he had a drink at The Bradbury whenever the gang met up in Chicago

he sipped a Rusty Nail and collected his thoughts as he waited

he was the punctual one even early and had been since he quit standing them up quit looking for better things and women to do

and despite knowing he could count on them being late(for years) he refused to break his practise  hell   he even knew the order theyd arrive in(as if they colluded) and was rarely wrong  as if it were set in stone like on the old stones in the graveyard across Milwaukee that if he wished he could stand up and look out to see them through front windows

(admittedly an attraction for him)

Ya gotta be so fuckin morose they said

Im not morose  Or even morbid Im accurate

Accurate

Yah  Im no nonsenseAint blowin smoke up your ass      Prove me wrong

but they never did or frankly tried

they were later than usual

he ordered a second Rusty Nail a cold roast beef sandwich horseradish on the side

Mad World played over the room

he was beginning to think if by the time he finished his second hed take a room upstairs and maybe ask the barmaid up

she leaned deeply setting down the rye and roast beef a huge sliced koshered dill beside it  gave him an eyeful 

while her attention was professional it was a bit more 

she was interested

he was too

Excuse me Rachel  Is your shift much longer

My  youre direct    for a guy sitting at a big table drinking alone  saying    hes meeting buddies  

Sayin   These guys are always late  Today just later than usual    Yaknow guys

I do  So then maybe Im suspicious this is all a cover to get my attention  pique my curiosity

Ah suspicious and curious  Ya got a lot in common wid my cats Yamore suspicious Or curious

You gotta a coin . .

I doI carry a silver dollar expressly for this purpose  Helpin suspicious curious women out

I believe you do

Comon   Call me out

she smiled slow and warm like honey or Vermont maple syrup dappling melted butter  very appetizing  No  I think I wont   I think you ought to keep it in your pants

Keep it in my pants   he winked If you prefer  but were wandering off topic  Your shift

I gotta admit I saw you earlier this afternoon when I stopped for the table  You were working then

I wasI was

Good

Good

Yeah  Good chance youre nearly off   if not off and either suspicious  or curious

Ill split my sandwich and pickle with ya 

Or if you prefer something else

she looked around  lingering her eyes on the oval table he sat at    Your  buddiesas you say

My buddies  I could be cajoled to turn over an old leaf

Old leaf  You mean a new leaf

No   I mean Id be happy to return to my old ways if you care to join me

she utterly disarmed him  her shrug  the clench of her breasts   her long fingers twining mischievously and pulling apart like gardener snakes

then she smiled a smile he expected to see only on the face of the full moon

1316,  Twosday,  27  12. 16

1139,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  28  12. 16

Jasmine Thompson  Mad World  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENJUB5thpB4