Friday Night... you can't write stories like this

Good afternoon, I just rolled out of bed after one insane Friday night. This was one for the record books. After a few late Christmas parties on Thursday night, I did not sleep much, so I planned a nap before the girls and I went out on Friday night. We had to wait for J to get off of work, and I was surprised to get a call from her around 7:30 pm. She called to say, she had met a girl, also named J, at her restaurant and invited her to come out with us. I'm laid back and often an advocate of the more the merrier and when I heard this girl's short story, I thought, we are just what she needs. The girl recently got out of a relationship, moved to the South of San Francisco from the North, and has no friends. In fact, she practically broke down sitting at the bar. Chance would have her walk into J's restaurant because she was uninterested in waiting in the horrible congestion from her office - home. She simply picked an exit and got off for a drink, which led to a bottle of wine later. I'm not even sure she would recall the exit if asked.

The girls arrived at my house at 10 o'clock, but we were still waiting for VC, who apparently ran out of gas and did not have any cash on her. Additioanlly, VC managed to get lost on her way to my house, even with GPS, but she finally arrived and we were off to pick up CS. First stop, Circa on Chestnut. The group of five of us walked in, met up with Matt, and headed to the bar for drinks. The other J headed to the restroom and the rest of the group decided she did not need the cocktail we purchased for her, but it was handed to her anyhow. After talking with some friends and moving around the crowded bar, we decided it was time to investigate a dance floor, but we were one person short. The girls posted as I circled the bar looking for the illusive J, our new found friend. Thirty solid minutes of searching still left us empty handed. As we were pushing one AM, the executive decision was made, call her, tell her we went dancing, and to call us immediately. What more could we do??

We walked a few short blocks to Hi-Fi and somehow, side stepped the $5 cover with a simple, "can we get a deal?" The deal was free. I don't mind paying a cover, if I plan on being at a bar for the entire night, but when it's one in the morning, I try to avoid it. Within minutes, J lost her wallet. Instead of trying to search the dark floor, we waited until the lights went one. With her keen eye, CS found J's wallet. At least that was a positive.

Next, we decided to get a late night snack at Johnny Rockets. It look longer than we expected, but at around 3 am, we headed home with one wallet lost then found, and one less person. It's a bit comical if you think about the fact that we took some drunk girl to SF and lost her there. On our way home, J tried calling once more. Proving unsuccessful, she tried the first bar, Circa. I'm sure the GM was laughing this morning when he received her message.

The message began simple, this is J and I was at your bar tonight, but I lost my friend there. Her name is also J. By the end of two minutes, the entire car was laughing uncontrollably as J asked if the GM could call her if he found her friend. On some level, I feel bad. In 10 years of going out in SF, I have never left a person, nonetheless a person I didn't know. Most nights, I play sober driver and I'm very aware of my surroundings and the people I drive, but it seems last night, I was no match for the J's disappearing act. Hopefully, she is ok. From now on, we're getting the number of our mysterious guest, their best friend, and perhaps a local sibling.

Update (12/15/2007): Lost friend is alive and well.