The White Rabbit

2.) Gulligan's

  The driver pulls up to the very front of Gulligan's and puts the car in park. I had only ever been to Gulligan's once, they had some deal on Halloween when I was a junior in college where if you wore your costume then your first drink was on the house. But at the time it was called something else... I can't put my finger on it. But recently the old place was bought out by a new guy, he renovated it and made it his own. At least that's the story I have heard from Tyler a while back and from the cab driver just now.

  Tyler was always into small businesses and entrepreneurs, something about their work ethic made Tyler giddy like a school girl. Well apparently not when his girlfriend is a small business owner...then he leaves them high and dry. He never had the guts to pursue his own small business ventures because the "risk" wasn't worth it for him. He craved stability and something about small business and entrepreneurship just screamed unstable to him. But to me it was always something I wanted for my future. I always wanted to open my own business and be my own boss to pursue my own dreams. I never wanted to become a corporate schmuck and drain my life away under fluorescent lights and cubicles. I watched my Dad do that his whole life and it was never appealing to me. I watched him work on vacations because,"the hungry get rewarded" he would say. But to me all I saw was a broken man just wanting more and sacrificing everything to get his family more but at what cost? He missed everything. He missed ballet recitals because he was busy with expense reports.He missed it all. He was an amazing father and husband but he sacrificed everything for us and all for a company that could replace him in an instant. I want to build my own business not someone else's.

   I pay the uber driver his fare and exit the cab. As I'm exiting the cab another girl is close behind me sliding in almost grazing her front against my back to snag the cab for herself and two other friends. I look up at the brick exterior bar and it is the busiest I have ever seen it. I shouldn't say the busiest I've ever seen it because clearly this is a new owned bar that took over the last one but trust me when I say that the previous bar was a dead spot. The only people who frequented that bar were tourists and even they were hard to come by. No wonder it sold out to this new guy, this bar seems amazing... from the outside that is. I meander my way inside and make my way to the front where a bartender is taking orders. Its dark but not too dark in here, think Hollister circa 2006. Okay, maybe not as dark as that but you catch my drift. It has an industrial vibe to it, with the exposed brick and all.

"Vodka cranberry, please." I politely ask the bartender who quickly nods at my request.

I pan the bar looking for a place to sit and theres a few barstools open so I watch them like a hawk while waiting for my drink. The bartender was fast and handed me my drink and I quickly dig into my purse for cash. I slid the cash to him and grabbed my drink and darted to the empty barstool. I began nursing my drink slowly, savoring every crisp, tart, and burning sip.

"What the fuck am I doing here..." I whispered so low that it may as well been a thought in my head.

I wasn't a drinker...I never was the type to frequent bars besides major holidays or birthdays. This isn't me. I just know that in TV shows, this is what people do. They break up and then they go get drunk at a bar to numb the pain. It's my right of passage to do this, right? I feel stupid being here. I twiddle my drink around staring deep into the rich cranberry red color.

"This drink isn't even good..." I chuckle to myself and how pathetic I am.

" Can I buy you something that is good then?"

I shoot my eyes up in embarrassment only to meet eyes with a man with scruffy facial hair, a balding hairline and a stocky small build. How long had he been sitting there watching me pathetically twirl my drink stick and staring into it, pondering my life. Oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing. He brushes his cold hand against my exposed lower back sending awful shivers up my spine. I adjust in my seat away from him quickly showing with my body language that I was not interested.