remember reading stories to Adam and we sang songs while he beat a pot with a wooden spoon.”
“Now he has a girlfriend who sleeps over,” Beth replied as she got us each a beer. “I'm a mom to teenagers. Sometimes I can't believe my life.”
“I know. Sometimes I can't believe your life either.”
We listened to the band rehearse two songs, finished our beers, said our goodbyes, and were back in the minivan.
“Now I'll take you to the kind of bar I like,” said Beth, switching on the ignition. As the sun set, we arrived at a small, boxy building that could have been anything. The parking lot was half full. Beth smiled as she locked the car and put her arm around me. We walked to the club, and Beth held the door open for me. “Welcome to my world!”
It looked like any bar I'd been to— loud music, people talking, laughing, and drinking. Only here, everywhere I looked, I saw women—just women, every age, shape, and size. Sure, a few had short hair and looked kind of unfeminine, but many were breathtakingly beautiful with long hair and centerfold-worthy bodies.
“Here, I got you a beer. Let me show you around.” Beth winked, taking my arm. I was a tourist in her side-life, and she was guiding me through her favorite sights. I could tell she relished the surprise on my face—and I must have looked like a visitor to a foreign country, marveling at the attractions. As much as I heard Beth talk about this part of her life, I'd never been to the places she hung out or met the women she knew, until now. “Here's the dance floor. There are the pool tables,” she pointed, sipping, smiling. “I love it here, my home away … from the boys.”
I'd never seen Beth so happy. Her eyes darted to every woman within her view. “Beth, this is definitely … something,” I said. We clinked bottles.
“You can't find the words, but you will,” she laughed. “I see someone I know. Come with me and say hello.”
I took a hard swallow of my beer and followed Beth. She hugged a woman named Theresa, an accountant at a construction company. I shook her hand. Theresa had a strong handshake—and a winning smile. The two began an animated conversation. I felt like a third wheel in a private moment, so I excused myself to the ladies room. In there, two women were kissing while another woman reapplied her lipstick and combed her hair. “There's every kind of woman here,” I thought to myself. “Maybe I'll see someone for me.”
The club was more crowded now, so it was difficult to get the bartender's attention. I leaned in between two women sitting at the bar, but I was still ignored.
“What are you drinking?” asked the woman on the stool to my right. She was dressed all in black, had waist-length blonde hair, and resembled Joni Mitchell in her Ladies of the Canyon days.
“Amstel Light.”
“Debra, two Amstel Lights,” she said, getting the bartender's attention immediately. Before I could say anything, Debra swiftly delivered the two beers. I reached for my pocket. “No, honey. This one's on me,” she told me, with a mere nod of her head to Debra indicating to put it on her tab.
“Wow, thank you,” I said, studying the woman's pretty face. “I'm Sara.” “I'm Corinne.” She clinked my bottle with hers. “I live three blocks away,” Corinne said, now studying my face. “And you?”
“I'm here with my friend Beth.” I broke her gaze to look around the room. I saw Beth dancing with Theresa. “Beth's over there,” I said, pointing to the dance floor.
“Wanna dance?” Corinne asked, standing and taking my hand. I tried to act as if this was something I always did. I took two hard swallows of beer and followed Corinne to the dance floor. Beth caught my eye and nodded approvingly. The music was easy dancing disco tunes, Michael Jackson from Off the Wall, then Donna Summer's Last Dance. I moved to the music, holding my beer—and Corinne's gaze. I gulped more beer between each song — not because I
“Now he has a girlfriend who sleeps over,” Beth replied as she got us each a beer. “I'm a mom to teenagers. Sometimes I can't believe my life.”
“I know. Sometimes I can't believe your life either.”
We listened to the band rehearse two songs, finished our beers, said our goodbyes, and were back in the minivan.
“Now I'll take you to the kind of bar I like,” said Beth, switching on the ignition. As the sun set, we arrived at a small, boxy building that could have been anything. The parking lot was half full. Beth smiled as she locked the car and put her arm around me. We walked to the club, and Beth held the door open for me. “Welcome to my world!”
It looked like any bar I'd been to— loud music, people talking, laughing, and drinking. Only here, everywhere I looked, I saw women—just women, every age, shape, and size. Sure, a few had short hair and looked kind of unfeminine, but many were breathtakingly beautiful with long hair and centerfold-worthy bodies.
“Here, I got you a beer. Let me show you around.” Beth winked, taking my arm. I was a tourist in her side-life, and she was guiding me through her favorite sights. I could tell she relished the surprise on my face—and I must have looked like a visitor to a foreign country, marveling at the attractions. As much as I heard Beth talk about this part of her life, I'd never been to the places she hung out or met the women she knew, until now. “Here's the dance floor. There are the pool tables,” she pointed, sipping, smiling. “I love it here, my home away … from the boys.”
I'd never seen Beth so happy. Her eyes darted to every woman within her view. “Beth, this is definitely … something,” I said. We clinked bottles.
“You can't find the words, but you will,” she laughed. “I see someone I know. Come with me and say hello.”
I took a hard swallow of my beer and followed Beth. She hugged a woman named Theresa, an accountant at a construction company. I shook her hand. Theresa had a strong handshake—and a winning smile. The two began an animated conversation. I felt like a third wheel in a private moment, so I excused myself to the ladies room. In there, two women were kissing while another woman reapplied her lipstick and combed her hair. “There's every kind of woman here,” I thought to myself. “Maybe I'll see someone for me.”
The club was more crowded now, so it was difficult to get the bartender's attention. I leaned in between two women sitting at the bar, but I was still ignored.
“What are you drinking?” asked the woman on the stool to my right. She was dressed all in black, had waist-length blonde hair, and resembled Joni Mitchell in her Ladies of the Canyon days.
“Amstel Light.”
“Debra, two Amstel Lights,” she said, getting the bartender's attention immediately. Before I could say anything, Debra swiftly delivered the two beers. I reached for my pocket. “No, honey. This one's on me,” she told me, with a mere nod of her head to Debra indicating to put it on her tab.
“Wow, thank you,” I said, studying the woman's pretty face. “I'm Sara.” “I'm Corinne.” She clinked my bottle with hers. “I live three blocks away,” Corinne said, now studying my face. “And you?”
“I'm here with my friend Beth.” I broke her gaze to look around the room. I saw Beth dancing with Theresa. “Beth's over there,” I said, pointing to the dance floor.
“Wanna dance?” Corinne asked, standing and taking my hand. I tried to act as if this was something I always did. I took two hard swallows of beer and followed Corinne to the dance floor. Beth caught my eye and nodded approvingly. The music was easy dancing disco tunes, Michael Jackson from Off the Wall, then Donna Summer's Last Dance. I moved to the music, holding my beer—and Corinne's gaze. I gulped more beer between each song — not because I
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