| Romance Fiction posted January 14, 2015 |
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Short Story
2 Strangers Meet At a Deserted Bar 3
by michaelcahill
Previously, In parts 1 and 2 we met the Slaynes and the Pierces. Lois Slayne was having an affair with Frankie Pierce while Laura Pierce was talking to L.B. Slayne on the internet and developing an intimate relationship. Neither couple knew about the other one. L.B. and Laura had decided to finally meet and chose an out of the way bar named the Lagoon. It just happened to be the same bar where Lois and Frankie would meet for their trysts. All four of them would be meeting at midnight tonight at the Lagoon. We continue now with part three. The girls are inside about to confront each other while the men are outside looking in through the windows. One is peeking through the front window and one through the back. Neither man knows the other is there. The girls don't know the men are outside watching them.
Lois drained the last watered down drops of her second double Manhattan. "Well, crapola Ayatollah. Hit me again, Flossie. This evening's goin' to hades in a Mercedes. Ha!" I bet he sees that prim Minnie mouse in the shadows there and peed his pants. Damn! I've got to get her movin' on.
Laura began to get angry. I'm here. Where's he? If his marriage is over, why all the cloak and dagger? Lois ... Lois. Hmm, I wonder. She got up and walked over to the increasingly inebriated woman at the bar. "So, are you Frankie's wife?"
Laura's jaw dropped. "What? What the hell? Who the hell are you to be asking me questions? It's none of your damn business who I am … and aren't you meeting someone here? Doesn't look like that's workin' out too well, Minnie Mouse. Why don't you scurry along now?" Christ! Who is this tramp? Lois? L.B.'s wife? But, she couldn't know … and what the hell was she doin' here?
Hell, if it's his wife, I may as well know it now. "I asked you a question, lady. Are you Frankie's wife? Cause, ya know, it's a little late in the game for the cloak and dagger routine. He's been over you since the Nixon administration."
That didn't sit too well with Laura. She backhanded Lois across the face and sent her tumbling to the ground. Lois managed to hold on to her Manhattan without spilling a drop. She sat on the floor and a smirk began to form. "Well, I guess you've answered my question." She took a sip of her Manhattan. "Just to enlighten you, I've spent the last year or so showing your man what it's like to be with a woman. Between you and I, I think he's a bit hooked on it, if you catch my meaning."
Lois kept her eyes fixed on Laura as she began to rise. Laura stood there watching ready to react. She neither attacked nor retreated. She simply stood at the ready. She said nothing.
Both women looked to the back of the bar as L.B. rushed in. "Wait, Laura. Stop right there. She's not worth it. You don't need to end up in jail over her."
Both women exclaimed together, "L.B.?"
Lois looked at Laura and then at L.B. "You're doin' this mousy school marm? You've got to be kidding me. No wonder you ignore me. How long has this been going on?"
L.B. acted as guilty as if he'd been caught naked in a motel room. "Nothing's been going on. We're just friends. Friends who talk online. This was to be our first meeting. Little did I know I'd find your drunken carcass here. At least you do your whorin' in a seedy bar and not in public. So, who's the lucky gigolo? Where's your John for the evening?"
"I'm right here, punk. If you weren't such a limp punk she wouldn't have to go out and find a real man." Frank had slipped in through the front door and listened to the whole conversation. He walked up to L.B. looking as though he intended to confront him.
L.B. looked at his drunk wife who had a 'my boyfriend's gonna kick your ass look' on her face. He looked at Laura who looked like she could possibly be a voice of sanity, but she didn't look all that sane at the moment. He looked at Frank walking towards him with a purpose. I can't back down, I'll look like a total punk. If he swings, duck. Take your best shot. Go for the throat. Don't start it. He starts it. He's the aggressor.
He's not movin'. Maybe it'll be a standoff. Why's she so damn drunk? Christ, that doesn't help. What the hell is my wife doin' meetin' this fool. I should just drop him right here. My wife, dammit! Make him swing first. He's the aggressor. "What are you doing here with my wife, buddy."
L.B. laughed. "You're joking, right? I'm not the one who's been boinking the other guy's wife for a year. I'm meeting a friend for coffee--an unhappy friend, and now we know why."
All this time, Flossie had pulled up a chair and sat there with her cell phone at the ready, just in case. She said. "Can I get you all something? A couple shots ought to smooth the nerves and lead to some meaningful dialogue."
Lois spoke first, "You know mine." She held up her empty glass.
Laura said, "Black Russian, double."
L.B. followed, "Jack. Just bring the bottle."
Frank smiled, "Chivas Regal, bottle."
They all sat down at a table in the middle of the bar in silence waiting for their drinks.
Flossie sat the tray down with the various libations on it. She didn't distribute them, just left the tray. "Enjoy! Get to know each other. It's a party."
Lois held up her glass. "To world piss!" She laughed heartily at her clever remark.
Laura lifted her cup. "My goodwill flow throughout the land!"
L.B. said, "Piss on it!"
Frank said, "Let it flow!"
They all sipped, slurped, swigged and began laughing.
After a couple minutes, the laughter died down and silence fell over the table like the darkness accompanying someone buried alive. Even if someone were to scream out, it wouldn't be heard. More sipping, slurping and swigging ensued.
Finally, Lois said, "Well?"
L.B. said, "I don't know, we have kids."
Laura said, "What good are we doing them like this?"
Lois answered, "What good are we doing them to just rip everything to shreds?"
Frankie chuckled. "It's ripped to shreds already. What are we going to do about it?"
Flossie walked up to the table. "Last call. This is where you pick whoever is left, call a cab and get a room. Five minutes to two."
A couple minutes later, one couple went out the front door and the other went out the back.
Both couples had turned off their cell phones. This would be time for them to work things out. They missed the evening news. They missed the phone calls from their daughters wondering where they were and if they were coming home. The call from the local sheriff's office went unanswered. The call would be of interest to both couples. Truth be known, there was nothing that could be done about it anyway. Waiting until morning wouldn't matter.
THE END
Previously, In parts 1 and 2 we met the Slaynes and the Pierces. Lois Slayne was having an affair with Frankie Pierce while Laura Pierce was talking to L.B. Slayne on the internet and developing an intimate relationship. Neither couple knew about the other one. L.B. and Laura had decided to finally meet and chose an out of the way bar named the Lagoon. It just happened to be the same bar where Lois and Frankie would meet for their trysts. All four of them would be meeting at midnight tonight at the Lagoon. We continue now with part three. The girls are inside about to confront each other while the men are outside looking in through the windows. One is peeking through the front window and one through the back. Neither man knows the other is there. The girls don't know the men are outside watching them.
Lois drained the last watered down drops of her second double Manhattan. "Well, crapola Ayatollah. Hit me again, Flossie. This evening's goin' to hades in a Mercedes. Ha!" I bet he sees that prim Minnie mouse in the shadows there and peed his pants. Damn! I've got to get her movin' on.
Laura began to get angry. I'm here. Where's he? If his marriage is over, why all the cloak and dagger? Lois ... Lois. Hmm, I wonder. She got up and walked over to the increasingly inebriated woman at the bar. "So, are you Frankie's wife?"
Laura's jaw dropped. "What? What the hell? Who the hell are you to be asking me questions? It's none of your damn business who I am … and aren't you meeting someone here? Doesn't look like that's workin' out too well, Minnie Mouse. Why don't you scurry along now?" Christ! Who is this tramp? Lois? L.B.'s wife? But, she couldn't know … and what the hell was she doin' here?
Hell, if it's his wife, I may as well know it now. "I asked you a question, lady. Are you Frankie's wife? Cause, ya know, it's a little late in the game for the cloak and dagger routine. He's been over you since the Nixon administration."
That didn't sit too well with Laura. She backhanded Lois across the face and sent her tumbling to the ground. Lois managed to hold on to her Manhattan without spilling a drop. She sat on the floor and a smirk began to form. "Well, I guess you've answered my question." She took a sip of her Manhattan. "Just to enlighten you, I've spent the last year or so showing your man what it's like to be with a woman. Between you and I, I think he's a bit hooked on it, if you catch my meaning."
Lois kept her eyes fixed on Laura as she began to rise. Laura stood there watching ready to react. She neither attacked nor retreated. She simply stood at the ready. She said nothing.
Both women looked to the back of the bar as L.B. rushed in. "Wait, Laura. Stop right there. She's not worth it. You don't need to end up in jail over her."
Both women exclaimed together, "L.B.?"
Lois looked at Laura and then at L.B. "You're doin' this mousy school marm? You've got to be kidding me. No wonder you ignore me. How long has this been going on?"
L.B. acted as guilty as if he'd been caught naked in a motel room. "Nothing's been going on. We're just friends. Friends who talk online. This was to be our first meeting. Little did I know I'd find your drunken carcass here. At least you do your whorin' in a seedy bar and not in public. So, who's the lucky gigolo? Where's your John for the evening?"
"I'm right here, punk. If you weren't such a limp punk she wouldn't have to go out and find a real man." Frank had slipped in through the front door and listened to the whole conversation. He walked up to L.B. looking as though he intended to confront him.
L.B. looked at his drunk wife who had a 'my boyfriend's gonna kick your ass look' on her face. He looked at Laura who looked like she could possibly be a voice of sanity, but she didn't look all that sane at the moment. He looked at Frank walking towards him with a purpose. I can't back down, I'll look like a total punk. If he swings, duck. Take your best shot. Go for the throat. Don't start it. He starts it. He's the aggressor.
He's not movin'. Maybe it'll be a standoff. Why's she so damn drunk? Christ, that doesn't help. What the hell is my wife doin' meetin' this fool. I should just drop him right here. My wife, dammit! Make him swing first. He's the aggressor. "What are you doing here with my wife, buddy."
L.B. laughed. "You're joking, right? I'm not the one who's been boinking the other guy's wife for a year. I'm meeting a friend for coffee--an unhappy friend, and now we know why."
All this time, Flossie had pulled up a chair and sat there with her cell phone at the ready, just in case. She said. "Can I get you all something? A couple shots ought to smooth the nerves and lead to some meaningful dialogue."
Lois spoke first, "You know mine." She held up her empty glass.
Laura said, "Black Russian, double."
L.B. followed, "Jack. Just bring the bottle."
Frank smiled, "Chivas Regal, bottle."
They all sat down at a table in the middle of the bar in silence waiting for their drinks.
Flossie sat the tray down with the various libations on it. She didn't distribute them, just left the tray. "Enjoy! Get to know each other. It's a party."
Lois held up her glass. "To world piss!" She laughed heartily at her clever remark.
Laura lifted her cup. "My goodwill flow throughout the land!"
L.B. said, "Piss on it!"
Frank said, "Let it flow!"
They all sipped, slurped, swigged and began laughing.
After a couple minutes, the laughter died down and silence fell over the table like the darkness accompanying someone buried alive. Even if someone were to scream out, it wouldn't be heard. More sipping, slurping and swigging ensued.
Finally, Lois said, "Well?"
L.B. said, "I don't know, we have kids."
Laura said, "What good are we doing them like this?"
Lois answered, "What good are we doing them to just rip everything to shreds?"
Frankie chuckled. "It's ripped to shreds already. What are we going to do about it?"
Flossie walked up to the table. "Last call. This is where you pick whoever is left, call a cab and get a room. Five minutes to two."
A couple minutes later, one couple went out the front door and the other went out the back.
Both couples had turned off their cell phones. This would be time for them to work things out. They missed the evening news. They missed the phone calls from their daughters wondering where they were and if they were coming home. The call from the local sheriff's office went unanswered. The call would be of interest to both couples. Truth be known, there was nothing that could be done about it anyway. Waiting until morning wouldn't matter.
THE END
 Recognized |
This is based on the prompt, "Two women meet in a deserted bar, they are strangers who strike up a conversation." It is a prompt people complain about as being tired and worn out. I thought I would see if I could do something with it.
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