Upstairs

I find out from Donna that Kelly has a boyfriend. I figured as much, but hell. I was already at the bar, and a few shots into the night. Part of me really wanted to just up and leave; there seemed to be no real point in my sticking around. But another part of me decided that, since I was already there… I might as well say hello.

She showed up a bit later on and, fighting my urge to bolt, I headed upstairs.

Man, at first it was a bit awkward. Strike that: it was really awkward. We talked briefly, and there was this distinct "Oh, you came here because you were interested in me" and a "Oh, you have a boyfriend" thing going on. I felt really weird and after a brief bit of smalltalk, I was saying goodbye and making my way to the door. But Kelly, being the nice person that she is, made me feel a bit more relaxed. We had a drink together, and I sat down at the bar, delaying my exit for a bit more.

I ended up talking to this guy named Paulie, who was a friend of Kelly’s. He was in the Coast Guard, I think. He’s seen a lot of the world, and told a bunch of fun stories about his travels. We chatted off and on, for a good hour. Before I left, I feel that Kelly and I parted on decent terms. The whole night, I was worried I’d come off as some weird, stranger, psycho stalker guy. By the evening’s end, I felt like we both understood what was going on, and were fine with the resolution.

I’ve definitely got to go back to Exit more. If Donna and Kelly and Paulie are representative of the staff/clientele… what a big gathering of good, nice people.

Before I go, here’s a pic of Paulie, and another one of Kelly: