Last night, I came to a stop at a red light on the corner of Santa Monica and Garth. I had my window rolled down, per usual, and was blaring country music which is also very typical of me. I rarely make eye contact with people when I’m driving, because it's extremely awkward. However, the doorman at The Virgil was dancing along to my music and blatantly trying to get my attention. I laughed, told him it was a good jam, and drove off.
I'd driven no further than a quarter of a mile when I had this urge to go back. I’ve yet to find a favorite bar in Los Angeles, and these guys seemed like quite a bit of fun. I’d been there once before, and really enjoyed it. So, I parked my car at my house, threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top, and lyfted back to the venue. Upon arrival, I realized the guy sitting at the door was not the one who had been dancing moments earlier. I explained to him who I was, and he burst into laughter. He called after a different guy inside. When the other guy walked out, I asked him if he liked country music. He said “not particularly.” I begged to differ judging by his sick dance moves. When he realized who I was he too began to laugh hysterically. The three of us bonded over my spontaneity. A group of patrons nearby struck up a conversation, and before I knew it I'd made 6 new acquaintances without ever stepping foot inside the bar. The group headed back inside, and I continued to chat with the bar staff. One began to flirt, so I quickly explained that neither of them were my preferred gender to date. They both laughed, told me they appreciated my honesty, and that I was in luck. There was an entire group of lesbians inside. Two of which I had just spoken with. "Sick moves" told me to follow him, so I did. We bee-lined for the bar where he proceeded to tell the two bartenders how we met. After introducing myself, one bartender asked me where the accent was from. When I told him the next question to follow was "Do you like whiskey?" Silly question. I replied that I do like whiskey, but honestly knew very little about it. The bartender then pulled five bottles off the shelf, and began to pour small amounts of each into a separate glass. He taught me how to swish the whiskey in my mouth, swallow, and then breathe out of my nose to taste the full flavor. He helped me understand the differences between bourbon and rye. I learned that extremely rye is much more my flavor, and that a whiskey named Templeton's suits my taste the best. The four of us sat there talking women and Whiskey for the next forty-five minutes, and would have continued to do so for longer had we not been interrupted by a gorgeous blonde named Fern who I met outside earlier. She told me that she heard that I was a lesbian, and so was she. Visiting from the UK, she would be flying back tomorrow, but would return next week. I gave her my number, and told her to touch base with me then. The guys stared on with disbelief, which they expressed verbally after she left. Not only had I been approached and hit on, but I was blowing her off this evening. I was having fun with them, and the woman, while gorgeous, was living in a different country. They were tending bar down the street from my apartment. I had a feeling that I was going to be seeing them a lot sooner than I would be seeing her. As the bar began to close, the guys let me hang out while they cleaned up a bit. Another bartender who was off of her shift offered to drive me home so I didn't have to call another cab. We headed out to her car and she dropped me off at my place. As I stood there on the sidewalk, I couldn't help but reflect on how lovely the night had been. New friends. New hangout. New perspective. I realized how independent I am. I'm a twenty-six year old single woman who goes and does as she pleases. It's that same independence that brought me to Los Angeles to begin with. Not only am I confident in being alone, sometimes I really enjoy it. I took a chance and did something a little crazy. It paid off tenfold. I encourage everyone to do something wild every once in a while. You can do that and still be responsible. Who knows? You might actually make friends and learn something new.
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Tennessee Martinis a writer, artist and human/animal rights activist based in Echo Park- Los Angeles, CA. The Stephens College graduate loves poetry, camping with her rowdy friends and tequila of many varieties. Archives
December 2016
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