Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 61

After dinner, Stella was still raring to go, dragging Barbara, Alicia, and me to a bar. She declared that she'd forever be a bachelorette, with bars and nightclubs as her second home.

"Hey, they're just men, right? Look around, they're everywhere." She swirled her drink and casually gestured with her chin to all the men coming and going in the bar.

If I had Stella's carefree attitude towards men, I wouldn't have had trouble sleeping and experiencing nightmares last night. I dreamt of my wedding day with Neil, except my face was replaced with Bonnie’s, and Neil was all gentle and tender with "me". His gaze was enough to drown in.

What else could that be if not a nightmare? Just thinking about it made me sick.

"Rena, your dance at the bar last time was super sexy. Are you going to dance again tonight?" Barbara suddenly smiled heartily.

"And didn’t Neil take you home afterward?" Stella chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "Men are so conflicted. They always think the grass is greener, but once they divorce their wives, they realize they had it good."

Alicia, however, had a different focus. "Wasn’t the girl that day the college student Neil's been chasing? She seemed so innocent. Isn't innocence what everyone is after these days? She fits the bill."

I didn't know what happened after Neil and I left the bar that night. All I knew was that Bonnie kept ringing and texting Neil.

Stella sneered, "If someone's character is rotten, nothing else matters. She didn’t set her boundaries with a married man and even drank with him at a bar. She's nothing but a skank."

"You shouldn't say that," I took a sip of my drink and gave a bitter smile. "Don’t you know what kind of guy Neil is? Bonnie is just a college girl from a normal family. She can't resist him."

Stella put her glass down and took my face in her hands as she said with widened eyes. "Rena, how could you defend a home-wrecker? Whether she’s forced or willing, it's just immoral!"

Alicia added, "Exactly, we should be lenient with ourselves and strict with others."

Their words made me laugh. They didn't understand my mentality. For things that were destined, I didn't want to fuss or resist too much, because it would only harm my physical and mental health, and make me leave this world prematurely.

Just as we were chatting and drinking, a familiar voice suddenly appeared from behind. "What would you like to drink? It’s on me."

We all turned around and saw Mitch, dressed like a peacock, propped against the bar and trying to pick up a woman with his deep voice.

"Why don't you join me for a drink." The woman, an obvious pro at picking up men, cooed suggestively.

"I won't be responsible if you get drunk." Mitch hadn't noticed us yet and was still focused on the woman.

"If I get drunk... just find me a place to sleep, okay?" The woman laughed flirtatiously.

Just as they were about to enjoy their night, Stella suddenly shouted, "Mitch! You just got your ED cured and you're already out partying? Didn't your doctor tell you no sex for three months?!"

The shout startled Mitch so much he almost dropped his glass. His face turned livid, and he looked around for who was accusing him. When he saw Stella, his anger turned to fear.

The woman gave Mitch a dubious and scornful look. After a glance at Mitch, she scoffed and turned to leave.

Barbara, Alicia, and I couldn't help laughing. Stella was hilarious.

Despite his fear, Mitch came over and pointed at Stella angrily. "Stop spreading rumors, you're ruining my reputation!"

Half an hour later, Stella came back, her face full of satisfaction, obviously having vented out her frustrations.

I'd had enough of this drama, and went to the restroom. When I came out, a man blocked my way. He had a refined demeanor and was wearing glasses. He asked me softly, "Hi, may I have the pleasure of joining you for a drink? I know it may seem forward, but I've been watching you."

Was he hitting on me?

Honestly, I was planning to turn him down, but surprisingly, I found myself drawn to this guy's voice and charm. He seemed to be around my age, and I thought having a drink and a chat with him might not be too bad.

"Sure," I smiled gently, and took a seat next to him.

Stella caught sight of what was happening on my end, and sent me a flirtatious wink, along with an encouraging thumbs up. I shifted my gaze as the guy started to introduce himself, "I'm Garnett , and you are?"

"Just call me Ms. Finch," I wasn't too keen on sharing my full name with a stranger.

"Ms. Finch, it's a pleasure to meet you," Garnett flashed a brilliant smile.

We sipped our drinks and made small talk. There wasn't much to discuss, especially in a setting like this. Most successful pick-ups usually turned to talk about sex after a few exchanges, but Garnett was a class act. He hadn't said anything to make me feel uncomfortable.

Garnett suddenly asked, "Are you single?"

I was taken aback, my mind started to ponder, what was my husband Neil doing at this moment? Was he out shopping with Bonnie, or were they getting cozy in bed?