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Caleb was wearing a seafoam green polo with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. He propped his arms over the edge of the railing with an ice-cold beer in his hand. I glanced at him, then down at myself. I was wearing a pair of slacks with a button-down shirt and a tie. I was probably overdressed, but what the hell. Shirts could come off.
To his credit, Caleb made an effort to stand by and take in the scene along with me. It lasted a whole thirty seconds before he was fidgeting. Whereas I could take a moment to just sit and breathe, Caleb was a man of action. It was his idea to go out on the town tonight.
Caleb opened his mouth, probably to snark something at the peaceful scene. I was saved from sarcasm by Ethan’s appearance at the sliding glass door.
“Are you guys almost ready to go?” Ethan was dabbing aftershave onto his cheeks, and I could smell it from ten feet away.
“What the hell, man? Did you bathe in that crap?” I swatted the air to form a breeze with my flattened palm. “Women won’t come within two feet of us.”
“Nah, you’re wrong,” Ethan cackled. “The ladies will flock to us. Wanna put money down on it? The man with the most numbers wins.”
I rolled my eyes, exchanging a glance with Caleb. “Yeah, right. Wish I was a betting man but I’d hate to just take your money.”
The scotch was strong. I was already lightheaded and heard myself laughing a bit too loud as I poked fun at our friend.
Caleb, though, seemed to think Ethan had a good idea. “I think we should go straight for the clubs tonight.”
“It’s better than trying to pick up women at dive bars,” Ethan agreed.
None of us had ever been in what you’d call a serious relationship. We had all had our share of flings, but nothing ever panned out. Call it fear of commitment or just the pure fact that none of us had found ‘Ms. Right’. No one here was eager to settle down yet.
I was twenty-eight, and already feeling the pressure from my family. My mom in particular made me feel like the clock was ticking and I was running out of time to find the perfect wife to spawn out heaps of grandchildren.
I was just out there enjoying life, living in the moment. I figured if I found the perfect woman, I would see stars in front of my eyes. The clouds would part, and I would become awestruck and unable to speak or move.
That’s when the realization hit me, like crashing into a brick wall in a car going fifty miles an hour: The vividly sensual image of the sexy blonde woman on the beach. Her cheeks were rosy, a perfect contrast against her creamy white skin. My pulse fluttered at the memory of her shapely figure, those sultry curves.
I could hardly assume that she was the one. I’d only met her for five minutes, if that, and she had politely declined my offer to buy her dinner. Yet, I couldn’t get her out of my head.
Maybe my friends were right. It would do me some good to get out there and play the field a little. I had nothing to lose. I didn’t have to be on the hunt for a woman that was marriage material, but I couldn’t shake that blonde’s image from my mind either.
No, not just any blonde: Geneva Danes. Even the name had a lovely ring to it. I wasn’t in love, I was infatuated. It was time to hook myself onto someone else. Geneva just wasn’t meant to be mine.
An hour of drinks later, Caleb, Ethan and I stepped out into the humid Miami night. We had chosen a hotel room that was right on the strip of South Beach, where the nightlife was pumping, and the action unfolded in real time all around us.
“There’s a line at that club.” Ethan pointed to a gray stone building about a block away from where we were standing.
“That means it’s probably the hottest spot in town,” Caleb said.
“Sounds good,” I said. “Let’s go.”
A grizzly bouncer wearing an oversized gray t-shirt and sporting a protruding belly stepped aside to grant us access. Upon stepping inside, I was hit with the shock of the music’s bass rocking my bones. The strobe lights pulsed and pelted the sea of sweaty, sexy bodies blending together on the dance floor.
“This place is awesome,” Ethan roared into my ear.
“Let’s find the bar,” I suggested, pointing to the side of the room where I saw two bartenders scurrying about. “This place is packed.”
Caleb scowled. “It might be awhile before we get served.”
It didn’t matter to me. I was here to watch all the madness around us as well as drink. We leaned back against the counter of the bar, absorbing the atmosphere. Women danced with other women, men were grinding on their girlfriends or wives. People clinked their glasses together in merry celebration. The scene was electric and buzzing.
After the bartender handed us our beers, we found a little round bistro table by the dance floor that was perfect to do our women gazing. We simply admired the view as we sipped our beers and bantered with each other.
“That woman is checking you out.” Ethan nudged his chin in the direction of the dance floor.
“Really? You sure she wasn’t looking at you?”
“You’re both idiots,” Caleb said. “That chick is totally checking me out.”
