Play It Cool

 

ice cubes tumble

down the shoot

into glasses with a cling 

 

couples banter

servers scramble

you gently stir your drink

 

“Seat taken?”

a soft voice asks

your glass drips with condensation

 

she gestures to the bartender

one move pulls out the stool

for conversation 

 

“Uh, yes...I mean no!”

your head shakes 

your straw now somehow bent

 

she tosses her silky hair 

so near your nostrils

tingle with her scent 

 

you touch the terrain of

live edge wood

fingertips flirt with the table

 

she waits as the bartender pours

her eyes find yours

chemistry meant to be unstable 

 

her charisma warms

the space between

your temp ticks up a notch

 

she wants to

get to know you 

like a brand new Scotch 

 

she swirls it

then noses it

dram comes alive in her hand 

 

one sip coats her palate

her throat then feels it

in the end 

 

too soon to share too much

she hasn’t even

asked your name

 

“How are you tonight?”

you lean in to learn

the rules of her game

 

 

© Candice Reineke 2020