Photo by Kate Attardo
This past Friday was a leap year. That day doesn’t particularly hold any significance for me except that it gave me extra day before I had to pay rent, and apparently it’s the only acceptable day of this every four year event where women can propose to a man. The only proposal that I knew I would instigate was asking if four of my girlfriends wanted to go and kick back a few cocktails at Happy Hour.
I am proud to say that they all answered ‘yes.'
As I am a ‘mix business with pleasure’ type gal, I had to run an errand for work before going to the bar with Virginie in tow. As I negotiated with some sound engineers at Gotham Sound, Virginie gave some of the male workers there a tutorial on how to properly play Nintendo Wii Bowling. With her Jean Paul Gautier bag in one hand, and a Nintendo Wii stick in the other she showed them how to get a strike, “See zat is how you play.” She said with her French accent. “Maya, we go meet Chris now.”
We met up with my girlfriends, Chris, and a few of his co-workers at the Irish bar Stout on 33rd street.
Stout is not ordinarily a bar I would go to, Virginie seconded my emotion, “Maya, what is ziss place?” Virginie said looking around. Virginie and I like atmosphere. That is why we enjoy places like the Hotel QT Bar, The Chambers hotel lobby area by the fireplace, Gansevoort Hotels’ rooftop, Jean Georges’ central park west restaurant, on and on. Telling her to relax her inner snob, ‘a cocktail is a cocktail darling, we’ll have fun here.’ We were immediately greeted by a warm hug from Chris, who was in matchmaker mode that evening (as stated before, this is normal my job).
I was greeted by a talk drink of water from Ireland (who could be Vince Vaughn’s doppelganger, before VV became blotted). He was also one of Chris’ co-workers. Needless to say I was immediately attracted as there was a copious amount of hair flipping on my end. He was a perfect gentleman with story (or two) to tell.
We all left Stout to go to a bar named ‘The Stoned Crow’ in the West Village. It’s another bar that I wouldn’t have sought out ordinarily, but it had warm authentic feel. The place is covered head to toe in film posters, and the owner Betty sits in the back pool room in a wooden chair that says ‘owner, Betty.’
Betty knew the Irish man well as apparently last time he was the ultimate pool shark. ‘You need to play on our bar team’ she said with a smile. Flattered, he laughed, and modestly said ‘Well, I think about it.’
The Irish man rolled out a few more stories for my (and his friends) entertainment, before I knew it, it was two in the morning, and a light snow had begun to blanket the city. It was a very nice way to end February. I am ready for March to unroll it’s self, and I hope warmer weather, and to see blooms on trees again. beso- Maya Contreras
