"SHIT!", she thought."SHIT!", she thought....."He's gone!". The chair where the bearded blue eyed stranger had been seated was now empty. She glanced quickly and searchingly around the room, but he was no where in sight. She looked back at the empty place at the bar and saw that there were no drinks, cigarettes or bar napkins sitting there and knew he had left while she was "recovering" in the back dressing room. She finished her three songs and wandered through the semi-filled bar, from table to table, talking to some of the customers she knew. The rest of the shift went pretty fast as she sat with one customer after another sipping their "gifts" to her, slowly, so she wouldn't get plastered to the gills before dinner. She danced three more sets before seven o'clock rolled around and the music and dancers ceased. Within ten minutes, the place emptied out with only about a handful of "regulars" still at the bar. Linda was sitting next to one of them when John leaned over on both of elbows, hands bracing his tanned face, and said "You got a way home, Linda?" "Nope", came the answer. "Hhhmmmmmmm," came the pondering reply. "Wanta work the night shift?"......"I'm short two girls tonight". Hell, "why not", Linda thought. "Johnny's home taking care of Tammara by now and I need the bucks......besides, it's Friday Night and the tips will be great....as usual". "SURE!........why not?......I don't have anything better to do", Linda told him. "You given my 'request' any more thought". "Yah.........let's go get a pizza and talk about it, Ok?" he said. As he lifted his elbows up off the bar and walked away, she watched his retreating back and thought to herself about the tales she'd heard about this big, tanned, black haired, moustached, "Italiano" lower middle aged operator. He was alleged to be one of the few sworn, blood "brothers" of the local "mafiosa". |