Lola sighed as she placed her drink back on the bar.
“I swear, life can be so boring at times. Like, I’d love to have some chaos right now.”
Her friend, Ruth, nodded into her drink.
“I agree. I mean, surely we were meant for more than to work, pay bills, and die alone. Where’s the fun? The excitement? The thrill of life?”
“Exactly! We need to feel alive.” Lola paused for a drink, frowning. “But how? How can we feel alive without destroying everything we’ve worked for?”
Ruth pondered the question as she surveyed the nearly empty bar. Spotting a handsome fellow alone at a corner table, she smiled.
“Go flirt with him.”
Lola choked on her drink. “What?”
“That man in the corner. He’s alone, and you’re single. So, go flirt with him.”
Lola stole a glance at the man in question. He was handsome, and Lola nodded.
“Fine. But if anything happens, it’s on you.”
Ruth raised her glass in agreement, and Lola downed her drink in an attempt to feel more confident. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the table.
“Excuse me.”
The stranger looked up from his drink and eyed Lola, and she felt a thrill run up her spine.
“May I join you?”
It was a bold move, and Lola braced herself for a response. However, the man smiled and gestured to the seat across from him.
“Of course. I’m always glad for some company.”
“Thank you. I’m Lola.”
“Al.”
“Nice to meet you, Al. I hope I’m not too bold, but what’s a handsome fellow like yourself doing alone in a dive like this?”
Al leaned forward and grinned.
“Is it wise, flirting with a man you’ve just met? I could be dangerous.”
Lola smiled.
“Maybe I like danger.”
Al regarded her curiously, a mischievous light in his dark eyes.
“Danger could get a woman like you in a lot of trouble.”
“Oh yeah? How’s that?”
“Well, I could take you home and do unspeakable things to you.”
Lola flushed as she searched for a reply, but none came to her. Al grinned.
“Speechless? My, my. Tell you what- how about we get your friend over there to join us, and I’ll show you how dangerous I can be.”
Lola’s heart raced as she tried to regain her voice, but there was something darkly appealing about the man before her. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to leave.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think you may be right. Flirting with you was a mistake.”
Reluctantly, she rose from her chair.
“Nice to meet you, Al.”
“It was a pleasure, Lola. If you change your mind, feel free to find me again.”
Al winked at her and handed her a card with his number on it, and Lola’s breath caught as she returned to Ruth, who was waiting by the bar with new drinks and a look of expectation.
“Well? What happened?”
Lola took a shaky sip of her drink and sighed.
“Girl, either I’m out of practice, or that man is some sort of god. He had me overwhelmed in under a minute.”
Ruth raised her eyebrows.
“Really? What’d he say?”
“That doesn’t matter. Hey, let’s get out of here. I’m tired.”
“Sure thing.”
Ruth paid the tab and followed Lola out the door. Lola took a deep breath of the cool autumn air and felt herself relax again as Ruth took her arm.
“So, the chaos theory worked? Do you feel alive?”
“I did, yeah. But there was something off about him- something dangerous. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Ruth shrugged.
“Well, no loss. We had a good time, and now we can go back to our dull life.”
Lola laughed, but inside she felt wobbly. Al had awakened something in her, and, as much as she tried to deny it, Lola wished she had taken him up on his offer. Still, this was better than potentially getting caught up with someone as volatile as Al seemed, and Lola shook off her desires as she reached her apartment.
“Goodnight, Ruth. Thank you for the lovely evening.”
“Anytime! Now, get some sleep! I’ll see you Monday.”
The women parted ways, and Lola entered her apartment and plopped on her bed.
That night, Lola’s dreams were turbulent, and she awoke in a cold sweat. Shaking, she went to her kitchen to get some water but paused when she saw Al’s card on the counter.
“No, I couldn’t.”
She turned away and got some water, but that feeling of desire fluttered through her again, and Lola sighed.
“This is a bad idea,” she told herself as she dialed the numbers. Soon, a smooth voice came over the line and sent her head spinning again.
“Hello?”
“Al? It’s…Lola. Look, I don’t know why I’m saying this, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your offer. Is it still on the table?”
She could hear him smiling through the phone.
“Are you sure you want this? There’ll be no going back afterward.”
“I’m sure.”
“Good. Meet me at the bar in ten minutes.”
Lola hung up and sighed deeply.
“What am I doing?”
Her question hung in the air as she went to her closet and picked out the tightest, most revealing outfit she owned. After combing her hair and applying some light makeup, she covered it all with a coat and made her way to the bar.
Al was waiting for her, and she gasped at how tall he was. He smiled as he saw her.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
He opened the door for her, and Lola climbed into the passenger seat of his car. Al drove them to a nearby motel and paid for a room while Lola sent a quick text to Ruth to let her know where she was.
Once inside the room, Al stood before her and tilted her face to his.
“Ready for some chaos?”
“Yes.”
Smiling, Al crushed her lips with his, and Lola knew that, from that moment on, her life would never be the same.
