Caila wiped her lips with the napkin and set it on the plate with the crumbs and Calvin scooped it up right away. She pondered the last half of her ale before taking a swig, when John stepped up beside her. Caila turned and smiled at him as she pulled her skirt down a bit as it had climbed some as she sat there and was starting to show the lace of her stocking tops.<br/><br/>“It is open, please join me in another drink? I will buy this time.”<br/><br/>Caila drained the rest of the Kilt Lifter and motioned to Calvin she wanted another and to get John whatever he wanted. She looked back to her left at John and said,<br/><br/>“You are too kind with your words sir. I actually had a rather rough day. Was supposed to meet some work colleagues here, but they got side-tracked and are at the Black Cat. I don’t usually go to bars, but today is the exception. I do have to say that BLT was one of the best I’ve ever had, and I do like Pike ales, and the kind company and the attentiveness of Calvin here may make this is a beginning of a new tradition?”<br/><br/>Caila looked over where John’s friends sat and saw them watching and talking between themselves. She looked back to John and said,<br/><br/>“My story isn’t much. I’m just a local Issaquah girl who attended Issaquah High and went to UW. Yay for purple and gold! I got a degree in finance law and got a job at a local branch of a large bank.”<br/><br/>That was the short summary. Caila noticed John was looking at her ring as she lifted her fresh pint to sip. She sat the glass back down and flexed her fingers. She said,<br/><br/>“Yes, I’m married. I married the guy I first met in the 9th grade. We went steady all through high school but for a few weeks, and got married not long after graduation.”<br/><br/>Caila looked down at the bar and her finger started playing in a drop of condensation that had slid off her glass. She then reached over with her right hand and pulled the ring off her finger and sat it on the bar. She looked up at John, hoping her eyes held the wetness back, and said,<br/><br/>“That ended today around noon. My husband is seeing another woman. He is in Chicago on business and was supposed to be back today, but decided to come home Sunday. So….”<br/><br/>Caila reached over and grabbed a napkin from the holder and dobbed her eyes before blinking and looking back at John. She said,<br/><br/>“Maybe I should reintroduce myself. How about like one of those dating apps…<br/><br/>Hi, I’m Caila Meadows, 27, separated, and exploring the local bar scene for the first time.”<br/><br/>She managed to smile and vowed to put the shittiness of earlier behind her… at least until Sunday.