A Chance Meeting

Chapter 1

I knew I wouldn't be able to drive home after the alcohol started making halos around the ceiling lights. I would never admit it to my friends (although I was positive they knew), but I was a certified lightweight. Three beers were more than enough to mess with my motor functions. And I'd had five.

"Hey Astrid! Want another beer?" Ruffnut asked. Her smile was broad and seemingly innocent, but I saw through it instantly. She'd been my friend since before I could remember and knew that I was pretty tipsy already. She also knew that I'd never back down from a challenge, especially not in public.

"Hand it over!" The words came out slightly slurred. I should stop. I'd already need a good hour or two before I could even consider driving home. Good thing Ruffnut had promised to pay for a Uber. She knew money had been tight for me the past few months.

I chugged the beer all in one go, refusing to break eye contact with her. The beer was nicely chilled from the tap but tasted terrible. To be honest, I don't even care for alcohol that much. I just hate being called a party pooper.

Ruffnut gave a whoop before turning her attention back to the piece of eye candy she'd been drooling at. I'd had enough and excused myself to go to the bathroom. You know that stereotype that guys bathrooms are always so much worse than girls' bathrooms? Well that was not the case here. It reeked. Graffiti was splattered around the walls and there were a few mystery puddles around the toilet. How could someone miss the toilet if they were literally sitting on it?

And the smell. Oh God, the smell. It reeked. I almost vomited into the trashcans by the sink. It was safe to bet that these restrooms hadn't had a single cleaning since the bar opened. The smell of urine mixed with cigarette smoke; it was not a good combination. And to top it all off, there was the distinct smell of weed that seemed to cut through it all.

I pulled out my phone after I selected the safest stall to sit in. It wasn't actually clean by any definition of the word, it was just the least offensive option. There was a missed call from my dad and a text from my mom.

Happy Thanksgiving! So sorry you couldn't make it home for the holidays. Stay safe!

I sighed. I'd wanted to come home and enjoy a nice meal with my family, but the restaurant I was waitressing for wouldn't give me enough days off to make it worth the money. So here I was, at a bar on thanksgiving night. Drunk. Mom would be so proud.

I sent a quick reply saying that I missed everyone and that I would definitely be home for Christmas. After using the restroom, I stumbled upwards and almost fell trying to put my pants back up. Stupid skinny jeans, or maybe I'd just gained a little weight. It was hard to tell.

I walked past the urinals to wash my hands off in the sink. The water from the sink was tinted brown and I don't think it was because the establishment dyed it trying to be festive. Deciding my hands would probably be cleaner without using the contaminated water, I just rubbed them on my pants.

I opened the door back to the bar and held the door open for a man. Oh. I got back to my stool at the bar completely red faced. I turned to Ruffnut to ask if we could leave (and maybe never ever come back), but she wasn't there. I looked around to see if she had gone to sit with the man from across the bar but he was gone too.

Shit.

She'd left me. She knew I didn't have a car and couldn't waste my money on an uber. Jerk.

Deciding to deal with her when I was sober so I wouldn't jumble up my words and make a fool of myself, I grabbed my coat, closed Ruffs tab, and walked out.

It was a little chilly out; the sun had set since I last saw it. I'd only brought a light jacket with me and shivered as the cold wind nipped at my nose. I would've brought something warmer if I'd known that I would be walking home. I didn't even have gloves so I stuck hands in my armpits to keep them warm.