Riley's Bar Ch. 02

"You don't ask me to have coffee with you anymore."

I didn't have an answer for that and so all I could do was shrug. Karen gave me a look that fairly screamed "Asshole" and then said:

"I guess you think that you are too good for the likes of me, is that it?"

Before I could say anything she turned and went to the other end of the bar.

The next evening as I was dancing with Leslie she asked, "When are you going to give up on her? It is obvious that nothing is going on and there are two girls at our table who would love to hook up with you. I know for sure that Betsy would jump at a chance."

"I can't explain it sweetie, but I feel that there is a connection between Karen and me."

"You feel a connection? Are you sure that you aren't smoking any of those funny cigarettes?"

When I walked Leslie back to the table I did notice that Betsy was watching us.

Karen ignored me for the rest of the week and when her days off arrived I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. My mind called up the memory of Dave's bachelor party and I wished that if that is what she was doing I could be there. The one thing that had really registered on me at Dave's party was that either Karen was a superb actress or she really got into what she was doing and I would love to feel that passion first hand. I wanted it, but had no way to get it. By turning down her offer at the party I had put myself in the position of not being able to ask her out without Karen thinking I was trying to take advantage of the situation just to get some free pussy.

Karen was back to work and behind the bar when I came in on Friday. Our eyes met as I walked toward the tables that the first arrivals had pushed together and I saw the disgust on her face and I turned back and sat at the end of the bar. She brought me a beer and before she could walk away I said:

"Just what the fuck is wrong with you? Where do you get off spouting out that "Too good for me" shit and treating me like pond scum just because I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? What is going on between us now is your goddamned fault not mine. You were the one who came up to me at Dave's party, went to your knees and reached for my zipper and said:

"I suppose you expect me to do you for free."

"If you had just smiled at me and gone ahead everything would have been all right. I wanted you so bad that night that I could have possibly killed for you, but you threw cold water on me with that 'free to keep quiet' shit. No way I cold touch you after that and not have you thinking I was an asshole blackmailing you for sex. The only reason I sit here at the end of this fucking bar whenever I come in here is so you wouldn't think that I thought I was too good to have anything to do with the likes of you. The reason I haven't asked you out anymore is not because I think I'm too good for you. It is because of the way you talked to me at Dave's party. I can't ask you out now because I'm afraid that you would take it wrong. But I see that you have taken it wrong anyway so to hell with you Karen!"

I turned and walked to the tables and joined the rest of the group. I danced with a couple of the girls, but my mood was a little on the sour side so I left early and went home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Months back, several weeks after I'd gotten out of jail, my cousin Tom had called me and said that Elaine was asking around to see if anyone knew where I was. I jokingly told him to tell her that he had heard that I'd moved down to Florida to stay with my grandmother at her place in Madeira Beach.

"That should keep her and her lawyer busy for a while."

After thinking about it overnight I got to thinking that it was a damned good idea. I called Tom back and told him to put out the word that that was just what I had done. I called my brother and asked him to do the same and he said he would let it slip out in a few places where he knew it would get back to Elaine.

I called my grandmother and told her what I had done and asked her to cover for me. If anyone called just tell them I was not there right then, that I was working a construction job and would be gone for a few days. She was a little reluctant -- she had always liked Elaine -- but she said she would do as I asked. When I got home that night there was a message from my Grammy asking me to call her. I called and she said that a man had come to her house and had asked about me. She told him the cover story, but she thought that I should know that someone was looking for me. I thanked her and went to bed smiling and thinking "waste your time Elaine, waste your time."

Monday when I got to Riley's I didn't even look toward the bar when I walked in. I went straight to the tables and sat down. As soon as my butt hit the seat Tina was there with a PBR. I took out my wallet and pulled out a five and went to hand it to her, but she waved it away.

"It has been taken care of."

"By who?"

"It's on Karen."

I glanced at the bar and saw Karen watching so I lifted the beer in a 'thank you' salute and took a pull on the bottle. I danced twice with Becky, once with Alice and once with Mary and then I went over and took a seat at the end of the bar. Karen came up to me and said:

"I'm sorry. I've been a bitch and I'm sorry about that. But since lately you haven't asked me to have coffee with you when I get off work I'll ask you. Join me for coffee when I get off tonight?"

I met her at Denny's and we made small talk for several minutes and then Karen said:

"Did you mean what you said the other day? That you wanted me so bad you would have killed for me?"

"I did."

"How close is your place?"

I was caught flat-footed by that and I don't know what my face looked like, but obviously Karen read it wrong. She got a nasty look on her face and said:

"I thought so. I wasn't wrong after all."

She started to get up and I reached across the table and grabbed her wrist.

"Damn it Karen! Will you cut me at least one inch of slack? You caught me off guard. This is not the way I expected it or wanted it to go. I wanted to take you out to dinner and then maybe go dancing or take in a show. I wanted more out of this than just a roll in the hay."

She relaxed and settled back on her seat. She gave me an appraising look and then said:

"Why? Surely you don't expect a relationship to develop. You've seen me Rob. I am what I am because that is what I want to do. I wasn't forced into it and I don't do it because I desperately need the money. I do it because I love doing it."

"I guess I'm just an old fashioned kind of guy. I want the trappings of romance even if they are an illusion."

"How do you see it happening?"

"A date on one of your nights off. Maybe Wednesday?"

"I can't on Wednesday, but I don't have any plans for Thursday."

"Okay then, would you go out with me this coming Thursday?"

"Yes Rob, I would very much like to go out with you on Thursday."

"What would be your preference after dinner, a movie or dancing?"

"I think I would rather dance than sit and watch a movie."

"I'll check around and we can finalize things tomorrow night. I'll need a phone number and an address."

"I'll give you a phone number, but not my address. I don't let anyone know where I live. I'll meet you at the bar and we can go from there."

I dreamed that night about what would happen on Thursday. My mind replayed again that night at Tom's and the thought that I was going to possess that hot sexy body gave me a strong woodie that I had to get rid of before I could fall asleep.

The next day I made some calls and found out what clubs were good to go to and then I called Spagnola's and made a reservation for two at seven. I was pumped when I got to Riley's that evening after work. I walked in and then stopped dead in my tracks. Gloria, the girl who covered Karen on her nights off, was behind the bar. I caught Tina on her way to deliver drinks and asked her where Karen was.

"Karen doesn't work here anymore."

"Why? What happened?"

"Joe's wife paid us a visit this afternoon."

"Joe's wife?"

"The woman hasn't set foot in this place in the last two years, at least not that I know of, but she came in here today. She walked straight into Joe's office and found Karen on her back on Joe's desk with her skirt up around her waist and her panties hanging on her right ankle. I don't guess I need to tell you what Joe was doing. Joe's wife was less than pleased. Shortly thereafter Karen left with her last paycheck in her purse."

I called Karen's number eleven times over the next two days and got her answering machine each time. I left messages, but Karen never called me back.

To be continued...