The bar was crowded for a Thursday night; Liz didn't usually agree to go out on a night other than a Saturday, but she had been suffering through a rough start to the week and she would be working Friday and Saturday and she felt like she deserved the drink.
Nathan told her to meet him at Spill, so she parked just outside of the city and changed her flats for three-inch heels. She adjusted her skirt to make sure it wasn't riding up - by some miracle it still covered her butt even after the drive-in - and she headed into Spill.
Spill was a nice place. It was open plan, centered around a tall bar lit with suspended fairy lights and fluorescent signs. Liz hesitated at the door and scanned the mostly empty room for Nathan. She finally spotted him on her third or fourth pass and hurried to his booth.
Sitting next to him was his housemate, Simon. Simon was camper than a row of tents and had chosen to wear a brilliant pink button-down shirt and electric blue chinos. His hair was slick and perfectly formed into waves, like the hair of a Ken doll.
"Nice to see you again Liz, how's things?" Simon had a deep voice, which made for a mysterious counterpoint to his high-pitched appearance.
"Not bad Si. How about you?" She slid into the booth across from them and Nathan nudged her shin with his foot by way of a hello.
"Pretty good chicky - want a drink?" Simon was already standing up, his hips swaying a bit when he leaned onto the table for her answer.
"Umm, a Scotch and Dry?"
"Coming right up."
Simon strode across the mostly empty room and caught the attention of the bartender. Liz turned her attention to her boyfriend. He reached across the table and stroked the back of her hand with cold fingers, the condensation from his beer leaving little trails across her skin.
"I'm glad you decided to come out Liz; it's a great night to come out and you've looked super stressed. This should be a good chance to let your hair down."
Liz laughed a little and smiled. Nathan tilted his head meaningfully and Liz realized he wasn't speaking metaphorically; she always kept her hair up because, in a hospital, that's just what you did. She unwound the band and freed her hair from its tight bun, letting the tangles fall around her cheeks.
Nathan flicked playfully at her fringe and Simon arrived with Liz's drink. Liz took a sip and Simon sat down, sidling up against Nathan and elbowing him in the upper arm.
"Don't play with the lady's hair dude, it's disresepctful."
"Thank you, Simon," Liz smiled and took another sip.
The three bantered back and forth, mostly about Nathan's boss and all the pranks that could be played on the unbelievably homophobic arsehole. She finished off her drink in about twenty minutes and stood up to get a refill, leaving both men in stitches with a pithy retort.
When she got to the bar and leaned against the edge looking for someone to order from a man settled himself next to her. He leaned briefly against her shoulder and then stepped back.
"Hey, there little lady."
The man's voice was cool and suave, but Liz firmly stopped herself from flicking her hair. She was here with her boyfriend.
"Do you think you'd like to hang with someone a little straighter than your posse?" He arched his eyebrow and grinned.
Liz shook her head, tightly pinning her lips together. She didn't want to laugh. That would be rude.
"I'm fine, thank you."
The bartender appeared from behind a stack of glasses and Liz ordered a second Scotch and Dry. When she reached to pay the pushy man next to her reached out and tried to put his card between her and the machine. She almost batted his hand out of the way but a hand fell on her shoulder.
"Go for it girl."
Nathan's voice sounded a lot like Simon's, and he gave the air a smacking kiss before leaning past her and ordering a Cosmo. Liz felt her eyes bulge and the stranger took the opportunity to pay for her drink.
"Looks like you have permission to have fun, girl." He pushed the drink towards her and when they turned around Liz saw Nathan wink at her.
"Wanna have fun with me?"
"Um." Liz took a mouthful of her drink and grimaced.
"Sure..." She trailed off.
Nathan and Simon were both watching but playing it cool, not staring. The music had started and Liz found herself being towed to an empty two-person table. Her drink was taken from her hand and the stranger's hands clasped around her waist.
"Let's dance."
She didn't even have a chance to nod. The music got a little louder and Liz found herself swaying a bit side-to-side.
"My name's Phil by the way; what's yours?"
"Liz." She smiled weakly and despite the fact it was inappropriate to the music, Phil swung her down and then picked her up again.
She laughed and he laughed too, a huge smile on his face. His hands joined around her lower back and she wiggled closer, enjoying the strange intimacy. She tried to keep from ending up pressed against him but when his left hand dropped to her arse and cupped a cheek, she put both hands on his chest.
They danced until the music changed and they had another drink, danced some more, and then had a martini. A bass-heavy song came on and Phil turned her around. Liz was more than a little tipsy at this point and she ground her ass into his crotch. She could feel his appreciation through her skirt and because she hadn't pulled it down her legs in a while Phil's hand wandered up the fronts of her thighs, searching for her panties.