Until Next Time
Lee and I sit at the bar after my formal introduction to Thalia.
We agreed to have a few drinks before calling it a night.
I would consent to anything if it meant watching her at the bar.
Even if it meant counting every one of those silver stars and moons on her shirt.
She is glowing in her element, and I am mesmerized, which means I am fucked.
I observe her closely as she tends to the other patrons at the bar, assuming they're her regulars since she knows their names and their favorite drinks by heart.
Goosebumps cover my skin as I examine the pristine way she pours liquor over ice cubes in the cocktail mixer.
Hours could easily pass, and I would happily stare at her, noting whatever the fuck she puts in there.
The way her tits look when she moves her arm up and down, shaking the mixer, is intoxicating.
I bite my lower lip and gaze as she pours the drinks into their rightful glasses.
Her red curls fall loosely down her back and halfway down her arms. All I can think about is how she’d look bouncing up and down on my lap.
I’m curious if they would move in rhythm with her perfectly round breasts.
I want so badly to feel them—to feel every part of her.
My glare is solely on her as she smiles up at the man in front of her.
Her bright red lips curl up her pink cheeks.
She bats her long, black eyelashes in his direction.
I’m unable to make out what she’s telling him above the loud music, but I imagine her that close to me.
Remembering how she was only a few moments before.
The show she is putting on has every man in the bar staring.
She is the main attraction, and we are her drooling audience.
I wonder what kind of show she would put on if she had me alone in her bed.
I so badly crave to be the only one in the room with her.
“Can you believe we have broads like that listening to us talk every week?” Lee’s question breaks my thoughts, one that a married man shouldn’t be having.
“Absolutely fucking not.” My eyes stay locked on her figure.
She pours drink after drink for more than half of the male customers.
Lee and I continue to admire her closely as she continues to flawlessly perform her show.
Eyes from all the men in the room remain on Thalia as she turns toward the mirrored shelves.
I bite the inside of my cheek to check my composure.
Being here is a bad idea, but I’m so glad I came.
“So, what does Ashley have going on tonight?” Lee asks after he takes a sip from his drink.
The ice hits the side of the glass as he moves it towards his lips.
Suddenly, my trance is disrupted by him with his nonsensical inquiry.
Lee never liked Ashley, and he isn’t shy about letting me know.
Not through words, necessarily, but in his blunt way.
His tone and his whole demeanor change every time she’s brought up.
“Who?” My gaze stays on Thalia with my glass in hand .
“Ahh, I see. You guys get in a fight or something?”
“No. No fight, just the same boring shit every day. Right now, as far as I know, she’s just out with her friends. I think she said they were getting drinks or something after her tennis lesson.”
“Oh, so you think she’s fucking someone else, is what you’re telling me.
” He pauses and takes a drink. “You think it’s the tennis instructor?
Or maybe one of her friends?” He responds without looking up.
He isn’t wrong, I am sure of it. She spends a lot of time playing tennis, not returning until hours later.
It’s the little things you start to notice.
The over-explaining of where she’s going, the excessive use of her phone notifications, and the way she moves when I get closer to her.
It feels like an uncomfortable reflex. The truth is, I care about Ashley, but not enough to do anything about it.
Our marriage has been more out of convenience from the start.
If our marriage were like any of the ones I’ve seen in the circles our families traveled in, I am certain history will repeat itself.
I shrug and take a drink of my Old Fashioned.
“That’s exactly what I think. Yet here I am.” I set my glass down gently on the bar.
“When do you think she’ll be home?” I look down at my phone. Oh, look, no new messages. I’m not surprised.
“I don’t have any idea.” My attention goes back to why I came here in the first place: Thalia.
She is like a portrait, and I am an art connoisseur looking for another piece to add to my collection.
She glances every few minutes at me and Lee.
I can’t help but smile when I catch her.
I’ve gotten your attention, Listener, and I’m not letting go anytime soon.
Each time she looks down at the bar or fidgets with the neckline of her shirt.
She pulls it in a way that makes my eyes dart towards her chest. A sly little vixen…
“What do you think of Thalia?” Lee turns to ask. If only he knew that I was already trapped inside the web of a woman I had only seen a glimpse of. I am willing to do whatever I need to do just to keep seeing these small moments.
“I think she’s…” There are so many things I can say. To make it short, I think she is the most interesting person I have ever seen. I could watch her for hours and happily not look away.
“Are you guys doing okay over here?” Thalia walks over from her other patrons.
Again with her tattered rag, wiping down the bar.
She leans over just the right way. Her exposed cleavage is enough to make me salivate.
Her silver chain falls just past the neckline.
The shine from the tiny “T” charm catches my attention.
I imagine the charm dangling from her neck and capturing it in my teeth while she rides on top of my lap.
I swallow hard when she looks up at me with her hazel eyes.
My mind immediately goes to the fantasy of bending her over and fucking her up against this bar, imagining how her beautiful face contorts when she comes on my dick.
Such a sexy vision of her staring at me in the reflection of the mirrored shelves behind her.
Fuck, she’s only cleaning, and all I can picture is how good she must feel.
“We’re doing great, Sweetheart.” Lee winks as he brings his nearly empty glass to his lips.
“And you?” Her voice is low, and she sounds like she's out of breath. I can’t tell if it was intentional, but I don’t want her to stop .
“Fantastic,” I answer. “Do you think I could have one last drink for the night? The one you made earlier was perfect.” Her red lips part only slightly, but it only makes me want to take them into mine.
She takes my glass, our fingertips brushing with the motion. I shouldn’t be here, but I don’t want this to stop .
Thalia turns to face the mirrored shelf once again, and this time, I can see her looking back at me. There’s something between us; I know she can feel it, too.
She moves towards the bar in front of me, preparing my glass once again.
Two shots of Bourbon slowly add to the mix.
A few drops of the bitters splash on another large ice cube.
She moves in closer, bending over just right, showing off her fantastic tits.
Oh shit, Thalia . She moves her fixed look to my glass as she slides it in front of me like she did before.
“One last drink for the road,” she utters as she leans in, pushing the glass closer towards the edge of the bar in front of me.
“If it’s anything like what you made me tonight, I will be coming back for more.” Her pale arms break out in small goosebumps at my whispered promise. She needs to remember me, and I will make sure she does.
“Let me know if you need anything else.” Her eyes flash with something unreadable as she stands up and walks towards the front end of the bar.
“Don’t worry, Sweetheart. We will,” Lee calls out. He turns his head to watch her walk. “So, what the fuck was that about? Are you somehow Casanova now?”
“I have no clue what that was, but I’ll be honest, I loved every fucking minute of it.” Another smile covers my face, and I hold my refilled glass up to my lips, tilting it back to enjoy the burn of alcohol as it slips past my throat.
“Welcome to the dark side, my friend.” Lee moves his glass towards mine, hitting them together and making the ice clink against the sides. Cheers, my friend .
The night is hardly over. The time may only be ten or maybe eleven.
If I were ten years younger, the night would still be young.
The truth is, I am in my thirties, and other than staring at the beautiful bartender in front of me, I have no interest in being here.
Really, in the city at all, for that matter.
“Are you good to go?” Lee asks, scrolling in his phone through his list of text messages. He’s probably texting the owner of another bar he supplies.
“Yeah, I probably better get home.” I check my phone. Still seeing nothing from the wife. No calls, no texts. I’m sure it will be just me for the night. No matter, some alone time will do me some good.
“You think Ashley will be there waiting?” He asks with a grin, continuing to look down at his phone.
“Probably not.” I tip my glass back, drinking the remainder of the liquor.
The small napkin that has acted as a coaster for my whiskey glass is replaced with a hundred-dollar bill.
Later, Thalia will notice the little message I carefully added to the napkin I laid on top of the bill.
If our interaction wasn’t memorable, this certainly will be.
“You think she was worth a hundred-dollar tip?” Lee smirks .
“She was worth that and more.” One last look for the night.
Like clockwork, I find her hazel eyes at the other end of the bar.
She meets my gaze; however, her normal look of bartender charm changes to one of surprise.
I can’t tell if it’s from curiosity or if she is enthralled by me like I am her. Maybe it’s a little bit of both.
She stares as I grab my black coat from the back of the bar stool.
My eyes move towards the glass, making sure she knows I am leaving her something…
special. I give her a knowing smile as I swing my coat around my shoulders, sliding my arms through the black sleeves.
I reach for my leather gloves and slide them back over my large hands, all while not interrupting our gaze.
“You got everything?” Lee asks, thwarting our nonverbal conversation. He tips back his drink, ensuring there is nothing left in his glass. He slides on his leather jacket and zips it up halfway, still showing the collar of his shirt.
“Yeah.” I follow him towards the glass door. “Right behind you.”
“Hey, what did you say to Thalia? In your little note.” Lee asks as we wait for the cab at the curb in front of the bar.
“Oh, you saw that. It wasn’t much, just telling her how great she did tonight.”
“I see. So, no number?” Lee lets out a short laugh.
“I’m married,” I smirk as I turn my head to face the large windows of The Neon Rose. She picks up my glass, and I watch as she reads my note through the windows of the cab. She’ll know soon enough what it means.
Until next time, Listener.
“Until next time, Listener. What do you think that means?” I ask Jace as he stands next to me behind the bar. He leans in closer, resting his chin on my shoulder. He’s a few inches taller than I. We both read over the note as he looks over my shoulder.
“I think it means that you have a new regular. See where it says ‘next time’? I think that means next time he comes in for a drink.” He slides it towards Janice, all while laughing and swaying his hips.
Jace doesn’t know how not to put his whole body into his motions.
I guess it’s what the kids call “extra” these days.
“What do you think, Janice? You think we have a creep going after our dear Thalia here?”
“I think it looks like he was just flirting with you, and you're just not used to it. Normally, you push guys away before they even order,” Janice confirms as she hands the napkin back to me.
“You’re sure?” I ask in disbelief. “Until next time, Listener.” My attempt at his deep voice is almost comical. “This doesn’t give you any suspicious vibes? I mean, the guy straightened a damp napkin before he left. Who the fuck does that? Hell, why not just give me his number?”
“Maybe, bitch, someone who is trying to write someone a message. Have you ever tried writing on wet paper? Hell, it’d look damn near like Swiss cheese.
Not to mention, you’re intimidating as hell.
” His face turns into a smile as he turns to face me.
Maybe Jace has a point. I’m probably just overthinking everything .
It’s true, I haven’t had that kind of interaction in a long time. I honestly don’t think I have ever had one quite like the one I had tonight. Whatever the fuck it was. He knows I’m a fan, so maybe he and Lee are just trying to fuck with me. I’m sure it will be in their next episode.
“Hey, Alan, you remember that broad that thought you were trying to hit on her?” Lee would say in his deep, smooth accent. The one I always dream about.
“Yeah, dumb bitch thought we’d go for her.” Alan would answer in his deep, melodic voice. Oh, fuck. I am fantasizing about them insulting me on their show? What kind of fucked up shit is that?
“So, what are you about to do tonight?” Jace began. “Don’t tell me, I already know.”
Janice hands us our tips from the jar. Her heels click towards the light switch, and in a mere moment, we all stand in the dimly lit bar before we all head towards the front doors.
“Until next time, Listener.” Janice and Jace yell out as they get into their shared cab.