Last December I was in Chicago for a few days and this is what happend one night :-
I had been out for a meal in one of the bars just to the North of the river and was feeling a little tired. It was very cold so a lot of places were not that busy so I decided to make my back to my hotel for a early night.
I was staying at the Hotel Allegro which is on the same block as the Palace Theatre on Randolph Street (behind the Thompson centre for anyone that knows it). There is a small bar between the Hotel and theatre called "Encore" and I decided to call in for a last drink.
The bar was quiet and been on my own I sat at the bar, I find this is best for meeting other people.
No sooner had I got my drink the door opened and a bloke aged mid thirties walked in and sat on the stool at side of me. He was ranting and raving about how crap the show was and how he had left his bitch of a wife in there watching the show.
When he heard my Yorkshire accent he started to talk to me about when he visited England. He introduced himself as Trent an historian from pennsylvania, he asked what I did and I showed him my buisness card.
He gave me the impression of a typical rich kid whose millionaire parents pay his keep. Anyway for the next hour he insisted on buying my drinks and bore my silly by telling the history of every war there as ever been. The bar staff saw this and were cracking up laughing at my totally bored face.
By this time the bar had filled up with people and all of a sudden he changed the subject and pointed at a girl across the room stating that she was making eyes at him.
He said something like "I think she fancies me, save my stool I'm off to chat her up"
I said reluctantly "ok , but thinking to myself the chap this girl was with was not going to be impressed".
Within a few seconds of him leaving his stool a absolutly stunning blond girl came and put her handbag on the bar and sat down on Trents stool.
Reluctantly I told her the stool was taken to which she replied "Yes I know I'm with that arsehole". Yes it was the wife.
She introduced herself and I told her my name pointing to my buisness card on the bar. She picked up my card and put it in her handbag.
Trent came back round the bar and they had a short argument before he wandered off again to try chat up every other girl in the building.
I felt sorry for the girl so I bought her a drink and chatted with her. After about five minutes she asked me a stupid question "Do you like dogs ?" to which I replied "I don't mind them but have not got one". This was a mistake as the next hour I spent my time looking at photographs of her dog much to the amusment of the bar staff.
Trent came round again for another argument to which the girl told him what a prat he was put her arms around me and told her husband she loved me. Trent wandered off a little bit grumpy, the bar staff were now in stitches.
She got out her digital camera and got one of the bar staff to take a photo of me and her as she hugged me tight. She then promised to send me the photo and some photos of her dog to my e'mail address on my buisness card. I tried to tell her it was my works e'mail and be careful what she sends as our help desk may block and read it.
Shortly after she went to the rest room to powder her nose and straight away Trent came marching over to me. He said "I've seen you chatting my wife up" I thought shit I don't want trouble. But then he added "I don't mind I'm going to divorce her anyway, you can have her" He then stormed out of the building.
She came back and I had the task of telling her he had gone. She seemed pleased with that and was only concerned about where she would sleep !
