After a long Friday commute home from the office, Chris Johnson turned off his ignition and dragged himself out of his 2010 Ford Fusion. He was looking forward to a quiet Friday night alone, one of the few things he had liked since his recent divorce. No pressure to go out; no pressure to impress anyone, he thought as he ran a hand through his short brown hair. Work had had enough pressure this week with the new rumblings on the hill about new law potentially getting enough votes to pass.
Grabbing his phone from his navy blue pocket, he saw 8 texts and 2 voice mails with his tired green eyes. Once he saw the names attached to the texts, however, he knew it may not be the quiet night he hoped for. After turning the key to his new downtown apartment, he glanced through the texts from his co-workers Jake and Tim.
"Dude Chris, tonight we're going to Pure, that hot new club that just opened up. You gotta come. -Jake"
"Chris, we're going to Pure tonight, you gotta get out and be single with us again. It's been forever. -T"
Following those were the various texts to call them back and that they wouldn't let him get out of this one. He listened to the voice mails, his tired expression realizing he probably didn't have a choice tonight. They were headed his way and were due in less than a half hour. He kicked up his feet and turned on Sportscenter to relax and stretch his 6'2 frame before they arrived. Jake and Tim had been out of town for most of the past month working on a case out in California. The three of them had become great work friends, and they knew they hadn’t been around when Chris was struggling with the divorce. A night out was exactly what he needed, according to them.
It had been two weeks since his recent divorce had been completed. If you would have told him at 27, he would be more happy with his law career than his marriage, he would have kicked you to the curb, but here he was. Thankfully, they hadn’t had any kids so when he found out about his spuoses’ extracurricular relationships, it was an easy decision. Living with it, however, was not as simple. He had finally gotten comfortable in the downtown loft he found, and it’s location could not be beat. It had been one of the partners at the firm’s idea. He had told Chris to take some time away from work, which Chris declined, but he did take him up on moving out of the suburbs to get downtown around more young professionals. He wasn’t getting out much, but he also knew he wouldn’t run into his ex down here. She was too busy out in the suburbs with the older guys she was all about supposedly.
30 minutes after laying down, there was a knock on his door. "It's open..." he yelled out, before having Jake and Tim barge in with pizzas for dinner and a couple 12 packs for the evening. He gladly took a beer before the pestering began. He had expected it, and with them fighting across downtown after their flight, he knew he couldn’t play dumb and force them to sit on the couch all night. In his mind, it didn’t take long for him to come, but he promised nothing in terms of enjoying the evening. In response, he got immediate retorts. “Dude, no, it’s going to be awesome, this is where all the girls go.” They both said, almost in unison. After shutting them up, he hustled back to the shower and figured he would just try to let loose. Maybe it would be okay to get back out and see some ladies in their mid-20s enjoying being single and not being stuck behind a desk for once.
After showering, Chris put on a dark blue button shirt and some jeans. He slipped on his casual leather shoes before finishing his beer and locking the door behind him. The boys weren't planning on crashing at his place, but he had his definite doubts. Lets see if this place really has all the girls, he thought. After the five block walk, he saw the line outside of the place, and again, wanted to abort the plan and just catch some sports for the night. Who stood in lines anymore, it wasn't college, or even law school? Jake and Tim had nothing of it, and they were standing in the half hour wait line immediately.
*****
45 minutes later, they finally got in the door, and much to his surprise, Pure was packed for the night, and not with his usual crowd of beer guts at the local sports bar. Glancing around, he noticed multiple bars overlooking a wide open area that appeared to be the old basement. Approaching forward, he noticed the elevator and multiple staircases down to the dance floor, where a couple of smaller bars were located. You couldn’t have enough alcohol in a place like this apparently. There was a VIP area that overlooked the bar on the far side, but otherwise there were tables and high tops set up here. It was already loud, and he could only imagine how much louder it was below. This used to be his type of scene, but it had been far too long.
Glancing back to locate Jake and Tim, Chris quickly realized they had taken off somewhere. It wouldn’t shock him if it was the dance floor, or to some girls they recognized. He didn’t bother chasing after them, and instead finally focused on the people around him. Well, they hadn’t been lying. There was quite the group of attractive females all over the place in seemingly random groups of anywhere from two to five. He wandered over to the bar on the right, and snagged a spot on the corner of the bar and railing overlooking the dance floor. He had his attention turned toward the dance floor, but he did need a drink, otherwise he wasn’t going to last.
Realizing he had focused on a group of three or four girls in the middle of the dance floor, he was interrupted from his staring by the bartender, who happened to be an old friend. “Dude, Chris….what are you doing here?” He turned to see his friend Scott, smirking. His ex had never liked Scott, but he meant well. They were great friends throughout undergrad at Michigan State, and somehow had both ended up in DC. He threw him a smile, before holding up his bare left hand, “Sometimes things don’t work out and you need a night out.”
“Good for you man!” Scott exclaimed, before immediately turning to the beer cooler, “First ones on me.” As he slid a Bud Light, still Chris’s favorite, to his old friend.
Grabbing his phone from his navy blue pocket, he saw 8 texts and 2 voice mails with his tired green eyes. Once he saw the names attached to the texts, however, he knew it may not be the quiet night he hoped for. After turning the key to his new downtown apartment, he glanced through the texts from his co-workers Jake and Tim.
"Dude Chris, tonight we're going to Pure, that hot new club that just opened up. You gotta come. -Jake"
"Chris, we're going to Pure tonight, you gotta get out and be single with us again. It's been forever. -T"
Following those were the various texts to call them back and that they wouldn't let him get out of this one. He listened to the voice mails, his tired expression realizing he probably didn't have a choice tonight. They were headed his way and were due in less than a half hour. He kicked up his feet and turned on Sportscenter to relax and stretch his 6'2 frame before they arrived. Jake and Tim had been out of town for most of the past month working on a case out in California. The three of them had become great work friends, and they knew they hadn’t been around when Chris was struggling with the divorce. A night out was exactly what he needed, according to them.
It had been two weeks since his recent divorce had been completed. If you would have told him at 27, he would be more happy with his law career than his marriage, he would have kicked you to the curb, but here he was. Thankfully, they hadn’t had any kids so when he found out about his spuoses’ extracurricular relationships, it was an easy decision. Living with it, however, was not as simple. He had finally gotten comfortable in the downtown loft he found, and it’s location could not be beat. It had been one of the partners at the firm’s idea. He had told Chris to take some time away from work, which Chris declined, but he did take him up on moving out of the suburbs to get downtown around more young professionals. He wasn’t getting out much, but he also knew he wouldn’t run into his ex down here. She was too busy out in the suburbs with the older guys she was all about supposedly.
30 minutes after laying down, there was a knock on his door. "It's open..." he yelled out, before having Jake and Tim barge in with pizzas for dinner and a couple 12 packs for the evening. He gladly took a beer before the pestering began. He had expected it, and with them fighting across downtown after their flight, he knew he couldn’t play dumb and force them to sit on the couch all night. In his mind, it didn’t take long for him to come, but he promised nothing in terms of enjoying the evening. In response, he got immediate retorts. “Dude, no, it’s going to be awesome, this is where all the girls go.” They both said, almost in unison. After shutting them up, he hustled back to the shower and figured he would just try to let loose. Maybe it would be okay to get back out and see some ladies in their mid-20s enjoying being single and not being stuck behind a desk for once.
After showering, Chris put on a dark blue button shirt and some jeans. He slipped on his casual leather shoes before finishing his beer and locking the door behind him. The boys weren't planning on crashing at his place, but he had his definite doubts. Lets see if this place really has all the girls, he thought. After the five block walk, he saw the line outside of the place, and again, wanted to abort the plan and just catch some sports for the night. Who stood in lines anymore, it wasn't college, or even law school? Jake and Tim had nothing of it, and they were standing in the half hour wait line immediately.
*****
45 minutes later, they finally got in the door, and much to his surprise, Pure was packed for the night, and not with his usual crowd of beer guts at the local sports bar. Glancing around, he noticed multiple bars overlooking a wide open area that appeared to be the old basement. Approaching forward, he noticed the elevator and multiple staircases down to the dance floor, where a couple of smaller bars were located. You couldn’t have enough alcohol in a place like this apparently. There was a VIP area that overlooked the bar on the far side, but otherwise there were tables and high tops set up here. It was already loud, and he could only imagine how much louder it was below. This used to be his type of scene, but it had been far too long.
Glancing back to locate Jake and Tim, Chris quickly realized they had taken off somewhere. It wouldn’t shock him if it was the dance floor, or to some girls they recognized. He didn’t bother chasing after them, and instead finally focused on the people around him. Well, they hadn’t been lying. There was quite the group of attractive females all over the place in seemingly random groups of anywhere from two to five. He wandered over to the bar on the right, and snagged a spot on the corner of the bar and railing overlooking the dance floor. He had his attention turned toward the dance floor, but he did need a drink, otherwise he wasn’t going to last.
Realizing he had focused on a group of three or four girls in the middle of the dance floor, he was interrupted from his staring by the bartender, who happened to be an old friend. “Dude, Chris….what are you doing here?” He turned to see his friend Scott, smirking. His ex had never liked Scott, but he meant well. They were great friends throughout undergrad at Michigan State, and somehow had both ended up in DC. He threw him a smile, before holding up his bare left hand, “Sometimes things don’t work out and you need a night out.”
“Good for you man!” Scott exclaimed, before immediately turning to the beer cooler, “First ones on me.” As he slid a Bud Light, still Chris’s favorite, to his old friend.
