Saturday 12th:
Bar and Lounge: Night
A dimly lit lounge in the center of Greenberry was still buzzing with the ramblings of various customers. It was already deep into the night, but that didn't stop people from all over town to get drunk, have fun and liven up the night.
Out of all the people there though, there were two who were louder than anyone else.
"Lola?!"
"Jessie?!"
A dark skinned girl in a flight attendant uniform and afro curls and a blonde mature woman with a leopard print top and daisy dukes collided in the middle of the room as they joyfully flung themselves into each others arms.
The two women were best friends and showed that openly and clearly. Jessie and Lola both lived in Greenberry and despite their 12 year age difference, they almost felt like sisters.
"You bitch! Why didn't you tell me you were in town?" Jessie asked jokingly and still in disbelief.
"I only just arrived from Washington. You know how work is, here one second, gone the next."
"Aww come one, that's not an excuse. Your girl is feeling left out over here! You can't just take the opportunity for a little girl talk from me!"
"Yeah, you're right. I'm really sorry, Jess. So how's work?"
"Never better, sweetie. Not like it was ever doing badly. The viewers love me as much as they always have. But enough about me, how was your trip?"
She overacted with exhilaration. "Oh you wouldn't believe what I've been through."
Jessie interrupted her right away with a serious look. "Hold up." She sat down on one of the many bar stools and patted the one next to her. "I want to hear all about it! Take a seat!"
Lola hissed in a regretful tone. "Sorry Jess. I only really just wanted to drop in for a second."
Immediately let down, Jessie frowned in response. "Aww, what? Really?"
"Yeaaahhhh... I just wanted to say hi before I headed off again. I need to get out early tomorrow." Lola said, sincerely apologetic.
"Oh, alright then." Jessie turned to the drink on her counter.
"B...But once I get back, we'll have a true girl's night out. The real deal, I swear!"
With a put on smile, Jessie turned back to Lola and laughed. "Ah shut up. Get outta here, girl."
"Promise we'll catch up another time. See you later, darling!"
"Bye lover!"
And with those words, the two girls parted. The door to the exit swung shut with Lola disappearing into the darkness of the night.
Jessie was left back at the bar, still with her drink in front of her. She smiled to herself, despite her disappointment and started sipping on her elegantly decorated glass of orange, swirling Tequila sunrise.
She poked and stirred around in it with a red umbrella that was placed in the top of it. Jessie's eyes seemed to get lost in the colors and her mind was equally absent.
It had been a night like many ones before. She didn't have too many friends in town, and the few ones who she was very close to, often had schedules that prevented them from hanging out with her during the times she was free. Her hours were just too unpredictable for it. Jessie earned her money as an online porn actress. Usually acting as a camgirl with various toys and ways to pleasure herself for her fairly large fanbase. But when all you get is admiration and horny people lusting over you, at some point you just become kind of numb to it.
"Ma'am... are you alright? Can I help you in any way?"
Her hand stopped and she looked up at a skinny, tall man with a black apron. The barkeeper. She took a sip from her glass and once again feigned a smile. "Nothing you need to worry your sweet little head about, sugar. Could you be a darling and prepare another one of these for me?" She said, dragging her finger along the rim of her glass.
"But... you haven't even finished your first one."
"Yeah, I know. I just think I'm gonna stay here for a little longer. Don't have any other plans for tonight at least." She looked off to the side, feeling pathetic for even being this much of a downer. She wasn't supposed to be like this. She was the party girl that livened up the place wherever she went. Even if she was 36 years old, she felt no older than 25. She was hot, she was confident and outgoing she was... happy.
Was she happy? It didn't feel right for her to outright say that she wasn't. She had made it to fame, no matter how outrageous that fame seemed to some. She had a stable income at this point and enough money to live off of comfortably. Every man out there would be salivating over the chance to get it on with her. Then why would she feel so empty?
"Here you go ma'am. I hope you're enjoying yourself."
Jessie jerked up in surprise as the second glass of Tequila Sunrise was put down in front of her. She laughed at her own reaction and thanked the barkeeper with a gentle grin. "I'll be sure to, darling."
The barkeeper nodded and turned away, leaving Jessie with her two glasses of unfinished drinks. "Well guys, looks like it's just you and me for the night. Let's get the buzz going." She said to herself putting the first glass to her lips and guzzling it down in one fell swoop.
She felt the alcoholic heat rush to her face, the familiar warmth of a slight buzz in her system. Drinking was something that she usually really enjoyed but... tonight it felt more like a necessity than anything else.
The empty glass that now had multiple stains from her red lipstick was pushed aside and she already had her sights on the second one. And it wouldn't be the last.
Time passed her. The night was fading to the point that more and more people were leaving and the bar as well as the comfortable lounge area were all but abandoned. In the middle of it all, was Jessie. Now with a more sizable amount of glasses in front of her. She stopped even counting them anymore. Her face was already completely flushed and her eyes had a hard time focusing in on anything in particular.
With her eyes turned down on the counter, she only barely noticed that someone was taking the stool right next to her. From the corner of her eye, she saw a burly, strongly muscled man who towered over her by quite a bit. Compared to her curvy yet slender frame, he was the size of a bear. He wore a checkered, plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves and a worn pair of blue jeans with work boots at the bottom. In his scruffy, short brown hair, some wood shavings were stuck just as some of them did in his bristly, trimmed beard.
He folded his hairy, veiny arms on the counter and called out for the barkeeper in a deep, rumbly voice. "Sir, I'd like to order a drink. You're still open, right?"
The barkeeper came over, surprised at the first sight of this massive man at the counter. "Uh, sure. Yeah, we're still open. Bar closes in an hour though."
"Well, I'd hope you still have time to pour me something simple. Bourbon on the rocks please. Double. Need something to wind down a bit. Can you do that for me?"
"Sure, sir. Coming right up."
The bear-like man watched as the bartender pulled out and filled a glass with the resin colored liquid, barely noticing that someone was staring at him from the side. Well, not quite staring, more aimlessly gazing.
Jessie jerked up a little bit with some delay after she noticed that the man turned his head towards her.
He nodded in acknowledgment. "Good evening, Miss."
"Uh, yeah, good evening. Sorry, I'm usually not distracted so easily. Not at the top of my game right now."
"That so? Had a long day?"
She bashfully denied. "No... no not really. Been a day like any other to be honest. This has just... kind of turned into a habit." She smiled playfully as she stirred around in her drink with her straw.
The man smirked back and turned his body more towards her. "Well, that's your choice, but I don't think drinking alone at a bar isn't a habit you should get into too much. Especially this late at night. It tends to bring out the saddest thoughts in people. So what are you doing here this late?"
Jessie's face took a short slump before she once again put up this playful smile. "Well, I'm waiting for my knight in shining armor to keep me company. I wouldn't be alone then."
The man responded with a light chuckle and joked in return. "Well, not quite a knight and my armor ain't that shiny. Guess you'll have to settle with me." He raised his glass of bourbon. "George Troyer."
Jessie rested her chin on her hand as she pompously raised her own glass the same way. "Jessie Maye. Pleasure."
And so they clinked their glasses together before taking a sip from their drinks. Jessie and George exchanged friendly smiles and put their glasses back down on the counter. "So, you got the jump on me already. So what about you? What are YOU exactly doing so late in the night, bothering with a sweet, innocent girl as me?" She said with a haughty, teasing tone.
George leaned on the counter, looking at her from the side. "Well, not many other bars who are open this late. I work at the sawmill outside of town. Shift just ended, buddies don't live here, drinking at home is even sadder, so I go here." He said after taking another swig of his drink. He sighed as he put down his glass again. "Sometimes you just need to have something at the end of the day that helps you wind down. For some it's watching TV, for some it's working out and for me... it's going to the bar, enjoying a nice drink and... well... maybe making some drinking buddies while I'm there." He smirked as he motioned at Jessie.
She chuckled, bashfully hiding her mouth behind her hand. "We're drinking buddies now, are we?"
"Why not? The night's young and looking at your record so far, you don't seem like you're going down anytime soon." George said as he glanced at her assortment of empty glasses.
Jessie followed his glance and returned with a cheeky laugh. "You have me all figured out, huh? Alright then, George. You're on. Let's make this night a lot less sad for both of us."
With an enthusiastic smile, he laughed along with her and clinked glasses with her again. "Let's."
Downing the rest of their drinks, this was just the beginning of a cavalcade of booze hitting the counter. George and Jessie began to enthusiastically drink, chat and laugh together.
After getting a good buzz going, George's mood turned a bit more somber they started talking about more personal matters. "Your daughter doesn't talk to you anymore? Haaahhh... I guess there's nothing you can do. But... Jesus. Have you ever tried to reconnect with her again?"
Jessie slumped over the table, staring down into her glass, sighing. "I did but Tiffany... she's old enough to make her own decisions now. She never really approved of the decisions I made in my life and if that's how she feels, I'll have to take that. I can't blame her too much. I dropped out of high school, I got her when I was way too young, I smoke, I drink and my job isn't something that a daughter would want her mother to be."
George cocked his head, trying to put himself in her shoes. "I dunno. Maybe us parents just can't wrap our heads around that. It's been a while since I've talked to my son too. I was hoping that... I can't even say what I was hoping for. He couldn't deal with his mother leaving but I thought... maybe I could be enough. I thought even if we never saw eye to eye, that we could make it work. Maybe now he's happy with his mom. That's the least I can give him now... Damn, I need another drink." He said as he pulled another glass towards him and put it to his mouth.
The two of them leaned on the counter, occasionally glancing at each other with their red, flushed faces. The bar got emptier and emptier as the night began to come to a close. The barkeepers and waiters were already getting ready to pack up while Jessie and George leaned over the last round of drinks they would be served.
They weakly smiled at each other as Jessie spoke up again. "Do you think we are just horrible parents?"
George laughed painfully. "Heh, the worst if you ask our kids."
Jessie chuckled. "Yeah. I guess we did fuck up pretty bad, huh?"
"Maybe." George answered. "But we can't change our lives anymore. We are who we are and we're at where we're at. When you're already at the bottom, the only way you can go is up."
Jessie smiled, wiping a slowly welling tear out of the corner of her eye. She raised her last glass. "To bad parents."
"To bad parents."
And so they downed their last couple of drinks, leaving behind an impressive stack of glasses and accidentally spilled puddles of alcohol on the counter. The last few bartenders begrudgingly grumbled as they cleaned up the mess that an entire party group usually wouldn't cause.
Jessie and George couldn't be taken out of the good mood they had going, so the only way they could be convinced to leave was after the bar closed and they were forced out, sending them stumbling through the streets and laughing their asses off at each others incapability to walk even 5 feet without knocking against or falling over something.
Both of them had a heavy buzz going on, their vision twisting and stretching. Thankfully, from the main street onward, there weren't many obstacles left and they could finally walk without any more hindrances.
It was already far beyond midnight and the cobblestone streets were illuminated by white street lamps that broke the darkness. Walking side by side they enjoyed the cold night air, cooling down the deep heat of the alcohol in their faces and bodies.
Cicadas chirped in the various bushes lining the edge of the street. The silent atmosphere created a strange tension between the two of them. Maybe it was the alcohol, but there was a strange sense of camaraderie and unity.
Jessie glanced up at the man towering over her. He looked so imposing, powerful even, yet she didn't feel intimidated by him. She was used to sleep with all kinds of guys here and there, even men of his stature, but compared to them, she never felt like she could ever count or rely on any of them. George seemed like he didn't even intend to do anything with her tonight other than drinking and spending time. She didn't know how to feel about that. She was so used to just give guys what they want and be done with it but... with George she didn't know what he wanted.
"Hey, are you still good? You seem a little spaced-out there."
She quickly blinked and shook her head as he noted that. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and laughed at herself. "Yeah, I really overdid it back there. You just brought out the raging alcoholic inside me. My hangover tomorrow is gonna be all on you."
"Fair enough. You held your weight back there though. You must be even worse off than me. You were already far gone when I came there!"
"Buzzed! I was barely buzzed you big dumb bear! No shame in admitting that a girl can drink you under the table." Jessie laughed, almost losing her steadiness as she did. "Whoah!"
George grabbed her arm shortly before she would've stumbled against a lamp post and got her back on track. "Hey hey, watch out for yourself. Don't need to come home with even more bruises than necessary."
When he grabbed her, the pullback drew her into his arms. Jessie was pushed up against his chest, laying her flat hands on it as reassurance. She knew the suggestive situation she was in, but for some reason, she didn't mind. She felt her own warm body press up against his and at this moment, they stopped making any progress towards home and just waited out this moment. Unintentionally, they created an atmosphere of warmth and comfort that they couldn't even comprehend themselves how it came to be.
Just like Jessie, George didn't feel like letting go of her quite yet and neither of them said anything as they embraced in the moonlit night under the guise of a simple accidental contact.
With equally few words, they parted. Even though both of them were far from inexperienced in touching a member of the other sex, they felt like teenagers, not being able to look each other in the eyes. "W...We should get you home now I think."
"Y...yeah, yeah... it's about that time... probably. I mean, I... don't... have to but... yeah it's about time to go home." Jessie felt unusually flustered. Her heart hadn't raced this fast for what felt like an eternity. She reluctantly stepped away from him only for her knees to wobble and finally give way. Her head felt hazy and her vision grew even more screwed. Apparently the last wave of alcohol hit her system and she was under the risk of collapsing, only for George to catch her yet again.
"Christ, that one really was a kick in the head, wasn't it?"
"Urgh, just getting a little woozy. Just give me a second and I'll be fit again."
George sighed. "Haa... not in my eyes you will. I'm not in good shape either, but you're not gonna make it home on foot at this rate."
"What do you suggest then? That I grow wheels to ride on instead?" Jessie joked, slurring her words even more than before.
He smirked in return and let out a rumbling chuckle. "Nah, not quite. I think I got a better one for ya."
Jessie shrieked up a little as George put his strong hands behind her back and her legs, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her in his arms. It took Jessie a moment to analyze what just happened and as she realized what he was doing, her heart started beating fast once more. Cradled by this mountain of a man, she looked up at him and his stoic face. She couldn't wring out a single word and instead chose to stay silent and accept his unspoken offer to carry her home this way.
He shot a gentle smile back at her, before looking straight ahead again and starting to walk. The footsteps of his heavy shoes echoing through the empty streets, he made his way towards Jessie's home with her giving him directions with simple finger pointing and nodding.
Jessie smiled to herself all the way while, without even noticing it herself, clinging to George more and more. She held on to his shirt and leaned her head into his shoulder.
George chuckled as he tried his best to maintain his balance. "You're even lighter than I thought."
Jessie scoffed and smirked up at him. "Smooth. You don't need to play the strong guy for me, I could tell that much already."
"Eh, didn't really say that to pat myself on the back. Just wanted to let you know so you don't feel bad about me carrying you?"
"Feel bad?"
"If I said you were heavy, you might've asked me to put you down again."
"So AM I heavy or am I not?" Jessie asked with one raised eyebrow.
He shook his head in response. "Either way, not gonna let you down."
"You're such a jerk! Tell me!" She half laughed, half demanded as she punched his firm chest playfully.
He lightly flinched even though he barely felt anything. "I'll be fine getting you home. That's as much as you need to know. Besides, I won't let you walk on your own anymore."
"Because I'll hurt myself?"
"Because I don't want to see you GET hurt, Jessie."
She sunk into his chest, pouting. "Why do you even care if I hurt myself? If I stumble and hurt myself it'll be my own mistake. It's not your problem, it's mine."
"That's what friends are for, aren't they? To prevent you from making mistakes?" George shrugged.
Jessie's heart fluttered for a second before she bashfully responded. "Friends, huh?" She hid the smile on her lips from him by looking down and shot back at him with a sarcastic remark. "You sure that's the story you want to go with? You found a friend at the bar instead of: I picked up a hot MILF and got her drunk?"
George laughed. "Well, that would be the literal story I guess."
After another shared laugh and a few more streets they crossed, George and Jessie finally reached her home. It was squeezed in between a seamless row of houses, coated in cloudy green paint and closed windows with red curtains, denying any view of the inside.
George set down Jessie at a small, brown picket fence, leading into a narrow front lawn.
Jessie held her arms and rubbed them to keep them warm, missing the former shelter of George's body keeping the cold at bay. She looked up at him and cleared her throat. "Hey, George... I... thank you. For tonight. I really needed that."
He waved a hand in denial. "Don't even mention it. We all need to talk things out sometimes."
She squeezed her arms in assertion. "J...Just so we're clear on this, I'm not normally this vulnerable! So don't think what you saw tonight was the rule or that I'm weak!"
His lips formed to a one sided smile as he talked. "Never said I thought that. I can tell you can handle yourself. Sometimes even people our age need to reach out to someone else. I needed this night just as much as you did." He said somberly, rubbing the side of his neck.
They smiled softly at each other, locking eyes and sighing, knowing that the night was coming to an end. "Well, I guess I'll... head home myself. It was... really great to meet you, Jessie. I'm not gonna forget this anytime soon."
As he was about to turn away, Jessie reached out to him and grabbed his broad arm. He looked over his shoulder, back at her as she wrung out her words. "Well, maybe we can try to stretch this memory out a little longer. Maybe we could... I dunno... make a habit of this?"
"A habit... of meeting at the bar?"
"It doesn't... have to be a bar but... the meeting part. Talking. Drinking. We're both adults, we can do what we want."
George nodded and smiled. "That sure sounds like something that I WOULD want to do." He turned around, putting his large hand over the one she had on his arm. His other hand moved up her slightly cold body, up to her reddened cheek, only causing it to turn even redder.
"Can you just say yes or no for once? Either take it or leave it." Jessie said with a trembling voice.
George looked her straight in the eyes as he ran his thumb over her cheek and behind her ear. "That's too good an offer to leave behind."
Under the moonlight, he wrapped her up in his arms, leaned down and kissed her on her red, lips. The smell and taste of booze permeating their mouths.
And for the first time after this long cold, they finally felt warm again.