We chose Paris on the Platte as our meeting place. The modern bohemian cafe on the Upper West Side of downtown Denver was filled with patrons. At 11 am on Sunday morning, the coffee shop served as a point of fusion for hummus-eating hipsters and artistic emo goths. I entered through the front door to find myself awash in vivid hues emanating from canvas along the walls. Expressionist paintings and copper metalwork – pieces for sale by local art students – accented an otherwise drab brick-n-mortar interior. I was an outsider in what could be called yet another mecca for the younger members of Denver’s counter culture.
Of course, I wasn't here to make friends. After a weekend death spiral of night clubs and online chats, I had found someone to sate my desire for a warm body. She had posted on Craig’s List for companionship: SWF, student, 21, looking for “friends, and maybe more…”. The open call wreaked of the naivety and desperation of a little girl with few friends, far from the large, bustling family she left behind for college not too long ago.