I lined up the perfect double date for New Years, but this was before my brother decided to fall in love. Instead of getting sauced in downtown Austin he wanted to spend the evening with his new girlfriend’s parents. Luckily I am such a charming fellow that our dates didn’t mind going out with just me, or maybe they just didn’t have time to come up with an alternate plan.
“You’re like a man, only cuter,” Penny said when she picked me up.
Suddenly I was having doubts about my top hat (that costume store hussy told me it looked fetching). Penny drove back to her parents’ house so she could finish getting ready and so I could share a half hour on the couch with her father. Instead of attempting conversation, we shared a bowl of Gold Fish crackers and shots of Jack Daniels.
Penny’s equally blonde friend Kristin picked us up (or rather her parents picked us up) in their minivan. There was a time when I would’ve considered this un-cool. But what could be more suave than having parents chauffeur you around town so you can do some serious drinking with their daughter?
Kristin’s father dropped us off at his favorite bar. We promptly hiked down 4th Street in search of a rowdier setting. Whereas 6th Street is famed for dance clubs, wild bars, and music venues, 4th hosts the swankier side of the city’s nightlife: horse drawn carriages, speakeasies with hidden entrances, and restaurant menus filled with foreign words and specialized martinis.
We ended up at P.F. Chang’s. Having worked at the restaurant years ago, I was a bit apprehensive about running into old acquaintances and having to explain just what I’ve been doing. Right off I narrowly avoided an ex-girlfriend’s ex-best friend and soon found a friendlier face at the bar. Josh had graduated from the ranks of waiter to manager. Another guy I used to work with was now an operating partner. I tried not to be rattled by the fact that these guys were making enough money to buy houses while I lived in a garage. Life’s a series of tradeoffs, I assured myself. They were here working at well-paying jobs while I was out on New Year’s Eve with two lovely ladies.
This article appears in Jan 2-8, 2008.
