chapter 3
I finsh a game on my own, before a drubk man approaches the table. Grey hair. Looks like a saloon job, eyes as intoxicating as his unbittoned shirt. he pulls out another stick and loads in another game.
"Mind if i join you?"
"Be my guest..."
I replied stepping aside. Ive played with him before, he never wins. we dont talk much, ocassionaly i sit beside him as he drinks and i work my way though a pack of ciggeretes. even drunk his a closed book, or perhaps he just doesnt have any depth to him.
He hits the first ball, and i follow. eventuall i end it of. two balls in at one. He smile, pretty smile. He never says anything but tonight he takes of his galsses.
His eye red from the alchol. his breath heavy.
"Do you wanna get out of her," he manges.
I smile walking to the bar stool, to collect my usual pack. A pack of coughtlegh. He follows returing the glass he was using to drink his whisky. I smile paying his tab.
"Not tonight, I have a lot on my mind."
"perhaps we could talk?"
The last thing I needed was to be away from my thoughts let alone sharing them. Theres nothing or no one on this planet that could possibly help me out of this. However, for some reason i`m just drawn to him. This messy man, quiet, he carries nothing yet so much. I hestsitet before picking up my wallet.
He takes me by the arm and guides me through the crowd. We end up in the basement of a casino. A lavish sea food place. Ive never seen it before.
we sit near the fish tank, which i assume is used to stock up most of the fresh food. It takes up most of the wall to our left. On out right is a big screen with the rugby game on. He orderes for the both of us. As we wait a drink arrives for him.
we havent said much to eachother. I offer him a cig, he refuses. Then he does the same with his drink. For some reason that makes the both of us laugh.
"when are you going to crack?" he asks
I smile, watching him take slow sips. Its almost as if no alchol is being consumed.
"When you finally tell me your name," i respond.
"How about we use pen names, be eachothers BAR penpals."
"Bar penpals?"
"We get to know about eachothers lives while remining annonymous."
I pause as the starter arrives. Haloumi. Strange, stringy, chewy. yet delcious.
"Deal..."
"The names Luke."
"ill be Amy then."
"pleasure to meet you Amy."
"pleasure to meet you too..." I catch a small flush on his face. as if he had finally gotten that little bit of me that hes been yearning for.
To be fairly honest if he knows about really good places like this sea food place him being at that shitty bar makes no sense. But then again me being there to makes no sense because I dont drink...i go for the ambiance.
To watch people mask their pain with alchol. Im not sure if mask is the approparite work, but watching people drown thier sorrows to avoid their reality makes me feel good about my shitty live. Makes me feel brave too because I face it without an intoxicant.
"So tell me, what do you do for work?" i ask
"Im a cleaner," he responds.
"Cleaner?
"As in you clean for an establishment."
he nods. Unconvincingly. I look past it, taking a bit of the starter , "Im...uh
"Im a surgeoun," I mange.
He seems reluctanlt to ask questions so i continue speaking.
"I work, for the medical center near Parkcity."
Silence. He must be sober.
at this point im done struggling with the cheese before the seafood tray arrives. He smiles asking the waiter to prepare his tab for when he comes back again before turing to me again.
"Is this akward?" he asks passing me a plate, "If talking is akward we can just look into eachothers eyes..."
confused at the suggestion. I take my pick of seafood out of the platter, fush, a few prawns and serving of rice. he does the same.
"Its just, i feel like there isnt much that I can say about myself. I feel like i know enough of you to sit in comfrotable silence."
I smile, assuming this is from out interactions at the club. yes sometimes we played pool. somethimes he pulled me onto the dance floor and we`d move our hips together, at time he went on rants about his day while i sat there choking in tabacoo. It was all so intoxicating that having a normal meal with him, trying to reveal myself to him felt alomst invasive. Alot more then having him touch me.
I smile giving him a nod. "well Luke, if thats what we must do, then we will."
The night went on, and desert was served. he then had a drink, pulled me towards him as the music started and even if only one of us were consumed by the liqour tonight. I felt, just as intoxicated.
i arrive home late that evening. My head heavy, no amount of tabacoo can cure the ache in my head. I look past the files on my kitchen counter, a red envelope catches my eye.
I understand that I often break into home for a living, however having the same thing done to me just set me off.
I tossed the letter aside assuming it was from the agency. My heels follow, i make my way to bed, tossing the dress aside. Before i hop in, I search for my wallet aimlessly. It was with my ciggeretes. I pick myself up, make my way back into the kictech to pick up my ciggerettes. He left a card.
he really was apart of a cleaning service. Atleast one of us were being honest.