2 11 am pdt [ to the W Hotel ]
Tonight is the second night in a row I have gotten home
before my dad. Sheesh!
Jo and I have been friends since we took an art class
together at Berkeley. We
both stood out as the nerdy girls in the class. She just moved down here
to sunny Southern CA, so we made plans to go this evening.
We were supposed to do dinner and a movie, but that
evolved into meeting at some bar in Westwood with one of her high-school
friends.
"Wilshire to Glendon, make a left. Right on Weyburn;
left on Hilgaurd. It's called the W Hotel."
I dressed up in my favorite men's slacks. The look was
sharp. "You are a goddess," I said to myself in the mirror.
Parking in Westwood is always a nightmare, but so be
it. This place was jam packed with a line far out the door. I was indeed
surprised. So I'm chatting with people in line. The guy in front of me
offered the doorman $20 to let him in, with no success. He's moaning and
groaning about wanting to know someone who can get him in. In front of
him are two guys clearly not from LA. There are making all sorts of false
generalizations and claiming Nick Cage is inside. The three girls in back
of me are giggling that Leo DiCaprio might show up. They think the spot
Natalie Portman. I try not to roll my eyes in front of them, but I make
no effort to contain my laughter.
I sent Jo a rescue me vibe, and suddenly she
appears at the door. The doorman doesn't want to let me in, even though I
have now walked to the front of the line. I'm fine with that. I just
stand there catching up with Jo. "Is it just you?" he interrupts.
"Yes."
"Then go on in."
I know the people I was in line with are pissed.
Jo's friend was fantastic, though she awed me in having
gotten married at 21. I got more and more ridiculous as the night went
on, making lewd comments about using men. I began to tell lies. "My name
is Robin." "I'm going home to Redondo Beach." "I went to high school with
Jo. Everyone calls her Goddess. It's been her nickname for years."
A guy was walking around in a bathrobe. He had red
vines in his pocket and I ate five. That was wonderfully surreal.
I had Jo and her friend rolling on the floor with my
absurdity. I met one interesting guy. He didn't want to tell me what he
did for a living. Shall I call him Special K? I shall.
I kept waving at guys or dancing with myself barefoot.
Special K said I was dangerous. I liked that.
The evening was long, and I spent the greater portion
of it making rude comments about women's outfits. I told Jo that all the
men there were just toys for her to play with. She didn't buy it. I
could feel I was on a roll.
"Special K, come back to me!" I said out loud. I told
Jo I wanted to say good-bye to him, but he was nowhere to be found. I
sent out vibes to him to return to me. Still no luck. I made one round
to look. I wanted to see him again. I gave up. Suddenly, by the door,
there he was. "Will you have dinner with me sometime?"
"But you have a boyfriend..."
"I don't mean in a come on way. I mean in a friend
way."
"That might be awkward."
"How about I give you my number and if you feel
comfortable, you call me, and if not, not biggie." He was making me work
for no reason in particular.
"What do you like to do?"
"I like to horseback ride. I love to go hiking; I live
by the State Park." I point in no direction in particular. His eyes light
up. "Would you like to go hiking instead?"
"Sure!"
"Do you have a pen?"
"I said I'd go get one. "Will you be here when I get
back?" I smiled coyly. I don't remember his response. Anyway, he
wasn't. I was shocked. Not a "How dare he do that to me!" shock, but
rather a "How rude!" shock.
"I think he bailed," Jo said. Ok. We were out the door
and half way down the stairs. "Maybe I should give J----- my number," Jo
pauses.
"Do you want to?" I asked. She nodded. We were back
inside. I practically walked into Special K. "You left!"
"Nature called," he offered. I'll never know if that
was true. I handed him a slip of paper with my name, number, and the word
hiking.
We shall see what happens...
