he knew her from the market

she began sweeping the floor to bagger had to use a short stepladder to cashier stool to managing Self-CheckOut

not a meteoric ascension

however every time he stopped she was there

diligent despite her jet black hair marbledhighlighted coils of purple

                                                                   he admired her diligence

Whisky & Ruby

                 on rare occasion he stopped for a Ten-year Laphroaig he coudnt say itdidnt want to know admired the three successive vowels  Scots an Irish had that shit down pat

wrote it on a napkin handed it to the barkeep

                                                 Double  Neat  Please

heading in she was coming out

                                  I know you.  her enthusiasm liquored

I know you

I haven’t seen you around here before.

Once in a blue moon to celebrate

What are you celebrating?

Today

        Just for the fuck of it

The fuck of it?

   Yah  this was loaded Ever feel like fuckin

her big brightblue eyes started

                                     then she put a hand on his chest leaned in looked aboutaround  I do.

Coud I buy you a drink Or were you heading out

I came out to call my roommate, in there people hang on your words and I’m afraid I talk too loud.

I was calling her to ask her here . . if she’d like a drink.

If shed like Ill buy ya both a drink

she patted his chest

                            I’ll ask. See you inside.

at the back of the bar was a high wainscotted corner a bookshelf above old leatherbound books that to the best of his recollection were unmoved since last he imbibed as was habit he took one down  a honeyyellow lamp hung above 

corner looked like amber

a round table three chairs

he took the one facing the door as also was habit

smelled the looked at the napkin Laphroaig salivated

                                                       hed wait five minutes before sipping if I do decided not to returnSpeak of the Devil she entered looked right to the bar the stools he heldup his hand she nearjumped like pricked  smiledChrist she was a cutie

as she approached he stood

                               Whawill it be

What are you having? picked up his tumblersniffed sipped it That’d hand me my ass. Please, an Old-Fashioned only two rocks. she winked Can’t get more than two in my mouth at a time.

a snort escaped his nose Saucy

   Did you say saucy?I’ve never been called saucy.

Well have a toast to it

                        Excuse me

My girlfriend expects to be here in tenfifteen minutes, a brisk walk away.

Didya want to wait

She’ll have what I’m having, but with ice. she winked again he hoped it wasnt a tic

when he returned with the drinks she had taken the chair back to the door opened the bookrandomly  was engrossed 

setting them on the table Here we go

The Count of Monte Cristo.

Dumas  Yes

I’ve never heard of it.

Its awesome Revenge  Im a fan

                                    Kjerstin recalled from her work nametag

Yes.

Im Joe

they shook hands she knew how to shake

Your friend

Jiffy.

      Her name’s Yasmin Y A S M I N, she doesn’t like it.

When she enters how will I recognise her

She’s tall like me. But built. he hadnt been around a woman this tall since elementary school

                                                                                            Speak of the Devil  Jiffy in a jiff

She said she hadn’t been out in a while, was excited to be.

as he stood Kjerstin spun stood Roomie!  they embraced

                                                               Jiffy, this is Joe. I know him from the market.

she took his hand she could shake too

   it got  crazy

                  having a second drink Kjerstin related Joe was celebrating the day just for the fuck of it He said to me she winked again no tic Ever feel like fucking?I told him I did.  Then I called you.

Jiffy laughedput her hand on top of hishis on Dumas Are you going to ask me?

Feel like fuckin

   I do.

Kjerstin  I drove. Can’t now. Say we finish our drin . .

. . And Joe can take us back to his place. finished Jiffy

what could he say Bottoms up

they did

entering the livingroom he shut the door behind them

                                                         Down the hall to the right  To the left the bathroom

the roommates laughedstaggered began stripping each other

he thought MyGawd theyre petite

Kjerstin yanked off Jiffys bra

he thought Not so petite

thought Young  Fit

thought  Theyre gonna kill me

during the thrashing he got Jiffy on the bottomon all fours  topped her with Kjerstin  from behind lunged facefirstheadlong into the sweet messFUCKWHAT?they cried found the pen he lost last night while noting pagenumbers to Before the Big Bang  it lodged superficially in his forearm DON MOVE GRRLS please he was begging Please donmove a musclegimme a sec

he leapt off the bed to his dresser found a bandanna wrapped it tied it off teeth an hand dove back in they squealed he snorted he lappedlickednuzzlednibbled

   Jiffy collapsed

he rooted like a pig

exhausted

             they fell asleep          

he dreamed

              Red Mediumpoint Bic Cristal  

7AM,  2sday,  9  7. 24

1310,  2sday,  9  7. 24