The tavern was loaded that night. Babette, the waitress, was running in all directions, hardly keeping up with the orders of the customers. While the dining room was pretty crowded, only five people were sitting at the bar that was also belonging to the tavern. It was called 'Big ol' Tom's tavern—the place where stories are told'. Big ol' Tom's customers had always been telling stories; it had been a year-long tradition. The better part of these anecdotes were tales of love, passion and sex. This evening was no different.
Of these five people sitting around the bar, four were regulars; some of the most attentive listeners to any kind of story. The fifth was a man in his late thirties, sitting in the very corner of the bar, alone, silent, tired-looking eyes. The half-empty pint before him seemed to be the focus of his interest.
Big ol' Tom was cleaning his last glass as he addressed the lone man, “You look tired, young lad. Just make sure not to damage the mahogany when your head hits the bar.” His thick mustache covered his wide grin, but the deep wrinkles in the corner of his eyes clearly showed that he was obviously joking. “Well... actually, just don't fall asleep before you've paid your bill.”
“Don't worry,” the lone man answered, “there's way too much to care about. I can't fall asleep with a head so full of thoughts.”
Big ol' Tom raised his eyebrows. “Let me guess... A girl?”
One of the regulars expectingly turned his head to big ol' Tom as soon as the word 'girl' had passed his lips. The lone man nodded his head in approval.
“If you consider my thirty-five-year-old wife as a girl, yes,” replied the young man with a faint smile, “or well... You might mean my daughter. Here again, I have to say yes.”
All four regulars now had their eyes fixed on big ol' Tom and the lone man.
“Do you know why this tavern's called 'the place where stories are told'?” big ol' Tom asked.
The lone man shook his head no.
“Ok. So here's the deal: You tell us what's on your mind, build a huge story around it, and you get any drink for free while you're sharing your story with us, starting with this beer,” big ol' Tom said, handing the lone man a freshly filled pint. “It doesn't need to be a real story. It can be as unreal as anything may be.”
“And make sure you fill it with as much detail as possible, we love listening to long stories,” affirmed one of the regulars.
The lone man took his half-empty pint and hammered it down in one long sip. Then he wiped the remaining froth off his upper lip using his hand.
“All right then,” he started, “it happened...
----------------
...something like twelve years or so ago. It was wintertime. I was a student about to hand in my master thesis back then. Nothing to get too excited about; not in this story. There was a moment when I was just fed up with paperwork and tired of my thesis. Happens to all students at some point, I guess. So a few friends and I decided to go skiing in the Swiss Alps. Just a matter of having a good time. A change of ideas, nothing more.
So there we were. Staying in a youth hostel. Don't mention it... Twenty-five and spending nights in youth hostels. But what do you expect from a bunch of poor students? Haha. The cool thing is that we were four guys sleeping in a dorm designed to host something like thirty people. We were all alone. It was mid-season. Can you imagine that pillow fight? Probably one of my best memories, I guess. But nothing compared to what happened the fourth and last night of our stay. Oh, that night...
So let's just jump to said night. It was a Saturday night. On each Saturday night, there was a party in the hostel. And that Saturday was just the same. People from all over the place came over to the hostel to have a good time that night. We had plans for that night—great plans! Like I just said, it was our last night. So this meant partying, drinking, and see what happens apart from that, right? However, the better part of our group didn't last too long, for we were actually dog-tired from four intense days of skiing... aaand drinking of course.
Nonetheless, we spent that evening drinking and dancing. There was one drink they called 'exotic kiss'. It was gross, but dirt cheap and way too strong. The guests drank that stuff like water and got insanely drunk in about no time at all. Well, I admit that didn't leave that drink untouched either, but I didn't drink half as much as most of the other guests, though. Strapped for cash, poor student, you know. I had to content myself with a comfortable buzz. But turns out not being hammered wasn't bad at all, believe me.
I headed for the bar to order me another drink. The last one that evening, I thought. I was lucky to find an empty stool, for the place was rather crowded. It took you at least ten to fifteen minutes to get served, and that was if you were lucky. So I sat on that stool. To my surprise, the barmaid immediately came over to take my order. I ordered another of these exotic kisses. It was all I could afford with the little money I had left.
For some reason I can't quite point out, I felt the need to turn my head to the right. God, she was gorgeous—gorgeous I tell you! The girl sitting on the barstool right next to me. Her eyes directly found mine. I got lost in those deep green eyes by the instant. This was a sight never to forget. These eyes man, glistening with life, telling volumes about adventures, love, passion.
Her hands were folded over the bar table. I don't know if she took her right hand off her left on purpose or not, but the engagement ring on her left ring finger told that she was already with some other real lucky bastard. I could only see it from the corner of my eyes, for our eyes were tightly locked together as if we were exploring the depths of each other's hearts through the windows to our souls. Have you ever experienced that? When you just know that it can't be coincidence by just looking at your counterpart? Know what I mean?
I could see the barmaid coming back with my freshly filled glass. I was still lost in these fantastic lush green eyes as I raised two fingers and said, “Make it two straws, please.”
I don't know why I said this... Instinct? Good feeling? I mean... She was obviously engaged, and I had a girlfriend eagerly waiting for me to come back home from my prolonged dudes' weekend. The drink came back—with two straws. The barmaid put it between us... smiling. No, not really. Actually smirking a really dirty cheeky grin, that insolent brat.
The girl took one of the straws. “May I?”
I nodded, and let her take a long sip. She softly wrapped her lips around the straw all the while still looking into my eyes. There was a fire in her eyes. She smiled when she let go of the straw.
“What's your name?” she asked, letting me hear her angelic voice for the second time that evening.
It took me an artistic second of silence to reply to that question. Well, I just say 'artistic' because, actually, I was dumbstruck by the moment. I just wanted to buy myself some extra time to regain my courage. I don't know, folks... Usually, I'm comfortable with any girl, but that one... She just had it, you follow me?
Anyhow, I tried my best not to sound too cheesy. “Jason, but call me,” my voice cracked, “Chase”—mission failed. Aaand she had to laugh.
“So Chase...” she addressed me again, reproducing the shriek of my cracking voice, “Chase, you're a funny guy.”
Now her short instant of silence was artistic.
“I'm Michelle, but call me... No, I can't do that without laughing.” She gathered her air before shrieking her nickname, “Elle!”
This time, both of us were laughing.
“Elle, huh?” I said, wiping a tear off the corner of my eyes, “Elle? So you're engaged? Is he around?”
She turned the straw between her fingers and followed its trajectory until the end with her eyes. She licked her lips, bit them, wearing a little but happy smile as she did so. All her movements seemed so studied as if she was performing an act.
She did smile a happy smile, but looked away from my eyes, as she replied, “Yes, I'm engaged. But he's not here. We'll get married next week, you know? And this is something like my bachelorette party. Only that we've decided to make it a whole week. And before you ask me where all my girls are—because I know that this would be the next question you'd ask—I'm very unfortunate to tell you that some kind of flu runs in our dorm. Luckily, I'm over it. I recovered two days ago.”
She made another short break before continuing, “Lucky me I'd say... Otherwise, I wouldn't have got a drink with two straws that I could share with such hunk. You got balls, you know that? Ordering a drink for an engaged lady.”
Saying that, her smile remained, but her eyes found mine again. Maybe I was giving her eyes too much significance, but I clearly took it as a sign. I mean... Who fakes a look at you, telling about their 'true love', and almost pierces your eyes again when it comes to you, right? Or am I the only one thinking that way?
However, we spent the next two hours chit-chatting and having a good laugh about this 'n' that. Nothing too important, you know. Just about the weather, or maybe how the weather used to be. All kinds of meaningless banalities. Eventually my friends—or better: what was left of them—went to sleep, leaving me alone in the crowd with Elle.
And then suddenly, the probably most stupid line ever left my mouth. Well... I thought it was stupid, and I still think it is, but, believe me, the hell it worked!
“Listen, Elle. We've been talking for over two hours now, and um... I don't think we met by coincidence. How's that: You're the only one from your dorm in the constitution to be sitting at this bar at this very moment. Or... uh... My friends went back to the dorm without me. They didn't even look for me, did they? They probably didn’t even notice I was talking to you.”
Awkward silence. It took me all my courage to point out my next statement, “And every time you talked about your soon-to-be husband your eyes lost mine. They didn't on any other subject so far...”
That was the moment I realized what I had just said. Well... Not really. I only realized it at seeing her eyes open wide, and her façade crumble. So I decided to bring to a more or less proper end what I had already begun. “And... uh... since what I just said was totally bananas and very inappropriate, I think I'm gonna leave you there, and hope you'll never have to see me again. I think this would more or less correspond to...”
That's where she interrupted me. And, believe me, I was expecting a slap so heavy it would make my lips burst, followed by an avalanche of the most vulgar curses known in any human dialect. But instead came a confession...
----------------
“...that I won't tell before big ol' Tom's handed me another beer.”
“Ah, c'mon, dude!” groaned one of the regulars, telling what probably everyone was thinking.
Big ol' Tom grinned at Jason. He was pleased to have someone over who knew how to make stories worthwhile.
----------------
So where was I? Ah, yes, exactly... Saying the probably worst thing that I could ever come up with, right? Haha.
So I said she interrupted me with half a confession, “No, you're right. You're totally right.” She paused. “You're totally goddamn right. I um... I don't think... uh... say... do you... um... do you believe in love at first sight?”
I wasn't sure if I had heard right. I really wanted to tell her to repeat these words over and over, as if too damn stupid to grasp them. But it's not something you do in such a moment, right? But well... I had already done tons of things that you don't do that night, right?
Anyway, in that very moment, I started to realize what I had brought myself into. I scanned the whole area for any of my friends. They were all gone.
“I don't know. On the one side, I don't know a clue about you. But on the other hand, I just feel an irresistible urge to fall in love with you. It's... It's just stronger than me.”
These words had just left my lips as Elle took hold of my hand. I felt her engagement ring between my fingers. Her hands were warm and silky. Feeling them sent an easing wave of warmth from my heart to my stomach. She looked down at our entwined hands. Her gaze slowly turned from delighted and enjoyed to sad. As she looked up into my eyes again, hers were glistening from tears that were about to be shed.
“If it were for me, I'd... I'd... But you know, I'm about to marry the man I'm supposed to be in love with. And you... Even though you didn't tell me, I know you have a girlfriend. I can see the guilt in your eyes. And so, even if it kills me to say it—”
“Then don't!” I interrupted her.
She looked at me, her mouth still open. Our hands slid up our arms from alone. My heart was a mess. Warm, pressing, guilty, urging. And so was hers; I could tell that from the look in her eyes. My conscience had blacked out. I felt the presence of her face only inches away from mine. I ignored who was the one who had started to approach the other. What importance does that have anyway? Eyes half-closed, we exchanged a shy kiss. Her lips were tantalizing, fleshy. This shy kiss was only the beginning of an upcoming passionate night.
As we parted, I saw these divine lips of hers silently mouth, "It's only for this time." Elle was obviously trying to calm her heart that was probably just as wrecked as mine in this very instant.
We stood up and went out. The moon was full. A few snowflakes spoke about an upcoming snowstorm. It wasn’t a long way from the bar to the building where the dorms were. Just about thirty seconds in the freezing night air. The moon dimly lit some footprints, presumably from my buddies—probably all fast asleep already. We walked slowly for it was so cold. And the slower we walked, the more time we spent in the cold. Goddammit, that was an ordeal, I tell you! Our hands were clenched into each other; as if that would ease the cold. Both of us had renounced to take a coat. It was just a ‘short way’ from the dorms to the bar/restaurant, we had thought. And all of a sudden, thirty seconds felt like thirty hours or so…
Well, we eventually made it to the dorms where the temperature felt like having jumped at least fifty degrees. Once the main door of the building was shut behind us, I pressed her against it. Our lips locked in a passionate and hot kiss. Our hands were looking for a way to get under our clothes. But as soon as I felt her hands brush my bare skin, I broke the kiss. Her hands were so cold.
“How about we find an empty dorm room,” I suggested, “room number twelve was empty this morning, as far as I remember.”
Before I knew it, she had already taken my hand and ran up the stairs, almost ripping my arm off my shoulder as she was pulling me with her. Damn, she couldn’t wait for it! A jolt of pain shot through my shoulder. But it was a pain as sweet as sugar… My head had gone completely blank at some moment. Only the moment mattered. My mind was in a frenzy, a storm. I don’t even remember climbing up those stairs. I only remember the renewed temperature shock we felt as we entered the empty room. They didn’t heat empty rooms to save energy. And I can tell you, the air was stone-cold. The building was poorly insulated. That room had to be uninhabited for like two months or so. The thick layer of dust lying all over the place told the exact same story. Apparently, they didn’t keep the unused rooms clean either. Well... Why should they?