Nikki Makes a New Friend.
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My husband told me to go out, talk to strangers, and have fun.
I was sitting at the bar with a glass of Merlot, looking at a menu and thinking about what to order, when the man sitting next to me said, “The flatbread here is delicious.”
I nervously smiled and said, “Thanks. I think I’m going with the cobb salad.”
“What brings you here?” he asked.
“My husband told me to go out, talk to strangers, and have fun, so I came here and ordered a glass of wine and a salad.”
He laughed and said, “Cute. What do you think he meant by “have fun?”
I shook my head and said, “I think I know, but I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
He laughed again and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be forward.”
“It’s ok. A guy may not know whether or not you should say something to a woman wearing a wedding ring who is out on a date by herself.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Many guys know they shouldn’t say anything at all.”
“Are you single?” I asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Because you look like a man who wouldn’t have a problem with a woman wearing a wedding ring,” I said, and we laughed.
We sat there for a minute, and then he asked, “So, let me ask again, what do you think your husband meant when he told you to ‘go out, talk to strangers, and have fun’?”
“I think he meant that I should do what I want.”
“And what would that be?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure.” I felt myself blush as I took a sip of my wine.
“I think it means I should go out with my friends and have fun for a while.”
“But you’re alone at a bar — drinking,” he said after a sip from his martini.
“And, talking to a single guy I only met fifteen minutes ago,” I added as the bartender brought me my second glass.
He smiled and said, “Do you think that’s what your husband meant when he told you to ‘go out and have fun.’”
“Frankly, yes. I do. This is what I wanted to do. It’s what he wanted me to do.”
