Fill Me (Rouse Me 3)

It's quiet. A dozen people maybe and soft rock playing on the stereo. There are magenta lights, but everything else is plain-black floor, black booths, black stools.

Ellen waves to the bartender--a cute guy who barely looks old enough to drink. She turns back to me. "What's your poison?"

"Tequila."

"Nice." She smiles, and leans over the bar, pressing her arms together to give the bartender a great view of her cleavage. "Two shots of tequila."

"Both for you?" he asks. His gaze drifts to her chest, just for a second.

She laughs. "Very funny."

The bartender pours the shots and passes them to Ellen. She hands one to me. "To what I'm sure will be an amazing future."

I slam the shot back. Damn. What a waste of good tequila. My face burns, my head already swimming.

Ellen smiles--attagirland takes her shot. She shakes her head, slams her glass on the bar, and motions to the bartender. Two more.

She turns back to me. "You think I can get him to go home with me?"

"Why go all the way home when there's a perfectly good back room available?"

Ellen smirks. "Damn, I like the way you think." She turns back, grabs the shots, and points to a booth in the corner.

I follow her to the booth, settling onto the plush black bench seat.

She looks at me with curiosity, like she's getting ready to return to the subject of my relationship status.

I'll deflect her. "You ever fuck in public?"

"Only a dozen different empty theaters, rooftops, dressing rooms. Never somewhere like this or when people were around." She sips her shot, her face puckering. "Why? You need to brag about some crazy story with your future husband?"

I laugh weakly. It's pathetic. "Nothing like that."

"Hmm. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're fishing for me to ask about it." She leans towards me. "So, tell me Alyssa, what is it you want to confess about this future husband of yours?"

"Nothing."

"I don't buy it. Something is up."

"He's there. I'm here. It's hard." I take a long sip of my tequila. It's crisp, clean. The kind of thing I'd drink with Luke.

"Is that it?"

I nod. "Totally. That's totally it. I love him. He loves me. We're going to be very happy." Jesus, even I don't believe me. But that is the truth. I do love him. He does love me. There's no reason why we wouldn't be happy.

"That sounds awful." Ellen laughs and slams her shot back. "Sorry. That was super rude. I'm sure he, uh, like Star Wars... Luke, right?"

"Like Star Wars."

"Is Luke like Star Wars great? The kind of guy you can see yourself waking up with every day for the rest of your life? Not that I could ever envision anything like that."

He is great. And I can see myself waking up next to him, wrapping my arms around him to try and keep him in the bed. He won't leave me home, all by myself, while he's fucking his secretary.

"Earth to Alyssa..."

"He's great. He's really great. And he's hot as all hell too."

"That counts for a lot." Ellen laughs. She signals the bartender to bring another round.