conversations at a hotel bar

i met angel a year ago at a work sponsored/organized training in the city. hailing from minneapolis, angel struck me as a vivacious, bright, warm, and good woman. despite our notaceable differences in age, backgrounds, and upbringing, i felt an immediate familiarity and kinship with her. despite bonding over the course of the training, it was difficult to keep in touch, not that that was surprising- with the distance, crazy work schedules, and otherwise full lives.

nonetheless, i was excited to find out that angel would be attending this year's training. since i had switched jobs, i couldn't attend the training myself, so instead we agreed to meet up for drinks monday night at the doubletree. the training group was running late so i got a seat at the bar, ordered a marker's mark, and an order of buffalo wings (yes, i sound like an old man).

i ended up making conversation with a nice middle-aged couple from vienna, VA who were in town visiting a sick relative. i also got to know the former model-bartender rhodie. by the time training group had all arrived at the hotel, i had heard her whole life story- modeling at the age of 12/13 walking the runways in paris, anorexic and taking coke to dull the hunger, stopped modeling in her late teens,worked as a hostess at a greek restaurant before getting her current gig as a bartender in a hotel. dating an older, divorcee with a psycho ex-wife (aren't they all) and two children. rhodie's fuller figure and the content look on her beautiful (if generic in a magazine shoot way) face conveyed her happiness.

it always amazes me how much individuals reveal about themselves.