"I will friend zone him faster than you can say cock block," Tara said with a merry laugh, as she and Carol walked into the bar in Atlanta on a rare Saturday night out in June. It was a warm outside, with a light breeze in the air and they had no where to be that night.

There was no work to go to the next morning and no Ed preventing everyone from having a good time. It was just them and it hadn't been that way in years.

As they headed towards a table in the corner of the dimly lit room they walked by the bar and Tara teased Carol about letting her hair down with one of the men there that they passed. It was a weekend away, even if it was a nursing seminar and Tara wanted to live it up.

Men were the last thing on Carol's mind, she had a man that she wished she didn't already.

"That guy Eugene just thinks you're cute Tar," Carol teased back.

"Not my wheelhouse," Tara said, "But he's nice enough, and a damn good instructor."

Carol had to agree, that man knew his shit about wound care. Usually there was nothing new to learn at these things, but not this time. They were learning quite a bit about new products and treatments thanks to their instructor this year, a man named Eugene Porter.

The two friends ordered drinks and listened to the music playing, some country song that they both knew. The bar was small and smoky, and perfect. Tara wanted her friend to have a good time, Carol has so few chances to have fun.

Ed, her husband of five years didn't allow it, Carol going away for the weekend with Tara, even for work would be out of the question. But it was a happy coincedence that he, himself was away for the weekend for his work, or Carol wouldn't have been able to come this time either. The stars had aligned for a purpose and Tara was going to make sure that Carol had a great weekend.

As the night went on and the music played Tara was happy to see Carol having a good time for once, she didn't look at her watch once or have to answer the fifty calls from Ed all night long, until she just gave up and went home. She even sang along with some of the songs that played.

Slow as the Mississippi, strong as a fifth of whiskey, steady as a Tom Petty track, I wanna love, wanna love you like that.

"Oh look at that one," Tara said with a gleam in her eyes after a while as they sat at the table, two drinks into the night a piece now, then she pointed out a slim man sitting at the end of the bar with his back to them. He was next to the exit to the back parking lot; they could only see his broad shoulders and his dark hair past his collar, but it was enough.

As if on cue the man turned and looked at them or rather at the door, and the view was just as pleasing. Tara had seen him earlier, sitting in a different seat as if he was waiting for someone, glancing their way often, then he finally got up and walked to the bartender to order a beer. Now he was looking right at them from the second seat he had taken.

"Woo hoo," Tara whistled, "Wonder if he has a sister for me?"

"Will you be still. I am not talking to any men tonight."

"He looks fine as hell and you know it, look at that hair, yummmm. Imagine pulling on it while he..." Carol cut her friend off with a loud sigh, Tara was incorrigible and her husband Ed couldn't stand her. Tara couldn't stand him either and neither could Carol for that matter.

She knew he was cheating, Carol had asked him about it a few months ago, about the secretary and the business trips and Ed had put her in the hospital with three broken ribs.

"Tara, stop this…" Carol pleaded.

"Oh, so your husband can bang his secretary but you can't talk to a nice looking man, that's fair. Also said gorgeous man who was eye fucking you for the last half an hour by the way," Tara waved at the man at the bar and called him over.

"What are you doing?" Carol cried with wide eyes as the good looking stranger approached them.

"Shaking you up a bit, hmmm take me to bed or loose me forever Goose," Tara laughed and winked at Carol as the man stopped in front of the table. He was tall and thin but clearly built, that much was clear even in the blue dress shirt he wore. And he wore it well, along with the jeans and work boots he had on.

He was a working man's wet dream.

"Evening ladies." His voice was raspy and dark, as if whiskey dripped from his lips.

"I'm Tara and this is Carol. You want to join us, we saw you sitting there alone, blocking the exit."

"Was getting ready to leave," The nameless man replied, "That's the easiest way out."

"It's not good to block a fire exit," Tara said with a wink and he smiled, "Sit a minute," Tara said, "We don't bite."

"Alright, my name is Daryl," The man said as if this happened every day, "What are you ladies drinking? I got the next round."

"A gentleman too, Martini's, dirty," Tara replied with a grin, "You from around here Daryl," Tara asked as he sat down next to Carol and opposite her.

"Decatur about ten minutes from here. You girls?"

"We're here for the nursing would care conference. We're from Montgomery." Carol answered.

"Are you here alone?" Tara asked, leaning forward.

"Waiting on my brother. But I think I got stood up."

/

Tara had found another nurse from their workshop to talk to and it looked like she was going to have company that night. Carol watched as the two women talked and she was happy for her friend; the other nurse was named Denise and she was from Savannah. Every once in a while Tara would look over at Carol who was now dancing with Daryl after finally loosening up after the third Martini.

He knew how to dance, and Carol was reminded of the old saying about if a man knew how to dance, then he knew how to fuck and it made her whole body catch fire. This was wrong, but she didn't care, the words to the song played through her ears and she danced slow, with the man named Daryl who was a good dancer.

He smelled so good.

She hadn't danced with a man in years and as she brethed in the scent of him her entire body relaxed. He smelled like a mixture of musk, gasoline and smoke and it was addicting. The thoughts she was having about this man were not proper, but for once she didnt care about what was proper.

"Stars fading, but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear

Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me."

His lips were near her ear and she could feel his hot breath on her neck causing goosebumps to erupt over her skin. Then she felt his lips on her neck and she was sure she had died and gone to heaven.

If this was wrong, she didn't want to be right.

He was gentle and pulled her closer, and she was hypnotized already, so when he looked at her with a question in his eyes; she nodded yes. She shouldn't have but she did anyway, she let him kiss her and she kissed him back.