The Stand In

Chapter 8

Through my better judgement, I arranged dates with the men that seemed, relatively normal. They had messaged me with some dignity and did not sent any explicit pictures, they maintained a conversation and eventually, it was me who suggested we met up.  I felt awful for arranging multiple dates, but when Sophie told me that the guys would be doing the exact same thing, my guilt dwindled away and I began to feel a little excited for what was ahead.

Mia even offered to vet half the men, to find out if they were good guys or not. At first I looked at her as if she was crazy, I even told her so. But when she explained that someone could have a record, I was swayed. But I eventually decided against it and wanted to make my own impressions, taking on the quote - Never Judge a book by its cover.

Which is how I came to be sat here, in this bar. It wasn't too busy considering it was Vegas, but it was enough to keep a loner like me entertained whilst I waited. I was able to spot couples as well as single men looking for a single or not so single woman to take home.

I had ordered myself a drink and settled on a bar stool, wondering what Eric, a man originally from Idaho had to offer. He looked cute in his pictures, but did he live up to it in real life?

His last message told me that he would wear a blue shirt, now looking around the bar, it was hard to stop a guy without a blue shirt, which meant I had to rely on my eyes to spot Eric out.
It didn't take me long to spot someone like him only a few feet away and as I raised my hand to wave, I spotted him twisting his hand around. Nerves maybe?

My hand was halfway up when I realised, he wasn't nervous... He was trying to remove a wedding ring.
Maybe he is divorced? Widowed? Let's not jump to conclusions here...

I slip off the barstool, abandoning my drink because if he is doing what I think he might be doing, I won't be staying any longer.

He pauses the twisting to get his phone out of his pocket and answers it. "Hey honey, how are you?"

My step falters slightly. Honey?

"No, no. I'm just meeting a client at a bar, he wanted a drink so..." "I know, I know. How's my baby girl doing?"

Oh Hell no.

The anger in me rises and I have visions of myself walking over there and slapping the phone out of his hand and telling his wife exactly what a slime ball he really is. But I don't. I stay still, whilst people walk around me and whilst Eric, the man from Idaho, which turns out to be too good to be true, talks to his wife.

I backtrack to my stool, retrieve the glass I had abandoned and head in Erics direction.

"I'll be home soon. I love you." He hangs up and goes back to trying to pull his ring off when I step in front of him.

"Hi. I'm Elle."

His brows furrow slightly in confusion before he twigs. "Oh! Hey, I'm Eric,  how are you?"

His smile is wide and I can't deny that he isn't a good looking guy, but what makes him super ugly, is the cheating snake that he also is.

"How was the wife?" I ask causing his smile to waver. "Oh I heard and don't bother trying to remove the wedding ring."

"It's not like that. I-" He pauses as I step in close and then gasps.

"Yeah.. It's cold. I didn't think you'd mind, considering what a snake you are. Have a good night." I answer, setting my now empty glass on the bar behind him and walking away, leaving him with a wet patch on the front of his jeans.

"Bitch!" He shouts as I pull out my phone and ring Sophie to let her know what a jackass I had encountered. 

*****