The following is an excerpt from my current novel (in progress): Straddling the Void.
Scanning the bar for familiar faces, I was both disappointed and relieved by the sea of strangers crowding the pool tables and dance floor. Without being delayed by ceremonious salutes and mingling, I picked my way through the labyrinth of bodies, to find the one I was here for.
A man staggered from his stool at the bar and I aptly took his place. Roxanne, the bartender, was busy topping up shots for a Bachelorette party, the bride-to-be clearly marked by the plastic tiara and veil of purity shrouding her dark curls.
I studied Roxanne, her blonde hair lolled atop her head in a messy bun, wisps of baby hairs caressing her sun-kissed face. As if by some telepathic power, she turned, batting darkened lashes over beckoning blue eyes, drawing me in and finding my soul.
Her immediate smile was my undoing, the exact pick-me-up I needed. Some new guy, I assumed to be her colleague, offered to pour me a draft. Not by you, but I said yes. The bachelorette party kept Roxanne busy for the better part of the hour while we exchanged glances and unspoken judgments directed to the customers she served. I downed beer after beer, waiting as patiently as I could until her attention was all mine.
Thank you for reading! God bless,
–VanessaMarieCaron
Vanessa Marie Caron, Author 