But Wednesdays at the Bullet Hole in Overland Park, ladies day is all about a shot through the heart. At least that was the case for me and Neon Nadia.

The Bullet Hole allows ladies to shoot for free every Wednesday. All you pay for is your gun rental and bullets, and if you're not a member, it's only $20 a year. So Neon Nadia and I thought after-work shooting at the range could be cool. A cocktail with the divas never gets old, but it's nice to do a little something different for mid-week stress relief.

And the fact that Jotham with the enticing eyes volunteered to give us a lesson made it that much more exciting.

“Every young lady should learn how to shoot,” he said. He recommended we start with a .22 ($5 rental), and we decided to share the gun and a box of bullets ($5).

 So with our headphones and eye protection on, we headed to booth 15, where Jotham showed us the details of the gun, how to load the magazine and get your target in range. He eventually had to draw a diagram for me, because I just couldn't get it right. I shot my dummy everywhere but the heart. I'm sad to say, I even got it in the head.

The first five shots were intimidating. In fact, I couldn't even finish; I left the last two for Neon Nadia, who had a little more experience with a gun. Cool and confident, she struck the heart many times. Neon pointed out that it's a lot like learning how to drive a car: At first it's scary, but once you gain control, it's easy.

After watching her kick target arse, Jotham asked Neon was she going to hold her real life crush hostage and demand he be her boyfriend. We're not crazy, I said. And we're too cute to hold anyone hostage. I like a good fight scene in the movies, but real life violence sucks. We just wanted to experience a different kind of ladies night. And once we got past the fear, it was liberating.

By the time we got to the last round of bullets, I realized the whole shooting thing is a lot like love. It's frightening, but if you respect it and approach it the right way, the results are amazing. And if you're not ready, don't shoot. Calm came over me as Jotham reminded me to get on target and I slowly pulled the trigger. Finally, I got a shot through the heart.

Jotham says he feels sorry for the guys who try and mess with us.

• The Bullet Hole, 6201 Robinson, Overland Park, hosts Ladies Day every Wednesday. Range fees are waived and membership is $20. For further information, visit www.thebullethole.com or call (913) 432-0050.