Cuatro De Mayo

Last week I wrote about going–and leaving early–to a St. Louis Cardinals game with my friend Michelle. Michelle had made arrangements to meet with a friend at a rooftop bar, and as with most things Michelle, there is a backstory, which I will share with you and hope you enjoy.

The game was the day before Cinco De Mayo (thus the title!). A new Mexican restaurant had opened in Michelle’s town (replacing a fancy steak house, which had closed a couple years ago, post-Covid). The restaurant had a rooftop bar, and the rooftop bar had not been open since before Covid, so Michelle was very interested in going–and when Michelle wants to go somewhere, I am very inclined to say yes. Can you blame me?

We were meeting her new friend Linnie (short for Lynette). I had met Linnie a few weeks prior at a different bar called the Upright (as in an Upright piano). The Upright is the remodeled successor to Hemingway’s, where I had been welcomed by the owners, and visited about ten times before they closed on New Year’s Eve in 2022 (my only New Year’s Eve out dressed). The Upright has live music, which plays a big part in the story.

The night at the Upright when I met Linnie I was late in arriving (I often run late, in part because sometimes I am sneaking out of the house dressed, and in part because it takes me longer to get my Dee on than I often expect). I walked into the Upright, half looking for Michelle, half looking to make sure there is no one that knows the boy me (I did see someone I knew when it was Hemingway’s, so I am always somewhat wary, although they didn’t see me). I walk through the bar, looking for Michelle, and not seeing her (it’s not that big of a place, so I am wondering where she is). I am about to walk out and I hear over the loudspeaker “DEE!”. I turn around to see that Michelle is on stage, singing backup to “Sweet Home Alabama”. I sat at a table, with a couple of other friends of Michelle I hadn’t met yet, and waited for her to finish singing. As I say, never a dull moment with Michelle.

Not only was Michelle singing backup, but so was Linnie. Again, I had not met Linnie before, and I don’t think Michelle had either. After they finished singing, they both walked to our table. Michelle introduced me to her friends, and Linnie introduced herself to me. We talked for a while, and I heard a little about Linnie’s background–Puerto Rican, now military (there is a big Air Force base near my home town), with an out of town boyfriend, and two daughters with her ex-husband in Texas. Given the similarities between Michelle and Linnie–both have two daughters, both divorced, both dads having primary custody of the daughters–they hit it off. I am never sure how people will react with me, but when they are friends of Michelle, I usually get accepted easily, and Linnie and the other two friends of Michelle were welcoming to me.

End of backstory of how I met Linnie, and time for the main story……

After leaving the Cardinals game, Michelle and I drove back to her house to change. I chose a favorite yellow summer dress of mine, and Michelle a longer dress that helps show off some of her curves. We headed to Wahaka, the new Mexican Restaurant (we called it “Waka Waka”), and met Linnie and a friend of hers up in the rooftop bar. There was a DJ playing dance music, and margaritas at the bar.

The rooftop bar had one advantage; you could see the forecasted thunderstorm headed in our direction. St. Louis is around the end of tornado alley. Every so often there are summer thunderstorms, some stonger than others. This one arrived quickly, with strong chilly winds that were blowing the metal chairs around. Fortunately the rooftop bar had a solid roof, so we didn’t get wet. We retreated to an indoor area, and then downstairs to the actual restaurant. As it was the Cinco De Mayo weekend–and the other patrons had just been driven from the rooftop bar–it was standing room only in the restaurant. We found a place to stand, and Michelle ordered another drink (I decided that one margarita was my limit).

Linnie had left to drive her friend home, and then returned and met us while we waited. It was getting to be dinner time, and the wait list at Wahaka was at least an hour. We decided that Plan B was to head once again to Le Ono, another local restaurant, where Michelle and I had been twice. I was the gentle(wo)man and retrieved my car from the parking lot, and drove to the restaurant entrance to pick up Michelle and Linnie, and we headed to Le Ono. Once there, I dropped them off, found parking, and dodged the rain under my umbrella for the short walk to Le Ono.

I found the two, as expected, at the bar. Michelle knows the bartender, Sean–I had met him the month before when we had been in. We ordered drinks and some food to share, and sat and talked. While I don’t prefer being out in the open at a bar, I just go along with the majority–and Michelle is always in the majority.

The food arrived and Michelle and Linnie were in their element. They loved the food. I think the term Linnie used was a “mouth orgasm.” I think there might have been alcohol associated with that comment, but it did amuse me. Being part of a three woman conversation–even when one of the three is only a part time woman–can be fun and illuminating. We ate and talked and shared a dessert–or a couple desserts–and had a nice wrap-up to a nice day. We called it an early night–it had been a long day for me, and Linnie had to get up at 4 AM the next morning for work–and I drove Linnie back to Waka Waka to pick up her car, and then I dropped off Michelle at her house.