My brother and I were able to claim our usual seats behind the mixie station at our bar. Both of our friends, and I say friends simply because we come here frequently we’ve gotten to know the bartenders that were working. It was a cool winter night, just cold enough fro them to crank on the heaters. I was pissed I wanted to take off my coat, I was sweating under this heater, but I realized I had a barstool without a back rest attracted to it. I had nowhere to rest my coat. I was just thankful I didn’t wear a gray shirt.

It’s honestly one of if not my biggest pet peeve. There’s nothing more annoying to me than not being able to lean back and take a load of at the bar. Well I maybe a razor scooter to the shins, or kneeling on a screw are probably worse, but no back rest is pretty annoying, it actually infuriates me. I feel like leaning forward on the bar, like you have to do without a back rest, give me such bad posture, I’m going to be walking with a hump when I’m older. How much money does that save them skimping out on back rest and simply buying just stools? I hate it especially so in the winter time, our bar we go to has no coat check, what the hell am I suppose to do with my coat now?

I looked to my right and noticed the girl next to me wasn’t using her back rest on her chair. She was sitting up and turned facing her friend, not even resting her arm on the back rest. I don’t know if she just wasn’t using it now or hasn’t used it at all, but I spoke without thinking and asked her, “Excuse me are you using the back of your chair? Would you mind switching chairs with me or letting me leave my coat on the back of yours?”

She looked at me completely discombobulated by such an arbitrary question. She didn’t have anything to say but, “Here,” as she started getting up passing me her chair and taking mine. I think she instinctively just gave me her chair, I kind of out her on the spot, but she did smile when we switched chairs which was a good sign. I got up, put my coat on my chair, and she resorted back to the original position she was in. I took a seat in my chair, leaned back, and with a smile on my face I took a load off.

“You’re an ass.” Instantly my brother said to me. While I was lounging in the chair.

“What why?” I was confused as to what he was refereeing too.

“You just stole that girls chair. You literally made her get up and switch with you just so you could have the back rest for your coat. What if she wanted to use it?” When he spelt it out like that it kind of make me feel like an asshole.

“She gave it to me. I was content with leaving my coat on her chair if she wanted.” I was trying to defend myself but it didn’t make me feel any better.

“What else was she suppose to do, who ask someone if they’re using their back rest on a chair? You could have held onto your coat or find another chair behind us.” He was making me feel even worse.

I couldn’t believe how much of an asshole I was. I could have easily found another chair. My brother was right, who ask someone if they’re using the back of their chair at the bar. I’m such a douche. I felt terrible about it and tried not to look her way much. Somehow, in some sort of miracle, she left me her number on the back of her receipt right before she stood up to leave, with the same smile I saw her smiling earlier when our eyes locked. For a second I thought, could this be a pick up line, and quickly remembered how bad I felt for stealing her chair and texted her to hangout sometime to make up for it.