Girls Night
by RGoodfellow64
Chapter 1, March 2007
Alternate title: Breaking up is hard to do…isn't it?
.
.
Disclaimer: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I might have stood a chance, but the force is greater in AM than this one, so nope, still not mine.
.
.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
Kate lifted her head where she'd been staring at her drink on the bar, looked at the bartender and said, "Yes?"
He nodded to his left and said, "The gentleman over there would like to buy you a drink."
She shook her head and said, "Still not interested," at which he nodded and walked away from her, back towards the man at the other end of the bar.
"That's the third one you've said no to, Kate. Don't tell me you're feeling upset about Will!"
Kate turned to her right where Lanie was sitting beside her and said, "No. I'm really not upset."
"Well then what's wrong? You have any idea how many guys are giving you the once over here?"
"Not interested Lanie."
"Are you sure you aren't upset that Will left?" Lanie asked, "Because you really are acting like it!"
"Lanie!"
"Kate, you haven't even looked at a guy since he went to Boston."
Kate put her head in her hands and sighed. Without lifting her head she said, "Ok, you're right. I am mad, actually I'm pissed."
Lanie tried to say something but Kate wasn't slowing down. "What kind of guy tells you he loves you, asks you to move in with him…we actually looked at ads for apartments!"
Lanie managed to get an "Uh huh" out before Kate spoke over her. "Then he takes a job in Boston? What kind of guy does that?"
"A jackass," Lanie said, surprised that she managed to get a word in edgewise.
"Right?" Kate said. Then ticking the points off on her fingers she said, "One, he never told me about the offer; two, he lied about where he was when he went for the interview, and three, when he got the job he expected me to be thrilled to just pack up and follow him like a…like a…"
Kate struggled to find the right word when Lanie said, "Like a Stepford wife or something?"
Kate picked up her glass, gave Lanie a salute and said, "Exactly!" She then took a long sip from her drink and said, "He knew how important my job is, and he still expected me to simply walk away from all I worked so hard to achieve."
Lanie was about to reply when a voice said from behind them, "What are you two lovely ladies doing sitting by yourselves?"
Kate gave a disgusted sigh while Lanie looked up to see one of the guys who'd been staring at Kate since they came in. Giving him her evil eye she said, "Having a private conversation…you know, just the two of us!"
He ignored Lanie, looked at Kate with a smile and asked, "Can I buy you a drink?"
Kate didn't even bother to look at him as she said, "Not interested."
He leaned in closer and making his voice sound sexy asked, "Then how about I buy you dinner?"
Kate looked at him and again said, "Not interested."
He reached out and touched her hand, "Well how about a dance?" he asked just before Kate pulled her hand out from under his and turned on him with a look of total disgust. "You know, my dad used to listen to a country song when I was a girl," she said in a clipped manner, it was called 'What part of No don't you understand?'"
He gave her a confused look and Lanie barked out a laugh. As he tried to think of something else to say Lanie said, "Are you blind as well as deaf? No one here is interested in having anything to do with you. Now go away!"
His come on smile disappeared and his face took on an angry look as he backed away with his hands up. "Ok, ok. No wonder you're alone, no one could put up with you!"
As he went back to his table and his friends, Kate shook her head, and then looked back to Lanie. She raised her right hand, and wiggled her pinky finger at him. Lanie almost spit out her drink as she started to laugh and his friends evidently saw it as they started laughing as well.
Lanie wiped her mouth and chin with a napkin and said, "Girl, you are sooo bad!"
Kate gave her a little smile and took another sip of her drink.
A few minutes later Lanie asked, "Are you ok Kate? Really?"
"I'm not going to deny it doesn't hurt Lanie," Kate answered. "It does, but the pain is not just about his leaving for a better job. This was the longest relationship I'd had since my first year of college." Kate sighed and added, "What really bothers me is the fact that another relationship failed. I managed to pick another guy who just isn't right for me." After a short pause she said under her breath, "It's almost like a curse."
Lanie put her hand on Kate's and said, "Sweetie, you've dated before but none for as long as with Will, and never as serious. You didn't do anything wrong here, he did. You were open to more and he walked away, that's not your fault and it's not a curse."
Kate finished her drink and looked at Lanie, "Want another or should we call it a night?"
Looking closely at her friend, Lanie could tell that she really wasn't ready to leave. Catching the eye of the bartender, Lanie pointed to her drink and Kate's empty glass to let him know they wanted another. "It's girls night Kate, we're going to close this place."
As the bartender gave them their new drinks and took the empty glasses away, Kate softly smiled and said, "Thanks for making me come out tonight Lanie."
Clinking her glass to Kate's, Lanie said, "No problem, Kate. No problem."
.
.
.
AUTHORS NOTE: This has been floating around in the back of my mind for a while now. Actually, there are a whole lot of things floating in the back of my mind…which sometimes worries me. ;-p
I've been thinking about this for a while and had bits and pieces of at least three other chapters written down before I finished this one. I see this as the talks between Kate and Lanie that haven't been shown on screen.