Hooking Nash

New York City

Even though we had seen each other and still kept in touch, mostly through texting, we were nowhere near as close as we once were. The fact was that I hadn't even told him about my new job. I wasn't even sure why that was, but I kept telling myself it was because I wanted to tell him in person.

Once I got myself situated.

It was my first night out in New York City and my roommate Sammy had suggested we go out together. Sammy had been my roommate all through college. She moved to New York after our graduation while I moved to Chicago. She'd gotten an opportunity to run a small bakery downtown and had done so ever since. She had shared the apartment that I was moving into with a roommate who'd recently gotten engaged and left to move in with her fiancé, Baxter. So as luck would have it, I ended up getting her old room.

I'd survived my first subway ride despite almost getting off at the wrong station and getting bumped into by a big guy carrying a plant bigger than me. Sammy had started to laugh hysterically when I had to duck down in an attempt to avoid getting smacked in the head by the branches. They still got caught in my hair somehow and Sammy had to fix it. We were still giggling when we arrived at the bar.

So far New York City had been everything I'd expected it to be. People were crazy and it was busy all the time, even at night. The flashing lights and the hum of the people hurrying towards their destinations made me feel alive. I was looking forward to a night out with Sammy. A night out period. It had been a very long time since I was out at a bar.

Baxter, the fiancé of Sammy's old roommate, Tasha, was busy pouring beers when we walked in. The place had an old-world feel to it, dark wood paneling and red tapestries adorned the walls. There were bar tables and a few booths near the back of the bar, but the main focus was on the massive bar in the middle of the room. It was crowded with no seating room in sight. Sammy took me by the hand and led me over to the side of the bar where Baxter, a good-looking Black man, was busy pouring out martinis for a bunch of well-dressed women. He did a double-take on Sammy when she squeezed us in so we were standing next to them.

"Hey, Sam," he greeted her with a big smile that showed off brightly white teeth. "About time you came down here."

"It was time," Sammy grinned back. "Is Tasha here tonight?"

"No, she's still at the restaurant."

Sammy nodded her head. She had told me before that she and Tasha had had completely different schedules. When Sammy worked Tasha slept, and Sammy did the same when Tasha worked.

"This is my friend Kennedy," Sammy introduced and gestured to me and I found myself smiling and reaching out my hand.

"Baxter," he said and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Baxter placed the martinis he had been mixing in front of the women next to us and added the cost to the tab they had going. "So what can I get you beautiful ladies?" he asked and looked up.

"I want what they're having," Sammy nodded her head to the women next to us.

"Me too," I added, although I had no idea what they were drinking and I really didn't really care either. I was just happy to be back with my best friend and out and about in the city that never sleeps.

"Coming right up," Baxter promised and reached for two glasses.

*****

"What is going on over there?" I asked Sammy a while later and gestured with my head towards the rear of the room. I was on my second martini and she was already on her third. It was busy in the back of the bar and the women next to us kept looking over there while bouncing up and down on the stools and squealing like teenagers.