"Yeah, but they would have to wait until I went outside because the people here watch my back."
It was like a revolving door of friends Friday night. They would stay for one or two and then leave. Soon it was just me that was left for the early regulars and I ran out of friends that would be dropping by. I started to wonder why I was still there; the weather was great for the season; I had seen everybody I wanted to see and I was hit by the thought that I was wasting minutes of my life that I would never get back, there were other things I could have been doing.
The place was dark and loud at this point. It gets darker and louder as the night progresses, until quarter 'til two when the lights get turned back on and everyone is asked to leave.
My gaze was far away when I noticed the movement. "Incoming" I thought as two pieces of ice were tossed towards my beer. Every once and awhile she'll toss ice cubes, usually she throwing at people but a good portion of the time she just tries to get the ice to land in your beer. I held my gaze on the imaginary distance as one piece bounced off her side of my glass, the other piece bounced off the bar and headed towards my lap. I caught the ice without looking.
I looked up and smiled at her to let her know that she had my attention. She has never been able to get a cube to land in my beer, although I've seen her do it to other's. Beneath the bar, I let the ice slide from my palm to my fingertips and sent it back in a high arc in her direction. She didn't try to move away or even flinch as the flat piece of ice disappeared like a nickel into a slot machine between her breasts.
"That's two for two" I said in celebration but she didn't respond. She didn't even reach for the ice. Doubt started to creep into my thoughts, it was rather dark and I had had a few, I was no longer certain I saw what I thought I saw. I kept a casual eye on her but she just stood there hands on hips having a conversation with another bartender.
"I guess I missed" I thought with a shoulder shrug, as I sipped my beer. When my glass touched the bar, I notice her touch her chest right where the ice would have wound up but she still didn't take it out. "Maybe just an itch" I thought but then she reached down her top and pulled the ice from within and tossed it back at me. I turned on my stool so the ice would sail by me if I missed my second no look catch but I could have sat still. I stood on the rail that runs around the bottom of the bar to look over and see the trash bucket that's between the bin of ice and the refrigerated chest that holds the pint glasses. I dropped the ice into the trash, it was about half its orginial size.
"In all fairness. I have a bigger target" I lied.
"Damn right you do."
I stayed awhile longer, bought a couple rounds for two women, that I wasn't relinquishing my seat to, they first hesitated at my offer to buy them a round. I convinced them the first time by saying that usually people buy me drinks, so that it all works out, for the second round I argued that the two beers where less then the price of a cappuccino at Starbucks. I figured I was at least giving them a story to tell the next day. I then switched over to a Vodka drink suggested to me by a member of the wait staff.
Later the waitress who suggested the drink noticed I had half a glass still in front of me.
"Timmy, don't you like it?"
"This is number three" I said as I held up the Boy Scout's hand sign. I then left when no one was looking, leaving the half a drink there after I paid up what I thought I had for the night, the bill they gave me was light a few rounds. I softly said "See" as if to the ladies I bought the rounds for, motioning towards my bill, they didn't hear me, they had moved to a table.
"I really need to be better than this" I thought as I headed for the train.
…
There's a rut in my driveway that the water flows in. I was washing my truck. I water flowed. My niece was with me. She built a dam.
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