1989 was a weird year for Maria. She had been separated from Tom for about a year. Tom had told her that he was moving on. Maria was still holding on to the idea that the two could end up working it out. In actuality, Tom was miserable and lonely, but otherwise he was sure that the separation was for the best, Maria, on the other hand, began a semi-destructive ritual of bar hopping.
She was by no means a slut although she would, years later and only partially in jest, refer to the time as her "Slut Years."
Maria frequented Backwater Tides, a bar once imagined as a Caribbean-themed eatery in South Jersey that now only possessed the name and no other remnant of this in its decor. Maria would usually show up alone, but became quite friendly with the bar staff, particularly a young female bartender named Simone. Simone was younger than Maria. Simone loved to think of Maria as the sister she never had despite the fact that she had two older sisters, one younger sister, and a younger brother who would (though not as of yet) become the foremost Madeline Albright female impersonator of South Jersey.
Maria slept with a few guys during her "Slut Years." Some where regulars, others were after work imbibers from a local insurance firm. Charles was the latter.
Charles had seen Maria a few times and referred to her as an "easy mark." In reality, Charles barely had a shot with her. He was snide in his masculinity, yet questioned about his sexual orientation on a near-daily basis. He had boasted of the dozens of women that had "been lucky enough to share an evening with 'The Rocket,'" as he was quite fond of calling himself, but really, Charles had only slept with three different women at the time.
Maria had just finished a rather "shitty" conversation with Tom, three shooters of Fuzzy Navel, two vodka-cranberries, and half a pack of Marlboro Reds when Charles walked over with two Budweisers. Charles introduced himself. Asked her name. Informed her that he had been watching her. She was mildly amused, but quite drunk. She figured that he would work. Charles was thinking the same.
"Maria!" It was Simone with one of those fancy new cameras. "... and"
"Charles, it's Charles. And you are?"
Snap.
