Random Fiction #4 – 112718

As she eased herself deeper into the pillowy cushions of the overstuffed red leather couch, a flashy neon pink drink perched perilously from her left hand, mere inches from her scarlet-tainted lips, the ungainly oaf who called himself her boyfriend tried unsuccessfully to park himself next to her.

In the process, unwieldy as ever, he managed to bump the drink in her hand. He watched in abject horror as the creamy liquid oozed down the front of her black pleather miniskirt.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” the cocktail waitress said, scurrying to the rescue with a stack of black napkins stashed in her right apron pocket. “Luckily, the guy in the next booth doesn’t drink anything but club soda. Take this, on the house. I’ll get you a refill as well.”

“Thank you so much!” Myra said. “I can’t take this beast anywhere without him spilling shit on me. Talks with his hands, this one.”

“My name’s Kendra,” the waitress replied. “Holler if you need more napkins. I’ll be back with your drink.”

“Can you get me another Bud?” Larry asked, holding his now-empty bottle up to the light. “Drained this one real good.” He punched his chest with the side of his fist, emitting a ferocious burp in the process.

Kendra and Myra stared at Larry, speechless, before turning to each other. “Honey, you need yourself a new man right quick,” Kendra said, laughing as she turned to head back to the bar.

“I know,” Myra whispered to herself as she blotted her new skirt with the club soda. Larry looked around the room, scoping out the action for the night, ignoring the fact that he’d ruined her mood so soon after they arrived.

He took another swig to make sure to get the last drop. He sat the empty bottle on the tiny table in front of him. It looked like a footstool next to his belly, as overstuffed as the couch they both sat on.

“I can’t believe we finally made it in,” he said, still oblivious to Myra dabbing the liquor from her skirt. “That line was down the block. Just glad so many people decided not to wait. Their loss.”

“They were only waiting for the bar next door to open, you big goof,” Myra said, wiping her left hand with a clean, dry napkin. She slumped back and pulled her compact out of her purse, peering into the mirror to check her lipstick. “We just happened to get here at the same time they were letting people into The Refreshments show. That line spilled out over into ours.”

She snapped the case closed and put it back in her purse. A delicate silver Cartier tank watch looped loosely over her wrist. She pulled the face around from under her wrist and checked the time.

“I figured it’d be busier in here,” she said, taking in what was still a sparse crowd. “It’s already ten o’clock for crying out loud. Figured Joey and Julia would be here by now.”

“Oh, Joey texted me when we were in line and said they weren’t going to make it,” Larry said.

“And when, pray tell, were you going to mention that?” Myra said, checking her watch again. She tapped on the sapphire crystal display and held it to her ear before tapping it again.

“I don’t know,” he said, “I didn’t think it mattered. We were already in line, no sense wasting a primo spot and a chance to finally check this place out.”

Copyright © 2018 Chad V. Holtkamp.

All rights reserved.

Bryan Goff