A Night in DC

She ran her fingers over the lightning bolt shaped veins that run down each side of my head. “You look mean,” she said.

“Good mean or bad mean?” I asked.

“Good mean. You look tough,” she said.

I downed my shot and she ran her fingers over the back of my neck. I tried to remember what day it was but the booze and pills made all the days run together. I guessed it was Friday and my watch told me I was right.

“I’m heading out,” my brother said.

I took a drink from my beer and when I looked back he was gone. It was just the two of us now. I ordered two more shots. I couldn’t get drunk enough or lost enough to forget yet. That’s what I was aiming to do—to forget, to erase every memory of her from my mind. I was almost there.

She leaned over and whispered in my ear. “You know my house is only two blocks from here..”

I downed my shot and took a swig of beer. She traced the lightning bolt vein on my head with her finger. I couldn’t feel her touch. I was numb.

“What’s your name again?” I asked.

She got an indignant look on her face. I guess I’d asked one too many times. She was a nice girl and meant something to someone; probably her boyfriend but she didn’t mean anything to me.

She downed her shot. “It’s Candy.”

“That’s right, Candy. How could I forget such a beautiful name?”

Of course I was full of shit but she smiled and the booze helped erase any animosity I might have stirred up. I was back in but did I want to be?

I ordered two more shots. “So you’re an attorney, Candy?”

“Yeah, I practice international law.”

“Cool. You travel a lot?”

“Yeah, and I can take people with me. I have a ton of frequent flyer miles.”

“I bet your boyfriend likes that.”

“I don’t take him. He’s boring.”

“Am I boring?”

She ran the back of her hand against my beard. “No you’re mean.”

“Right.”

She kissed my cheek. I should have felt something but I didn’t.