She asked.

Joshua looked at her, smiled, and shook his head. He couldn't believe she just said that. Do you have any idea, my new friend, what you just asked me: The famous pick-up line?

Shelly looked puzzled at his response and then suddenly realized what she said. She started laughing. "I'm sorry." After a second, she asked, "Are you here alone?"

Aww now she asks the number two pick-up line. Joshua smiled and shook his head again. He started laughing aloud. She was sweet. All three of them were laughing.

He was actually having a good time. He was glad his date no showed. He could see that Shelly was getting tired. Brian didn't seem to notice.

"Brian before we go let's dance. We never dance."

Okay, why was she practically pleading with him to dance with her? If she were my girlfriend that's the only place, I would be.

"Nope." He shook his head at Shelly. Then without pausing, Brian asked, "Joshua, do me a favor and dance with her okay?"

Joshua stared at him. "Are you kidding around?" You must be nuts. You want me to dance with your beautiful girlfriend? To move with her, and hold her to my body?

Shelly broke into his thoughts. "He's not kidding. He hates dancing. Come on. Dance with me, please."

Shelly didn't have to beg him. Joshua put his hand over hers and led her to the downstairs dance floor. He held her hand the whole way on the pretense that the room was crowded. He wondered if she was paying as much attention to that hand he was holding as he was.

She put her arms around his neck and Joshua put his hands on her waist. He looked in her eyes, "You don't think he is sitting up there regretting this do you?"

"Naw. Can you see him?"

"Yeah, he's watching us."

Shelly took a step closer to him. "Maybe next time he'll remember this and dance with me." She put her head on his shoulder.

Joshua looked up. He lied. Brian wasn't paying attention to them at all. He reached up and touched her hair. He picked it up and smelled it. "I just don't get it. How can he not want to dance with you?"

Shelly leaned her head back and said, "You know, I just don't get it either." She smiled that gorgeous smile of her's.

Damn! I would so like to take you home with me. He smiled back at her.

She put her head back on his shoulder. She was swaying perfectly to the music with him. "I can't believe this song is almost over. I can't believe it is time to go home. I had such a good time tonight."

"Me too."

"We have to exchange numbers."

"Yeah." He hated the thought of walking her back upstairs and handing her over to Brian. He had to see her again. Everything about her called him.