ExposedNYC

I love those nights when you realize that even Manhattan can start to feel like a small town if you’re here long enough. My girlfriend Callie is in town from Los Angeles so we went out for drinks at my old watering hole near midtown. She’s famous there because on her last trip she fell backwards out of a chair and left wearing one of the bartender’s ties.

We were sad to see that none of our favorite bartenders were working, but we sat down for a drink anyway and called some friends to see where to go next. Out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed an old co-worker, which was not surprising because the bar was where we used to drown our sorrows together after a rough day. We coerced him into taking our picture in the bar, which I’m always a little embarrassed about, but when a friend comes to town it gives you free reign to act like a total tourist.

I got a text from a friend I hadn’t seen in months who was at a bar three blocks away, so we swigged, swallowed, and settled up. Two steps in the door the bartender and I caught eyes and had an “I know you from somewhere…” moment. “Brad!” I exclaimed. He gave me a puzzled look and replied, “No, but I remember your name, Miss Exposed.”

I hung my head in shame as I realized that Brad was actually a friend from high school that he had always reminded me of, and threw myself on the mercy of the bar asking for forgiveness. He laughed it off, poured us some cocktails, and I found the friend we were meeting. “Not Brad” took quite a delight in teasing me when he tried to introduce us again.

About half an hour later, Callie nudged me and said, “A cute group of guys just walked in the door.” I turned my head just in time to be mauled by an obliterated Irishman. It turns out that I also knew two of the guys in this group, who were out for a Guys Night with brothers visiting from Ireland. They dragged me into a dart game, while I remained impressed that they could see straight enough to even hit the board.

I ended up deep in conversation with one very cute member of the group who could still hold a conversation without slurring. He bartends downtown, so he gave me his card and asked me to stop in and visit him sometime. Now, I’ve always approached flirtation from a bartender with a large dose of skepticism, but I couldn’t help feeling a little flicker of a crush developing. What can I say- I’m a sucker for an accent.

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