I had been planning on watching a movie from Netflix last night, but it never showed up in the mail. So I was bored, it was Saturday night, all my friends were busy, no one was online to chat with, and since my wife was occupied doing her own thing, I decided to go downtown and find something to do. But sometimes that's easier said than done. I had a few drinks at my favorite bar: a cozy, run-down place with a lot of character. But drinking alone really isn't my thing, so I soon left and wandered down the street. I stopped at a new club that had a good band lineup for the evening, but in spite of the good music, the place had no atmosphere and even fewer girls to flirt with. So before long I was back out on the street again. I stopped for a hot dog and fries at my favorite all-night food joint and talked for a little while with my buddy David who works behind the counter. But eventually that got old too, so I stopped at one more club to buy some tix for an upcoming concert in October and then walked back to my car and decided to call it a night and head home.

Driving down 14th Street, a pretty girl caught my eye. She was blonde, dressed attractively--seductively, even--but not exactly slutty, and was just walking by herself down the sidewalk. I smiled to myself and kept driving. But a couple blocks later it hit me. DC. 14th Street. Cute young girl. By herself. Late at night.

Hooker.

Hmmm, I thought. Curiosity got the better of me, and I made a u-turn and doubled back, keeping an eye out for her. I didn't see her where I thought she had been, so I turned around again, and this time on the way back I spotted her. A taxi cab in front of me pulled up to the curb right next to her and she stopped and glanced into the cab but then turned and kept walking. Right about then I pulled up behind the cab. And with the windows down I could hear the lopey idle of my car's old engine echoing off the darkened storefronts. She heard it too, and turn around, looking back at me. But I was still a little too far away, so I pulled back into traffic, around the cab. And as I pulled level with her and slowed to a crawl, our eyes met and she smiled and waved.

Yep. Confirmed. Hooker. Curiosity satisfied. Time to head home.

And yet...I hesitated, not wanting to break eye contact. She really was pretty. Not your typical late-night streetwalker type. If she had been in the bar earlier I might have flirted with her.

I found myself wondering how much cash I had in my wallet.

But then I came to my senses, smiled, waved back at her, and pulled away.

Silly, huh?

I'm thinking I should have stayed home and read a good book.