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Order this writing that appears in the one-of-a-kind anthology The Paths Less Traveled the Down in the Dirt September-December 2022 issues collection book		get the 422 page September-December 2022 Down in the Dirt 6" x 9" ISBN# perfect-bound paperback book:

Nocturnal Love

Sawyer Doggett

The once massive crowd began to slowly disperse as the clock officially started a new day. Towards the end of the room a man leaned up against the counter-top with an empty glass in front of him. Noticing the once lively setting turn vacant, he quickly glanced down at his watch which read back 2:00 AM.
“Another cherry bomb before close?” asked someone.
Looking back up to see a beautiful woman standing confidently on the other side of the bar he answered, “Of course.”
She gave him a big smile that lit up the room brighter than the city lights, pulled out a new glass, and started to pour. A cherry bomb was a simple mixed shot; it only took a few seconds to pour, but in just those few seconds the man would always catch himself in a trance where he couldn’t help but stare into her eyes which always captivated him. Whenever he looked at her the Earth stopped rotating; all matter was motionless. Just him and his conflicting thoughts.
“She is an angel.”
“She only wants the attention you give her.”
“There is still hope that she will eventually notice what you want and why you keep coming back to her.”
“There is not a chance she would ever be interested in something real with you.”
“If you truly love her, you will keep finding a way to make an appearance for her every night.”
“Give up already, it’s obvious this isn’t meant to be.”
“One more shot gives you another excuse to speak to her again.”
“One more shot numbs the pain of loneliness you’ve been feeling every night since you met her.”
It had been almost a full year of coming to this same bar now, all to drink and face these countless thoughts that continued to race endlessly through his mind. The woman slid the now-filled glass towards the inebriated man.
“Thank you,” he said, struggling to get the words out of his mouth before glancing at her one last time as she walked away.
Looking down at his final shot of the night, the man found himself reflecting on his life once again; except this time it wasn’t about his search for love. Looking into that filled glass he could only see the new man he had become. He could see the worried and disappointed faces of his coworkers and friends every time they saw him. He could see the way his family now looked at him at every gathering. He could see all of them pleading and trying to convince him to go into rehab, but deep down he had already fully convinced himself that the alcohol wasn’t what was driving him insane; it was his obsession over the idea of sharing a life with this bartender.
As the cherry bomb continued to stare back at him, the man finally found the strength to pick up the glass. Once the liquor made contact with his lips, he felt a light tap on his back left shoulder. Removing the still-filled glass from his mouth, the man turned around only to notice a different woman’s face. At that moment, the Earth stopped rotating again; all matter was once again motionless, except this time it was just him and her. No opposing thoughts, just the realization that he had finally found what he was searching for.
“What’s your name?” the beautiful woman asked.
They continued to exchange words and soon after, both of them were able to gain a mutual understanding of what each other had gone through. The woman could see the pain in the man’s eyes as he could see the pain in hers. At that instant, both of them already had an idea that this was potentially the start of something new. After a few moments, the man turned away from her to face the bar, his cherry bomb still at hand, waiting to be consumed. He took one last look into the glass and thought of his friends, family, and even himself. Finally, he set the shot back down on the counter-top and took a quick look at his watch. To his surprise, it was already 2:28 AM.
“You wanna get out of here?” asked the man, turning back around to face the beautiful woman he just met.
Flattered, she took a long pause, stared back into his eyes and nodded. The man couldn’t help but smile as he slowly stood up from his stool. As they began to leave together, he came to the conclusion that love was something he should have never been chasing to begin with. There should eventually come a point where you have to stop and think about your own worth and what is better for yourself, knowing that true love should never be forced and should always come naturally. As the still-filled glass continued resting at the counter-top, the man and his new woman carried on out the door, never to be seen at that bar again.

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