Against The Wall

Chapter Six

When I look up again, at the man I thought was going to be my soul mate, our eyes meet, and he smiles. Worries subside instantly, and I smile right back. What am I supposed to do? Run? No, I'm going to enjoy this. He passed the test. And honestly, the thought of going somewhere else makes me want to fall into a beer induced coma, and the thought of man-hunting for the rest of the night makes me want to poke out my eyes with a corkscrew. I'm fried for tonight. If talking to Matty will get me home and off to sleep sooner rather than later, then so be it. He can help distract Mel from our search for the next top man in my life.

I watch him say something to one of his friends and strut over to our table.

"Hey, ladies," Matty says, tipping his glass at us. "What brings you out tonight?"

"Beer," I say, jokingly. "Needed some beer. Lots of beer."

"That's it?" Matty questions. "You both have the out for blood look in your eyes, like your on the prowl." He jokingly roars like a kitten.

Mel shrugs him off with a chuckle. "I'm married, Matt." She holds up her left hand.

"Okay, but there's nothing wrong with window shopping. You can look but you can't take any of the goods home." Matty winks at her, and turns to me "How about you, Shel?"

Mel interrupts, telling him, "We're looking for the man of Shel's dreams."

Matty turns his attention to me again. "Any luck?"

"It's been hard you know, to find the man of one's dreams based on beer selection." Mel explains, again stealing Matty's gaze from mine. It's okay though beside having him near me makes me want to do things to him I shouldn't even be considering.

A chuckle escapes him. "Shel, that's hysterical. Dating a pale ale guy is simply out of the question for you, huh?" He shakes his head, but he's amused. The way he smiles with his whole face is adorable. When Chase smiled, there were times you couldn't even tell if he was genuinely happy, or just putting on a show. But with this sweet man, even with a soft smile, just the slightest lift in his mouth, you can see his happiness in his eyes, his cheeks, and the tilt of his head. He doesn't give off any fake vibes. Whatever you sense from him is always real.

"Hey, there are just some things I can't get past. Some girls can't stand a guy with girly hands, or guys who don't wear socks, or men who wear ascots. Shitty brew just happens to be a deal breaker for me," I explain.

It dawns on me Matty knows my taste in beer. I smile at the thought. A flood of giddiness creeps over me, and I can't stop smiling at him. I'm trying to hold back, but it's not working. Why fight it, right?

Matty sits on the edge of one of the empty seats, and takes another swig of his darkly coloured beer. "So a guy could be like nasty looking. I'm talking warts on his nose, big ole ears, and dandruff flaking out of his hair, and as long as he was drinking beer, he'd fall in the 'man of your dreams' category?" he asks, lifting his arms to hang his air quotes.

I laugh at his list of yucky traits. Looking into his crystal blue eyes, I tell him, "Yes."

"But why if I said Guinness was perfectly matched in a pint with a light beer... such as Bass?" Matty lowers his eyes at me in anticipation of my response.

I lean forward in my seat, lost in his playful gaze. "Even better."

Mel stands up and tugs her bag over her shoulder. She puts her hand on Matty's arm and says, "Lucky for you, you're gorgeous and you have a glass full of both those beers." She coughs and rubs her throat. "I'm not feeling well. She coughs again. "Mr Fuller, can you please give Ms. Gelson a ride home."