Page 6 of Throwing Shade
2
“Is this place always so crowded?”A handsome man around my age with short blond hair and an easygoing smile, who I’d never seen before, pushed in next to me.
“Well, it’s Friday, which means the law crowd requires booze to help them molt out of their human skin.” I grabbed a napkin and wiped off my fingers.
“Unfair. I’m a lawyer,” he said.
“Then you know the drill.”
He gave a shocked laugh. “Don’t hold back or anything.”
“I’m off the clock, as is my filter.”
The bartender spun in front of us to grab some sliced lemons and my new acquaintance flagged him down.
“What can I get you?” the bartender said.
“Whiskey, neat.” The blond man turned to me. “And you?”
“Gin and tonic.”
“Right away.” The bartender pulled out two glasses.
“Thank you.” My pleasure at finally getting some booze was short-lived. I’d been standing here for ages, but this guy waltzed up and got served in seconds? I stabbed a swizzle stick into my napkin.
It wasn’t his fault though, so I made amiable small talk with him until we got our beverages, at which point he invited me to continue our chat.
Alex was a divorced property lawyer with no kids who’d moved to Vancouver from Alberta. We joked about a couple judges that were notoriously hard-assed, and he praised a keynote speech that one of the partners at my firm had given at a conference here in town.
“Yeah, I heard it was really well received.” I squinted at his shirt, not sure what I was seeing.
Alex sighed. “Okay, go on and ask. You’ve been staring at it this entire time.”
“What exactly is on your tie?” I squinted again. “I can make out men’s boxers, but I can’t see what’s printed on them.”
He pulled the tie out for me to inspect.
Frowning, I shook my head. “Scales of justice? I don’t get it.”
“They’re legal briefs.”
I snorted gin and tonic out my nose. “That is the nerdiest thing I’ve ever seen. You should be held in contempt.”
“My paralegal assured me it was business casual appropriate.”
“Your paralegal is a smart person who wants a nice year-end bonus.”
“You think?” He frowned at the tie, then winked at me.
Alex was fun, but my head was pounding from all the competing scents of aftershave in a packed space, and really, I was only here for my no-show friend.
Fifty bucks said Jude was still at her studio. Her heart was in the right place, but she was prone to losing track of time when she worked on her art. It still kind of bugged me, especially since tonight had been her idea, but it was part of the package of who my best friend was and I’d mostly learned to live with it. Maybe if I had something I was passionate about, I’d be the same way. Nah, I’d still consider being on time late.
I grabbed my purse from under my chair and thanked Alex for his important role in procuring my booze.
He tapped my empty glass. “You’re sure I can’t convince you stay for another?”
“I’m sure, but it was great meeting you.”
