After a couple of hours, and more than a couple of beers, I stood up, ready to leave. "Well, I really do need to get going." I said saying goodbye.

"Wait! How about I walk you to your car. It's getting dark and you never know what kind of wackos are out there."

I shook my head and laughed. "If you want to Mike."

He grabbed my coat and held the door open for me. "Ladies first."

"Nice to know chivalry isn't dead."

"So, are you going to Minnesota with the team?"

I nodded. "It was part of my contract. I worked here for a couple weeks and it came with my promotion."

"You flying up there?"

"Yeah, on the Committee's dime too. It's kinda cool."

Rammer laughed. "I had to drive here, and I'll have to drive back. Takes three days all together. Flying? That's really cool."

I stopped in front of my green Toyota. "Well, no wackos so far."

"You can never be sure." Rammer replied turning away.

"Wait!" Rammer turned and I quickly pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks for the concern."

"No problem."

A few days later I had all my things packed up. I glanced around my now bare apartment and sighed. As shabby as it was, I liked living here. There was a 3.2 bar just down the street my friends and I would walk to a couple times a week, and it was a four and a half minute drive to work every morning. In Minneapolis I'd be taking a forty-five minute commute. But it was worth it.

"Knock knock. The movers are waiting for the last box. You ready?" Leah, my best friend, and her roommate Cindy lived two floors down and they were helping me bring all my stuff to the street so the movers could pick it up.

"Yeah. Where's Cindy?"

"Flirting with the driver. Sometimes I wish I was single again." Leah sighed then shook her head. "Nah."

I hoisted the box onto my hip as I stood up. "Really? Think about it, you can go wherever, whenever. No one's holding you down."

"Somebody's always holding you down. It doesn't matter if you're single or not. Why wouldn't you have taken the job?"

I pushed the elevator down button. "You. And my family. My apartment I guess-"

"Exactly. And if that didn't stop you college would have. Or say you met a great guy here. There's always something that will keep you from going. It takes a brave person to stop using them as excuses and take the plunge." Leah had tears in her eyes as we made our way out of the elevator and outside. "I'm gonna miss you Sammie."

"Miss you too Lee." I replied, handing the box over to a mover and pulling her into a hug.

"Now you're gonna call us as often as your salary allows, right? And keep us updated on this Mike Eruzione too."

I blushed. "Deal. And you will tell me if you're ever in the neighborhood and can come see me."

"Of Course. Be safe, have fun."

"What are you her mother?" Cindy interjected, putting one arm around me. "Sam can handle herself against those big bad Minnesotans, can't ya Sam?"

I grinned. " Well yeah, but there are guys from Boston, Wisconsin, Maryland, New Hampshire; All over."

"Well Boston boys are pushovers, so you should stick around them."

Leah smirked. "Sam's lover boy's from Boston, better watch out."

"Leah!"

So you know: A 3.2 bar is an establishment permitted to serve only drinks that have no more than 3.2 percent alcohol in their total volume, and in Colorado at the time, a 3.2 bar was allowed to serve persons over the age of 18. Usually high schoolers (like my mother) would go there before they hit 21.