"Ohmigod, Meredith, how could Ryan do this to me?" lamented Kelly, resting her chin upon her hands as she gazed at the untouched Cuba Libre on the countertop. "We were soul mates! We were meant for each other! Why would he, like, mess with fate and take that job in New York?"
Kelly looked expectantly at her coworker for a reply; Meredith, sipping her third mojito of the night through a straw as she stared intently at the barman, seemed completely unaware of her presence.
"I haven't felt this depressed since they kicked Sanjaya off American Idol! God, why was Simon so mean to him? Life is, like, totally cruel, Meredith. Going here was a nice idea, but I don't feel like drinking tonight…"
"Too depressed to drink?" mumbled Meredith, keeping her eyes fixed on the barman. "That's impossible. A night at the bar is all you need when you're longing for the touch of a man. Even if you don't remember who he is when you wake up next to him in the morning, you can be damn sure you didn't spend another night alone…can I get a mojito refill over here?"
"But what if Ryan changes his mind and comes back to Scranton just to be with me? Ohmigod, that would be so romantic!"
"Face it: you and Ryan are over. My ex-husbands are never coming back, and I owned up to that a long time ago. They were jackasses, anyhow…"
Smiling politely at Meredith, the barman placed a full cocktail glass on the countertop.
"Here's your drink, ma'am."
"Thanks, handsome. You got someone waiting for you at home?" asked Meredith as she reached out her hand to stroke his arm.
"I do, actually," replied the barman, immediately recoiling in discomfort.
"Oh…that'll make things even more interesting!"
Meredith winked drunkenly at her server, contorting her face into a grimace in the process. The barman quickly walked to the other end of the bar, looking even more horrified than before.
"You win some, you lose some," mused Meredith. "Poor Richard's has been my weekly retreat for years now, and I've learned to take a few misses before I hit on the right one."
"…For years now?"
"Yeah, ever since my last husband ran away with that skanky financial advisor of his. I'm through searching for Mister Perfect. Nowadays, I'll just settle for anyone who's a Mister."
"You mean this could be how I spend my nights if I don't find the right guy?" asked Kelly, her dismayed voice matching the horrified look on her face.
"I dunno. I sure hope not, 'cause the last thing I need is more competition. Dibs on that guy in the corner!"
Meredith swiveled around on her barstool and promptly stumbled to the floor.
"Ow! Hey Kelly, a little help here?"
Kelly could practically hear her mother dispersing one of her many lectures on marriage. Wali is a whole doctor. So handsome, makes good money!
She hadn't forgotten how she usually replied to her mother's badgering. You think I want to marry a doctor?
Perhaps giving Wali a chance wasn't a bad idea after all.