Third Wheel Shenanigans

Amanda was pacing just outside the doors of work anxious to release the idea she had based on a drunken night. Amanda was a research writer for the "L.M.M. Network Inc.". It was the company that dealt with a little bit of everything from corporate, entertainment, politics to social issues. She had been working there since its inception. Arlene, the head writer was the first person to befriend her so long ago when she first applied for the position. It was at the interview that the two women discovered they had a lot in common and the seeds of their friendship from their work relationship from then on out. Arlene was driven, energetic and brilliant. Amanda had the good sense to learn from everything Arlene had to offer and the accumulating years of experience served to season Amanda's know-how. The time had quickly passed and Amanda bloomed into a sought after research writer and that meant being a glorified mystery shopper. She took trips, visited hotels,attended concerts and gave her opinion on various topics. She would then need to compose an extensive report on what she saw, what was happening around her, what were the conditions surrounding her and whether or not she would change anything. This was Amanda's license to run wild and wild she did but it never once affected her work. She still produced on her assignments on time and it was rare for her to receive any type of complaint, and when she did it was usually because she told too much truth. Through all these wild times and moments, Arlene truly tried to instill in Amanda an awareness of self. Her bosses worried about her safety, she was far too young and far too naive that she did not see danger in the areas others might. This occasionally got her in tight spots. For years the higher ups had encouraged her to work with a partner. Devlin, the head hancho had gone as far as to set her up with partner prospects, all of which failed miserably. She had reconciled with the idea that she was a lone wolf, and not the partner type.

However that would not be the end of it. Everything has a time and a time and a place. The universe seems to have a way of giving one what they need when they need it. During this time there she had grown notorious for her "good ideas" based around the events that transpire on wild nights. This idea however, she could feel deep in her bones was one of her greatest. She just needed to clear it with all her bosses before she went any further with it. She had covered her immediate boss Sean Kasoid earlier that morning around 5am. Though he did not appreciate the early morning wake up call he had the good sense to recognise Amanda's genius and approved her request reminding her she still had to clear it with two more people. The head writer, Arlene and after that, head of the company Devlin Kane (battler). Arlene's secretary had impatiently informed her that she was away on assignment and had no clue or idea when she would be returning. This news was in absolute no way what she wanted to hear, so she ran to Devlin Kane's office and decided she would not move or budge till she at least spoke to him and explained the situation.

Two and a half hours later when he was only just sauntering into the building. With three espressos in her system she was practically climbing the walls when he crossed her path into his office. Without waiting for him to even acknowledge her, she went into her idea at an incredibly rapid pace leaving him staring at her as if she had grown a third head. By the time she got to the part about waiting for Arlene to come to the office so she could run it by her as well, he abruptly cut her off. He restated the simple points of her request and she confirmed, surprised that he had actually followed along. Appearing very distracted Devlin Kane approved her idea and Amanda was elated! Just as she was getting ready to run out the door, she paused for a minute and asked him if he was alright. She had known Devlin for a few years now and he always appeared to be cool, calm and collected which were all the things he was not at that moment. He looked at her and asked when was the last time she had spoken to Arlene. She paused to think and in that second realizing that the rumors circulating about Devlin and the talented head writer must be true and they really were romantically linked. Amanda told him that the very last time she had even spoken to Arlene she was practically running out of the office, talking about the story of the year and needing to go home and pack. Devlin revealed that he had just approved her trip and no sooner had she gotten the confirmation that she left the office in that instant before he could change his mind. She didn't seem to have given him any type of reassurance that she had put his mind at ease. Amanda quickly excused herself and left she needed to put her idea into action and fast.

Driving home Amanda went over the events of the past 24 hours and reflected on how so much could happen in such a small amount of time. The previous evening she had gone out with one of her girlfriends as a third wheel on her date. Marissa was nervous about meeting someone new by herself and asked Amanda to join her. Not having anything to do that night and wanting to get out of her most recent funk. They met up at her girlfriends house and they went on their way toward pasadent The show ran through its conclusion and afterward the three of were trying to figure out where to go that would still be open at the late hour of 11pm that it was.There not being anything in the area of Pasadena and DTLA was quickly eliminated for much of the same reason, and due to this nature of work she did, Amanda was not in the habit of standing in lines to get into a club to further stand. We settled for a local bar called the Love Hate. Once inside, the three found two available seats at the bar and parked ourselves there. Wanting to give her friend and her date some kind of privacy, Amanda turned her back to them so they could become better acquainted and parked herself at the bar on the stool in direct proximity to the television showing baseball highlights. In no time at all Amanda had made friends with the female bartenders. It was a fairly crowded night and the music playing was surprisingly good. Despite my third wheel status she was having a pretty good time. There was a growing line of people wanting to order drinks behind her and at some point not one, or two, but three men approached her with their money or cards in hand and told Amanda to order their drinks for them. One was very blunt and demanded her to get him two jacks and cokes, one of which needed to be diet. When he gave her his card she immediately flung it out like a Frisbee across the bar and towards the dancefloor on the opposite end of the room. He angrily glared at Amanda and called her a bitch, then proceeded to run out and look for his now lost card. The second gentleman that approached me had his buddies behind him. He handed me cash and a tip and demanded that she order him a bucket of beers. Annoyed to be taken away from her game highlights she took his money, taking care to separate the all the singles in his stack and distribute them among the three smiling bartenders, then looked at him, and said "Here's a tip, the chicks behind the bar are the ones that get your shit." And he was made to watch as his wad of bills suffered the same fate as the previous gentleman's card. He too, referred to Amanda as a bitch while his buddies nearly peed themselves from laughter. The third and final disruption went about it differently, he approached her feigning interest,all the while naming all his favorite drinks. She made the effort to keep her eyes on the game and all the while he continued his ear fucking assault, this time it was Marissa who saved the day, she began communicating in American Sign Language (ASL), till the man got the hint and removed himself in a embarrassed manner with his tail between his legs. The bartenders were so amused, that two of them brought Amanda free shots at two separate times.

Moments later a stranger leaned in to the right of her. Amanda refused to take notice of anyone else till she heard him utter in frustration that the bartenders never looked his way. She could hear the annoyance in his voice and closed her eyes almost willing him not to tap her shoulder and say something stupid. That moment thankfully never came, but when his groan made her turn and take notice and it was almost pure comedy to watch another individual try there damndest to have a bartender look their way and get their order in. Amanda couldn't take it anymore. She touched his shoulder and said, "Hang on." And she flagged down one of the girls that had given me a shot. He thanked her and asked her how on earth had she been able to do that. A long conversation came soon after that conversation. They spoke of sports, gaming, and then finally music. He told Amanda that he was at the Santa Anita race track earlier that day with friends at a Beer Fest and had enjoyed the live music, to which she asked if he was a big concert goer and to which he responded that he was a HUGE music fan. It was at that moment that the gears in her mind began to grind while she attempted to convey nonchalant calmness, her instinct told her he would be perfect, but just to be sure, they continued to talk and she continued taking mental notes. This was no normal ear fucking she was used to, there was no obvious hitting on her and making passes or unwelcoming touches,she was actually interested in what he had to say which was eye popping because Amanda rarely took notice of the opposite sex. At some point Marissa interjected her presence till she was satisfied Amanda was not having to suffer through another idiot encounter.

The conversation concluded all too quickly and when the lights came on and the bouncers began to eject patrons from the bar, this now turned bossy man demanded her phone and for whatever reason this amused her more than it insulted her which undoubtedly shocked my girlfriend who had already been party and witness to what Amanda had already done to those who demand things from her. Mouth gaping wide open as she handed him her phone, Marissa watched him sway forward and back as he inputted his info into my iPhone. He followed it with "Call me now so I have yours." Still fighting the urge to laugh, Amanda noticed his friend join him and mutter incoherently about it being time to leave. Once they had parted ways and Marissa and Amanda headed to their favorite late night local taco truck. The two women recounted the interesting events of the night and Amanda felt the swirl of excitement because she was certain she had just found the partner she had been searching for. On the drive home she took out her phone and finally looked to see what the name of the man she had spent so much of the night speaking to Joaquin Havok.