The floors were actually covered in sawdust with the exception of the twenty by twenty hardwood dance floor. Just beyond the dance floor was a bandstand enclosing the worst band I've ever heard in my life in chicken wire. The bar had two men behind it, both of whom could've been mistaken for bouncers, and the head of a Texas longhorn steer over it. There were several small tables scattered about for good measure and a backroom with four pool tables and a jukebox.
"This is a total dive," Susan announced, looking around at the men and women dressed in jeans and Western shirts like Holly's. "What the hell are you thinking coming here, Holly?"
Holly blushed. "It's not so bad."
I looked down at my pink tank top, black skirt, and high heels. Saying I felt completely out of my element would've been just the beginning on my discomfort levels. I was lost as a goose.
Susan swaggered over to the bar in her black halter top, crimson leather pants and spiked knee-high boots. I heard her order us martinis, but made her way to the table Holly and I had commandeered with three beers in her hands.
Catching the eye of every man in the bar, she shrugged and declared, "Well, tonight might not be totally lost. There are a few cowboys I'd like to ride tonight."
I waved off the beer Susan set in the middle of the table. "Not tonight. I need something stronger."
"Suit yourself." She sat down one then took the others and carried them over to a man with a receding hairline and struck up a conversation.
"Guess it's just us," I said to Holly.
"Taco!" She shouted leaping from the table and rushing over to a group of men coming in before disappeared into the crowd.
Staring at the abandoned beer that was my only remaining companion, I felt alone in the crowded bar. I picked it up and focused all my attention on peeling the label off. Halfway through, a soft thud on the table caused me to lift my eyes.
"Pardon me for saying so, ma'am, but you look like you could use a friend right about now."
Across from me a man in a white Stetson, matching button down long sleeve shirt and black wranglers sat down with a bottle of unmarked amber liquor and two glasses. His blue eyes shined as he pushed one of the glasses to me and poured a round.
I stared at him for a moment, taking him in fully. Even in the darkened bar, I could see a slight amount of deep auburn hair escaping under the brim. As he leaned forward and took a long drink, I could see his face was bronzed from hours in the sun; the tiny lines around his mouth and eyes more pronounced because of the tan.