He blinked, his smirk faltering just a fraction. "I'm listening."

This story is inspired by the sultry, assertive energy of the Why Mona cover of "Wannabe."

I watched him go, knowing that in this game, friendship never ends—and if he wanted to stay in the picture, he’d have to learn to "zigazig, ah" just like the rest of us.

The smirk was gone now, replaced by a look of genuine intrigue. He stood up and offered a hand, not to lead me away, but to walk over to the bar where my friends were waiting. "I guess I better go introduce myself," he said.

"Good. Because here’s the story from A to Z," I continued, tapping a finger on the mahogany table. "You want to get with me? You gotta listen carefully. I don't do 'easy.' I don't do 'wasting my precious time.' And most importantly," I paused, gesturing to the group of women laughing by the bar, "if you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends."