Page 45 of Tides and Tidings

Flirting with Charlie was one of my favorite things. The man doesn’t know what to do when I offer up a compliment. While we were eating our burgers earlier, I told him he looked handsome and his cheeks went crimson. His eyes immediately fell to the empty plate in front of him and he mumbled a thank you.

“Do you want to see if we can find a standing table off to the side?” Charlie craned his neck in a desperate attempt to find someplace a bit quieter to stand. Somewhere out of the crowd and away from the dance floor.

I nodded in response, my still slightly curled hair bouncing.

Charlie led us to the bar’s back corner, where there was an empty table. “It’s not quiet, but it’s less people-y.”

A guy after my own heart. Don’t get me wrong, I used to love being out and about. I enjoyed being a social butterfly who would tear up the dance floor when my favorite songs came on. But now, standing here, I realize I’m not the same person I was then. I have responsibilities. I own a business. I play the role of a mom in Wren’s life. I’m a girlfriend.

Gross. I’m not sure who came up with the term girlfriend, but it makes it sound like we’re in elementary school and holding hands for the first time. Fiancée isn’t much better. It sounds so pretentious. I’m getting ahead of myself, though.

“To us not being lame and actually doing what other people our age do every weekend. To freedom!” Charlie held up his plastic cup and I followed suit.

There was something about hearing those words that broke me from the self-imposed mental chains I’d put on myself. I might be different than I was, but I much prefer this version of myself.

I stirred my drink with a straw and took a sip. My eyes were focused on the dancefloor. This bar might be geared towards college-aged kids, but the songs they were playing were right off one of my playlists. As I sucked on the small straw, air came up. Perfect timing because the song ended and there was a brief lull.

I leaned on Charlie, the alcohol already making its presence known. “Did you know that drinking out of a straw makes you drunk quicker?”

The music started blaring again.

“I don’t ever remember someone tellin’ me, but I remember learnin’ that lesson the hard way.” His eyes scanned the bar and he threw back the last sip of his drink. Charlie leaned in, his breath warm on my neck, “Want a refill?”

“I would love one,” I yelled over the music. “I’ll wait here and hold down the table.”

He shook his head, “Over my dead body will you be standing here alone.”

His fingers entwined with mine and we meandered back over to the bar. The server from earlier was helping someone else, so the friendly guy who bounced over to us was a welcome reprieve.

“Another round for y’all?” He shouted over the music.

Charlie nodded.

The bartender sniffed our empty cups and Charlie burst into a fit of laughter. I couldn’t contain my laughter either.

“It’s so hard to hear in here. I’ve resorted to sniffing the drinks to find out what you had.” The guy was suddenly self-conscious.

“Makes sense to me,” I yelled.

Charlie wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and looked at the bartender. “Is your name Rhett, by chance?”

I looked up at Charlie skeptically.

The bartender cocked his head, clearly thrown off by his question. “Yes.”

“Did you go to Maple Grove High School down in Wippowa?”

Rhett nodded. “Graduated a while ago, though.”

He pointed to himself, “Charlie Hannigan. I also graduated… a while ago.”

“No shit!” Rhett offered up his hand. “It’s good to see ya again, man!”

“Likewise! I assume you live here in Savannah now?”

“I moved here right after high school. I hate it here, so hoping to be able to move back to Wippowa again soon.”

“It’s changed a lot since high school, for the better. When you come back, don’t be a stranger.”