the contents of another drink through a strainer. He set it on a tray with four others and pounded on the bar. “Orders up.”
The sudden outburst startled Liz and she jumped in her seat.
“Sorry.” Oscar leaned in close. “I’m glad you came back.” He kissed her quick and soft, before starting the next round of drinks. He snapped the cap off a bottle of beer, set it on a tray, opened two more and filled a glass with ice water. “Angela! Orders up!” He pounded the bar again to get her attention, even though she was standing just a few feet away.
Angela chucked the empty tray in her hand behind the bar, and lifted up the full tray of mixed drinks. She sneered, then walked off.
“Damn you’re sexy,” Oscar said, kissing her again. “Stick around awhile.” He placed a Rum & Coke on the counter. “On the house.”
“At these prices, I have all night,” she teased and sipped from the little red straw.
“Great.” He poured a pint of beer from the tap and served it to Mitch. “Keep her smiling for me,” Oscar said before starting a new round of drinks for a second waitress. She was not too tall with ash blonde hair.
“You here that? You’re mine tonight.”
“Looks that way.” She sat sideways facing Mitch on the last barstool—the one Andy watched the game from the first night. “Where’s baseball dude?”
“Andy? Seasons over. He’ll be back in, just not when it’s busy. He hates crowds.” Mitch held his face up to hers, so she could hear him over the noise. His silver whiskers tickled her cheek with every word he spoke. “I like you in stripes,” he said, allowing his finger to follow a navy line down the sleeve of her button down blouse, before jumping his hand to her thigh, which she picked up and moved back to his own leg.
Angela popped her head between the two. “Look who just came in.”
Mitch and Liz both pivoted to face the door. Without an announcement from the crowd, a skinny woman with short hair and a larger woman dressed in a black outfit that looked like it fit a few pounds ago, made their way to a table.
“Why do they just get to walk in?” Liz asked.
“She hates the name calling.”
The pair sat at the table in front of the music machine, not far from the front door. The skinny woman waved to the pool table trio in the corner. The larger woman settled herself against the wall without acknowledging anyone in the bar existed.
“Damn, now I have to go serve her.”
“Who is she?” Liz asked Mitch about the woman in black, assuming she and not the skinny one was the target of Angela’s attitude.
“Angela!” Oscar shouted, before raising up from under the counter to see she was standing at the bar.
“Does he yell all night?”
“It’s his way of pretending he’s—in—control.” Angela emphasized the last three words before sticking out her tongue.
“Hold that. I need you to take over back here.” Oscar untied his apron and passed it over to Angela.
“But I have tables.”
“The piece of shit ice machine quit working again. You can’t serve drinks without ice.” He tossed a few cubes out at her. “Sorry, Liz. I have to take care of this. Be back in ten. Tops.” He lifted the bar divider and left out the back door in a hurry.
Liz turned her attention back to inquiring about the mystery woman who apparently was a whole heap of trouble. “Now, who is she?” she asked Mitch.
“Just Momma Bear Gayle. Stay away from her.”
“Why?”
“Give me a peek and I’ll tell you,” he said, fingering her cleavage.
She pulled his index finger away, and kissed it, adding a slight suck to the tip. “I guess I don’t need to know.”
“Oh, you need to know.” Mitch lifted his drink up to his lips.
“Is she the one Dina mentioned?” Liz covered his glass with her hand.
He kissed it and lowered the glass. “Yes. She thinks Oscar’s her man.”
“And Dina told her about me.”
“They were in here over the weekend, cackling and moaning
The sudden outburst startled Liz and she jumped in her seat.
“Sorry.” Oscar leaned in close. “I’m glad you came back.” He kissed her quick and soft, before starting the next round of drinks. He snapped the cap off a bottle of beer, set it on a tray, opened two more and filled a glass with ice water. “Angela! Orders up!” He pounded the bar again to get her attention, even though she was standing just a few feet away.
Angela chucked the empty tray in her hand behind the bar, and lifted up the full tray of mixed drinks. She sneered, then walked off.
“Damn you’re sexy,” Oscar said, kissing her again. “Stick around awhile.” He placed a Rum & Coke on the counter. “On the house.”
“At these prices, I have all night,” she teased and sipped from the little red straw.
“Great.” He poured a pint of beer from the tap and served it to Mitch. “Keep her smiling for me,” Oscar said before starting a new round of drinks for a second waitress. She was not too tall with ash blonde hair.
“You here that? You’re mine tonight.”
“Looks that way.” She sat sideways facing Mitch on the last barstool—the one Andy watched the game from the first night. “Where’s baseball dude?”
“Andy? Seasons over. He’ll be back in, just not when it’s busy. He hates crowds.” Mitch held his face up to hers, so she could hear him over the noise. His silver whiskers tickled her cheek with every word he spoke. “I like you in stripes,” he said, allowing his finger to follow a navy line down the sleeve of her button down blouse, before jumping his hand to her thigh, which she picked up and moved back to his own leg.
Angela popped her head between the two. “Look who just came in.”
Mitch and Liz both pivoted to face the door. Without an announcement from the crowd, a skinny woman with short hair and a larger woman dressed in a black outfit that looked like it fit a few pounds ago, made their way to a table.
“Why do they just get to walk in?” Liz asked.
“She hates the name calling.”
The pair sat at the table in front of the music machine, not far from the front door. The skinny woman waved to the pool table trio in the corner. The larger woman settled herself against the wall without acknowledging anyone in the bar existed.
“Damn, now I have to go serve her.”
“Who is she?” Liz asked Mitch about the woman in black, assuming she and not the skinny one was the target of Angela’s attitude.
“Angela!” Oscar shouted, before raising up from under the counter to see she was standing at the bar.
“Does he yell all night?”
“It’s his way of pretending he’s—in—control.” Angela emphasized the last three words before sticking out her tongue.
“Hold that. I need you to take over back here.” Oscar untied his apron and passed it over to Angela.
“But I have tables.”
“The piece of shit ice machine quit working again. You can’t serve drinks without ice.” He tossed a few cubes out at her. “Sorry, Liz. I have to take care of this. Be back in ten. Tops.” He lifted the bar divider and left out the back door in a hurry.
Liz turned her attention back to inquiring about the mystery woman who apparently was a whole heap of trouble. “Now, who is she?” she asked Mitch.
“Just Momma Bear Gayle. Stay away from her.”
“Why?”
“Give me a peek and I’ll tell you,” he said, fingering her cleavage.
She pulled his index finger away, and kissed it, adding a slight suck to the tip. “I guess I don’t need to know.”
“Oh, you need to know.” Mitch lifted his drink up to his lips.
“Is she the one Dina mentioned?” Liz covered his glass with her hand.
He kissed it and lowered the glass. “Yes. She thinks Oscar’s her man.”
“And Dina told her about me.”
“They were in here over the weekend, cackling and moaning
Similar Books
