Sammy's Bar

A flash story about a bartender's life.

Cynics say you won't find happiness in a bar. Don't believe them.

SAMMY'S BAR

I glanced at the door when he came in. He'd only taken a few steps when he stopped dead in his tracks. His head swiveled as he surveyed the room, tracking from the far wall, across the room and finally stopping to stare at me. I nodded at him and then bent to my task.

Moments later he hoisted himself up onto a bar stool and fished out his wallet. He placed the wallet and his keys on the bar and then looked up at me.

"What'll ya have?" God, how many thousands of times have I asked that question?

"Angel's Envy, double, rocks"

I put a clean glass with a couple of ice cubes in front of him and grabbed the bottle. I gave him a generous pour and he nodded his acknowledgment of my generosity. I made my way down the bar to where Mary sat staring at her nearly empty wine glass.

"How are you doing tonight, Mary?"

She shrugged and twirled her glass before lifting her tired eyes to mine. "I'm okay, Sam. ... You know, just the same old same old."

Mary's husband, Phil had disappeared on her about two years ago. Rumor was he ran off with some young girl from the Quick Mart. Left Mary with twin 4-year-old boys. She lost her house and had to move in with her mother. The upside of that was grandma didn't mind if Mary went out on Friday nights. She also never bitched if Mary didn't come home until noon on Saturday. Thank God for cool grandmas.

I moved back down past the new guy and asked Bob and Ted if they needed another beer. I knew they'd be there 'til closing and would likely each drink 5 or 6 beers while they shot the shit and yelled at the TV above the bar. They lived in the apartments just down the street, so I didn't need to collect their keys.

I smiled as I saw Julie slip onto a stool a couple past the new guy. Damn, she looked good tonight. Long black hair, smooth dark complexion, warm brown eyes, full pouty lips, with a body to die for! The lady just oozed sex appeal. I quickly poured a club soda over rocks and placed it on a paper coaster in front of her.

"And how is my favorite bartender tonight, Sam," she purred. Her sultry voice always caused a stir in my pants, but she had that effect on all men, and she knew it.

"I'm great! It's Friday night, so all my favorite people are likely to show up. Are you meeting a new friend tonight, or did you get all dressed up just to come to see me?"

Julie laughed loudly. "Sam, you are definitely worth the trip, but yes I'm here to meet a new friend."

I nodded at her, "I'll make sure the camera gets his face." She gave me a smile that caused me to have to adjust myself. I'm pretty sure I heard her snicker as I walked away.

****

Julie is an independent escort. She chose my bar as her meet-and-greet location for new clients. She sets at the bar and insists they have a drink with her before she leaves with them. I stand so my surveillance camera is over my shoulder when I quiz the guy about his drink order. If he pays with a card, I write his name on my calendar. It's not foolproof, but if something happens, it may help the cops get the guy.

Julie has been coming in here for over a year. One night her New Friend seemed a little off to her and she told him she'd changed her mind. He didn't want to take NO for an answer. When I saw him try to put something in her drink, Bob, Ted, and I drug him out to the alley and "Educated" him. I pulled a small vial out of his pocket and told him if I saw him again, I'd call the cops - he ran off.

Julie was relieved when I told her the guy had split. She left but came back just as I was closing up. I took her back to my place and she blew my mind. She's gone home with me a couple of times and it's spectacular every time. I assume her "Friends" pay a lot of money for her time and I'm sure they never complain!

****

After I adjusted myself, I began wiping the bar. I stopped in front of the new guy just as he drained his glass. I had seen him glance at Mary a few times and knew he found her interesting. I stood there until he looked up at me.

"Could I get another Angel's Envy ... and do you think the lady there would allow me to buy her another drink?"

I paused and gave him the once-over. "Maybe, ... why don't you tell me your story and maybe I'll introduce you."

He looked at me kinda funny, but then he seemed to figure it out. "Sure, I get it, you don't know me and you're looking out for your friend."

I nodded.

He stuck out his hand, "I heard her call you "Sam," my name is Jeff."

I shook his hand, "Pleased to meet you, Jeff."

"Let's see, my story ... not a fun tale. I'm a salesman - manufacturing equipment and supplies. The job requires I travel - a lot. I have a seven-state territory. I was married to my high school sweetheart, but the traveling got to be too much for her. She got involved with her boss and left me. I came home from 4 days on the road and she was gone. She left me the unpaid bills, her keys, and a note saying she'd found someone else. Fortunately, we had no kids, so four months later, I'm a single guy.

"That was almost a year ago. I had to stay in the old apartment until our lease expired. I moved into the Bradly Condos two months back. I drive by this place all the time now, so I decided to check it out.

"I've never been arrested, I have all my teeth, and I haven't dated since I was in high school, but I've been feeling kinda lonely and Mary doesn't look like an axe murderer."

I laughed, I liked this guy. I reached over and picked up his wallet. He just shrugged. I took out his driver's license. "Happy belated birthday." (He smiled) The license was a month old and it showed an address in the Bradly Condos. I used my phone to take a picture of it, but again he just shrugged.

"Ok, Jeffrey Weber, Give me just a moment." I walked down to stand in front of Mary and waited for her to look up at me.

"Mary, Jeff, the guy sitting down the bar, (I stuck a thumb over my shoulder) wants to buy you a drink, (She started shaking her head) I checked him out, and he seems okay. His circumstance is a little like yours. I think he's looking to make a new friend and you, girl, could use a new friend."

She looked at me for several moments, "Okay Sammy, send him down."

As I turned to go give Jeff the green light, I heard the massive front door close and the bar got significantly quieter. I swear I felt a chill in the air as I heard her cackling laugh. "Oh fuck! And I'd been having such a nice evening." I thought. While I was certain of the source of that god-awful cackle, I forced myself to turn and confirm my worse fears.

Karen Stone, the former Mrs. Samual Stone, aka the Ex, aka the bitch, made a beeline for the bar as she dragged along some poor sap in a $2000 suit.

"There he is, the loser than owns this shit hole. Phillip, say hello to Sammy the bartender."

Phillip looked up at me and then back at Karen. "Uh, Karen, why did you want to stop here and how do you know this gentleman?"

"This dive is the closest bar to the theater. Thank god it's around the corner, so normal people don't have to see it when they're out for a nice evening."

Phillip looked even more confused. "Okay... but why are we here, darling?"

Karen looked at him, "I told you I got married right out of high school to some loser and he was the biggest mistake of my life. This pathetic man-child standing behind the bar is the loser I wasted 3 years of my life trying to make into a real man."

Realization dawned on Phillip's face. "Oh, this is Sam!... Sammy's Bar, Got it, you're the Ex."

"I just wanted to stop in and let Sammy see what a real man looks like. A real gentleman, a man of taste and sophistication."

Before I could say a word, Julie raised her voice and said, "Sam, Darling, please! I have to have an answer... Please Baby, I'll do anything, I just have to see you again. please, Sam, please, give me a chance."

Karen and Phillip turned to her and Phillip's mouth fell open. Karen stared at her in stunned silence, then finally found her voice. "Who the fuck is she?"

I smiled a Julie and said, "Julie, my love, this is Karen, my Ex.... Karen, this is Julie."

Julie stood up and turned toward the bitch and her boy. She stepped up to Karen and stuck out her perfectly manicured hand to touch her arm. "Oh my god! I would have never guessed Samual would have married someone like you. I mean, you are Soooo, not his type!"

I think Phillip was about to start drooling as he stared, transfixed by Julie. Karen shook off her shock and said, "Oh, and just who is his type?"

"Well,... me, of course! At least I hope I am. I've been after him for months and months. We went out a couple of times, but he's been so busy. I've thrown myself at him and he just ignores me. I couldn't stand it any longer so I came here tonight to beg him to go out with me again."

Karen did her best imitation of a goldfish, but no words came out of her nasty mouth. Finally, she stuck out a finger and pushed Phillip's mouth closed. She grabbed his sleeve and drug him out the door. The bar burst into applause and Julie took a bow.

I was laughing so hard, I almost peed myself! "Julie, that was fantastic! Your drinks are on me tonight, thank you!"

She gave me that dick-hardening smile and said, "I have asked you to call me, but you never do, so I was only half kidding when I said I was desperate to go out with you again."

I gulped and nodded, then I had to turn away and adjust myself again,... damn that woman!

Jeff and Mary showed up together for the next couple of Fridays. They were both all smiles as they shared one of my small tables. Then Jeff showed up early one Friday night. He told me Mary was staying home with the kids that night as they weren't feeling well. He told Mary he would drop by and give them some coloring books he'd bought them.

He confessed that he was kinda nervous to meet the kids and her Mom. He also told me he was invited to Sunday dinner and asked if he should take wine or something.

I suggested wine and a six-pack of assorted IPAs.

That Sunday, a very nervous-looking Jeff Weber knocked on Mary's door. When he came in the kids mobbed him and showed him the pictures they had colored. He said hello to Grandma and handed Mary the wine. At that point, I stepped out of the kitchen. "I see you brought my beer." I slapped him on the back, "Jeff you're a good guy, you'd better be good to my little sister."

Jeff was very good to Mary, so much so, they got married a year later. Little Jaden Webber became my niece a year after that. They sold the condo and bought a big house - big enough to have room for Grandma.

As for me, I'm still behind the bar every night. I finally worked up the courage to call Julie and take her out on a real date. She was sweet and charming and I had a wonderful time. It was a bit distracting to have every guy we encountered hit on her as soon as my back was turned. Julie, of course, had no trouble turning them away without crushing their souls.

She took me home and I made love to her for the first time. We'd had sex before, spectacular sex, but it was just sex. Making love is a whole other thing. She shed a few tears as she held on to me. She made me swear this was not a one-off.

I had always hoped fate would deliver my future bride to a stool in front of me at the bar. Could Julie be that girl? She told me she thought I'd make a great father and she'd be happy to help me become a dad. She wants to quit her job and become my barmaid, so I have a decision to make. I know her history and she knows mine, so we have nothing to hide.

I told her I'd have to buy a cattle prod to keep the guys off of her. She laughed and said, "No, just keep me knocked up. The guys are less likely to hit on me when I have to WADDLE up to their table."

Mary and Jeff served as the Maid of Honor and Best Man at our wedding. I got snipped after my third son was born. Julie is working hard to lose the baby weight.

Does anyone know if I can buy a cattle prod online?