The First Encounter

Margaret looked at the remaining iced tea on her glass. She’s starting to regret why she allowed her friends to persuade her into doing this thing. Now all she feels is embarrassment not only to herself, but also to the burly bartender who is constantly glancing at her, the only customer he has on the bar at the moment.

She glanced at the bartender, who smiled upon seeing her look at him. Margaret felt more embarrassed, so she looked away again. In the process, she looked to her right, where a tall guy suddenly appeared. She looked at his face, and Margaret was so amazed she just kept staring.

The guy smiled at her, making Margaret blush due to embarrassment. She looked away, also making herself seat properly on the bar stool. She finished the last of her iced tea, feeling more embarrassed as she remembered how she stared at the man’s face earlier. But who would not stare on such handsome face?

“Excuse me…”

Margaret froze. She looked at the man beside her. Was he talking to her?

“Hi!” the guy said with a smiled. “Uhm… I’m just wondering if this seat is already taken.”

Margaret did not answer. The guy’s smile made him look more handsome that she wasn’t able to speak.

“Miss?”

“Oh…!” Margaret’s mind went back to Earth again. “N-No… No, it’s not taken.”

She sat properly again, then took her glass and drank from it. Then she realized that her glass is already empty. She caught sight of the bartender, who seems to be waiting for her order. She just looked away again.

“Then… can I sit here?”

Margaret looked at the guy beside her. Her mind went blank and just gaped at him for a moment. It took a while before she was able to answer him again.

“Y-Yes…” She nodded. “O-Of course…”

If only Margaret can hit herself, she already did it. Why does she look like she’s drunk, when in fact, all that she has drank for the past two hours she’s been on this restaurant is iced tea? She hoped the guy beside him could not see her face on the dim lighting because she knows it has turned crimson.

“Uhm… Miss…”

Margaret looked at the guy again. Is this handsome guy really talking to her? Luck seems to be on her side tonight.

“I know this will sound weird, but… can we pretend that we’re having a conversation of some sort?”

‘What?’ Margaret frowned as she got confused with what the guy said.

“You see, I just need to talk to a girl… I mean, I need to talk to you.”

The guy looked down, and suddenly it was his turn to look embarrassed. He looked to the bartender and said, “Scotch, please.”

The guy looked back at Margaret, and their eyes met in the process. She suddenly felt her heart race, making her swallow as she looked away. She then felt conscious as to how she looks.

‘Marga, you can’t thumb through your hair now. He might think you’re flirting.’

She just clasped her hands to prevent them from reaching her hair.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked at the man again.

“It just happened that I saw you alone here, so I decided to come and talk to you.”

Margaret felt kind of confused. Is he saying that he did not intend to talk to her, but went for it because she is the only girl alone on that bar? It kind of turned her off a little. Just a little, because this man’s handsome face can’t seem to turn her attraction down.

“Why… why do you need to talk to a girl?” she asked him.

The guy looked embarrassed again. That’s when the bartender gave his scotch. The man gulped the alcohol, emptying the glass. Margaret just stared at him.

“I was dared by my cousin.”

Margaret’s mind went blank. Dared? Did she hear that right?

“Well, I’m partly to blame because I allowed him to persuade me. I guess it was all my fault after all.”

“He told you to come here and talk to a random girl and try to have a date for the night,” Margaret said.

The guy looked at her as if contemplating what she just said.

“Is that how it was?” Margaret asked.

The guy nodded. “In a way, yes.”

Margaret started laughing all of a sudden. The guy was so surprised he just watched her.

“I’m sorry…” she said when she was able to stop. “It’s just that…” She giggled. “We have the same predicament.” She pressed her lips together to stop giggling.

The guy finally understood her, making him chuckle as well.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Margaret answered.

The guy laughed again. “What a coincidence!”

“It sure is,” Margaret said.

The guy smiled at her, making Margaret feel embarrassed again. She looked away, though her curiosity made her want to know more about the guy’s reason for being here with her.

“So, why did he dare you?” she asked the guy.

“Well…”

The guy looked in front, and Margaret kind of regret that she even asked. Why does it seem like he is having some difficulty answering her question?

“Because I was single for four years already,” the guy finally answered. Then he looked at the bartender. “One more scotch, please.”

Margaret felt a certain sadness as she looked at the guy’s handsome face. It’s something that draws herself to him, making her want to look at him more. He probably noticed her staring, so he looked at her again. That made her blush once again, making her look away.

“How about you?” the guy suddenly asked.

Margaret looked at him again.

“You said you were also dared to look for a date tonight,” said the guy.

“Oh… yeah…” Margaret felt more embarrassed that she looked away. She suddenly felt tensed with where the conversation is heading. Maybe she also needs to drink some alcohol?

“So, how long have you been single?”

That’s the question that Margaret dreaded to hear. How will she answer that question without making herself look weird and hopeless when it comes to love and relationship?

The bartender gave the guy’s order, giving Margaret some more time to think how to answer his question. The guy took the scotch and drank a little, unlike gulping the whole think just like what he did earlier. He then looked at Margaret again, and the latter felt like she needs to give him an answer already.

“A long time…” she managed to say.

“As in?”

“As in…”

The guy nodded, and seemed to have accepted Margaret’s answer. But she was wrong, as the guy asked her again.

“Like, how long?” He drank his scotch again.

Margaret has no choice but to tell him the truth.

“Twenty-nine years…”

The guy almost choked after hearing Margaret’s answer. He gaped at her, and Margaret found his reaction funny she giggled a little. Also because she is feeling more embarrassed right now.

“Wait… don’t tell me…”

“No boyfriend since birth?” Margaret finished.

The guy nodded.

“Yeah…” She let out a nervous laugh.

If only she has alcohol right now to somehow down the embarrassment she’s feeling. But then, why not do that? Maybe she can have a little alcohol herself?

“Can I have some beer?” she asked the bartender.

The bartender was quite surprised with her order, though he did not ask some more and just obeyed. He gave her a tall beer mug full of alcohol she ordered, and Margaret kind of regretted what she had done.

“Are you really…”

Margaret looked at the guy beside her. It seems like he doesn’t know how to finish his question. It made Margaret feel like he’s too polite.

“I am,” she answered.

“But why? I mean… Wait… don’t tell me you’re a man-hater?”

“What?” Margaret was quite amused. “Just because I never had a boyfriend, I already am a man hater?”

The guy looked at her innocently, making Margaret feel conscious with herself. She drank some beer from her mug, and she was aware her face was distorted as she tasted the bitter liquid. If only she could spit it out but not look totally embarrassing after.

“I just… I don’t understand…”

“Well, that’s how it is,” Margaret said.

“But I guess, some guys tried to court you. Right?”

Margaret shook her head.

“Seriously?”

She felt more embarrassed that she drank her beer again. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste as bad as it did earlier. Maybe her taste buds are starting to get used to it.

“But, you’re not that bad. I mean, no offense meant to anyone but, sometimes, those who people find ugly manage to have a love of their own,” the guy explained.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with me, that’s why.”

Margaret was aware she said that bitterly. She said those words because she felt bitter inside. Maybe it’s brought about by the bitter taste of the beer she’s having.

“Or maybe, you’re not giving them the opportunity to like you,” the guy said. “What I mean is, maybe you’re too busy with your work, with your studies before, your family. Guys would feel it if you like to be in a relationship or not.”

“I guess so…” Margaret just drank her beer again, because she doesn’t know what more to say.

“So no one really did try to court you?” the guy asked again.

Margaret shook her head. “I was always just the friend. You know what I mean? I have a lot of guy friends, and some of them pursued our other girl friends. But no one did that to me.”

“Maybe they really did like you,” the guy said. “They like you and they tried to make you feel it, but you’re too focused on… life… you failed to see it.”

Margaret contemplated on what the guy said. Yeah, he somehow has a point. “Maybe…” She drank some beer again, quite amazed that she’s about to finish the tall mug served to her by the bartender.

She suddenly remembered something. “How about you?” she asked the guy.

“Hmm?”

“You’re not NGSB, right?” Margaret asked.

“No girlfriend since birth? No. My last girlfriend was my second.”

“What happened?”

The guy shrugged. “It didn’t work out.”

“Why?” Margaret is starting to get curious.

“Well… she got tired of me.”

Margaret frowned. Why did that statement made her feel dizzy? And why is the guy seem to look sad again?

“There was a milestone in my career that time. Let’s just say I was promoted to a very high position, and I was too focused with work I took her for granted. She got tired of patiently waiting for me to have time for her.”

“Hmm… It’s not meant to be.”

“I don’t think so,” the guy said. “I guess it could have worked out, if only I had more time for her. I don’t think anyone deserves to be taken for granted like that. I guess I really did mess up, and it’s better for us to break up.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

The guy frowned at her.

“I believe that no matter how busy your life is, no matter how hectic your schedule is, and no matter how focused you are on your work, there’s that one person who will come to your life and shake up your world, disrupt your system, and seize your concentration. Based on your story, that's not your ex, so she's not really the one for you.”

Margaret finished her beer, and she kind of felt bad that it was all gone. She looked at the bartender, and she voiced out what her mind seems to tell her what to do.

“One more mug, please.”

The bartender did as told, and Margaret suddenly felt giddy.