Johnny walked out of the bathroom, he struggled with the
small wooden door. Everyone did. It was on some kind of spring that shot the
damn thing right back at you when you pushed on it.
“When did I become such a shit factory?” he said when he
plopped back down on the barstool next to mine.
“Are we talking about poop or your writing?” I countered
pointing at the just placed bottle of Budweiser on the bar.
“Very funny, compadre,” he said. “Very fucking funny.”
“He’s got his moments,” a voice cooed from the corner.
We both turned our stools to the source of this angelic
voice. It was 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, there usually weren’t such things hanging
out with us and our ever-depleting sources of alcohol.
She was stunning. In every way possible. Legs that didn’t
end. Pale skin like just poured milk. A figure that would have made Jessica
Alba jealous. And red hair. God damn it was the reddest I’d ever seen – and I made
it a point to see a lot of red hair. Even if I have to pay for it.
“Hello trouble, come on in,” Johnny said when he was done
observing.
“A Buck Owens fan, I see,” she purred. I was beginning to
like this lady.
Silence filled the bar. Sarge, the afternoon barkeep had
gone to the back to get something, I don’t remember what it was. The jukebox
had stopped. The televisions were all on mute. And Johnny and I were completely
in awe of what we were seeing.
“You boys going to invite me over or what?” she asked,
slicing that silence like a chef in a Japanese steakhouse – with lots of moxie.
“Oh course, darlin’,” Johnny said. “Come on over.”
“Your friend’s gotta ask,” she replied, looking straight
past Johnny and right at me.
“Well?” Johnny said, poking me in the ribs. I hated it when
anyone poked me in the ribs. Not just because it was in and of itself an
annoying thing to do, but because I’d broken a rib years back in a “minor golfing
accident” and it still bothered me to this day.
“Only if you can answer one question,” I replied. “Get it
right, I’ll buy you beers all night.”
“It’s actually the afternoon,” she tried to sass.
“That’s my point,” I shot back.
“Ooooh, a confident man,” she went back to purring.
“Not really, just full of enough shit to make it work,” I
said, not knowing what to say. “But to continue, get it right, you get beer.
Get it wrong, and my buddy John here will pay for the beers.”
“Hey…” Johnny said. “That sounds like a trick.”
“Shut up,” she said to him.
“Yes ma’am,” he replied, slinking down just a bit on his
barstool.
“Well, what’s this question?” she asked, now a bit of
eagerness in her voice. That, I decided, was a good sign.
I racked my brain for something great. Something worthy of
the buildup I had given this. But my mind was blank. Like it usually got around
a beautiful woman. Completely wiped clean of anything useful.
Finally, I dorked out.
“What’s your favorite Lucero song?” I said.
She smiled. An even better sign.
“Sing Me No Hymns,” she said, walking up and sitting in the
barstool next to mine.
“Looks like I’m buying,” I said.
“Leave me be and let me drink, I need none of your good
intentions,” she said raising her bottle of Abita amber to my face.
“Well, if that’s not an invitation, nothing is,” I said,
clinking my bottle of Shiner Bock to her bottle.
Johnny slinked a little lower in his barstool. I noticed and
pointed at him ever so subtlety.
The redhead turned around and gave Johnny a peck on the
cheek. Years later, he’d always brag that she kissed him before she ever kissed
me.
“Why thank you ma’am,” he said, perking up.
“Listen Johnny, please don’t call me ma’am,” she said. “It
makes me feel my age.”
“How old are ya?” he asked. Johnny was never too smooth.
“Old enough, babe. Old enough.”
The next couple of hours went by like lunch period in high
school when you sneak out to go to Hardee’s. I looked at the Dixie Beer clock
when she sat down and it said 2:11. The next time I noticed it, it read 4:57.
“Damn, the after work party’s gonna be here soon,” I said. “All
those, those …”
“Employed people,” she finished my sentence.
“Are you implying, that I have no job?” I retorted.
“Why yes I am,” she said, smiling. Her teeth were so white
they scared me. I wondered what she thought of my gold teeth, and I wasn’t
talking 14K.
“He’s a writer,” Johnny slurred to her. “Best damn one I’ve
ever read.”
“Really?” she replied. “And how many have you read?”
I laughed hard at that. I liked this gal. She had spunk. It
didn’t hurt that she was way out of my
league and she was paying attention to me.
Yeah, I was a writer, I went on to explain to her. I wrote
mostly about heartbreak and sadness. But my published work was about travel. I
went on road trips and wrote about them. I’d stop at the ugliest, most beat up
roadside diners or wig shops and find a story. I’d hang out for a couple of
days, drink with my subject matter – sometimes I’d go to church with them
instead – and the write up a couple thousand words. Slip it in the old
electronic mail and a couple days later, I’d get a check.
“What do you do with the checks?” she asked.
“Half in the bank, half to Mick.”
“Mick?” she asked.
“He owns this place. He’ll be in here any minute now.”
“Mick doesn’t own this place,” she said puzzled.
“Huh?” I could only muster. I’d been coming here for two
years now, and Mick always told me he owned the place.
“No, my father owns it. His name is Sid. He owns the taco
stand a couple blocks from here too.”
