Stu Bennett had been driving for what felt like days, but in actuality, the road between Madison and Green Bay was only a few hours. His eye lids had started to grow heavy and the white lines that separated the lanes on the highway appeared to be swaying in his view. Despite how tired he was, he already knew that he would be unable to sleep this evening. Insomnia was a cold hearted bitch and she always made an appearance when it was most inconvenient.
Since his break with The Corre, Stu had been driving his rental car solo. It wasn't that that he wanted to be alone, but he felt comfortable pulling in to the arena alone for the sake of kayfabe. He saw a small orange light appear on the dash out of the corner of his eye. "Fuck. Empty," he said aloud to himself. The blue sign on the highway indicated there was a 24 Hour gas station at the next exit. Wearily, Stu took the next off ramp and pulled in to the gas station.
It was a freezing cold night in Madison. Stu shivered as he stood pumping a fresh tank of gas in to his rental. It was good to get out and stretch his legs. The mid-size cars he could afford didn't provide much leg room for his 6'7" frame. He glanced across the street and noticed a bar with the lights still on. "The Crooked Hen," he smirked. "Even has a shitty dive name." Being aware of his impending insomnia made Stu want to stop in for a drink. Perhaps a pint of Stella was exactly what he needed to make sleep happen for him this evening.
There were no other cars in the parking lot. This might make some people feel uneasy, but not Stu Bennett. The less people, the better. Without hesitation, he opened the door and peered inside. "Hello?" he called out. "Are you still open?"
A tall, curvy woman appeared from behind the swinging door that led to the kitchen. "Hi, what can I get you?" she asked the Englishman, flashing him a smile. He paused momentarily and took her in. A ribbed black tank top clung to her frame and rested right at the edge of her dark wash jeans. A red leather belt divided her ensemble in half.
He half expected to see an old, bloated man tending the bar at this dump. Instead, he was paralyzed by the beauty of this woman standing before him. "Um, could I get a Stella?" he asked, pulling up a seat at the bar.
She politely gestured at two taps. "Sorry, all we have is Bud and Bud Light," she said.
Stu chuckled. "Seriously?"
"Unfortunately," she rested her left hand on her hip. "As you can see behind me though we only have the finest hard alcohol in all of Madison." She placed her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. "You look like a bourbon guy," she said.
"Hardly," he laughed. "I'll take a gin and tonic, love," he said.
"Oh, love, huh?" she mocked his British accent. "I'm Elizabeth." She extended her hand out to him.
"Stu," he said grabbing hers. Stu watched her intently as she grabbed a glass from under the bar. Her long, dark hair stopped just below her breasts. Her copper hoop earrings were lost in the waves of her hair.
"You look familiar." Elizabeth turned around and picked up the bottle of gin resting on the ledge with the other spirits. "Where do I know you from?"
Stu was uncomfortable. He wanted a quiet night free from recognition, but sharing this information with Elizabeth wouldn't hurt. He watched her fill the small glass more than three quarters of the way full of gin. "I'm a wrestler. A WWE Superstar," he rattled off non chalantly.
"Ohh, so that's where I know you from. My brother is a huge fan." She squirted a small amount of tonic water into the glass.
"You're very generous with the spirits there," he said as he brought the glass to his lips. "Do me a favor and pour yourself a drink, will you?"
She shook her head. "I don't do hard alcohol. Unless it's a shot of something."
"Fine. Then do a shot of tequila for me."
Reluctantly, Elizabeth lined up a salt shaker next to a shot glass. She reached into a plastic bin covered with saran wrap and pulled out a sliver of lime. She reached back and grabbed the bottle of tequila. "Am I pouring two?"
"One for now," he instructed. Elizabeth poured the liquid up to the rim of the shot glass. Stu watched her movements intently. She looked up at him and licked the back of her hand slowly. She then sprinkled salt on her hand and grabbed the lime. Quickly, she licked the salt off and threw the shot of tequila back. She cringed as the liquid infiltrated her senses and she placed the lime in her mouth."Pathetic," Stu said laughing. "If I didn't know any better I would think you were not a bartender based on that poor performance."
Elizabeth grabbed another shot glass and slice of lime. She pushed those two objects, along with the salt shaker, towards Stu. She poured a shot of tequila. "Well, why don't you show me how it's really done then."
"Very well." Stu reached forward and took Elizabeth's hand in his. He bent down as though to kiss her hand, but ran his tongue along the sensitive part between her thumb and pointer. He picked up the salt shaker and sprinkled the salt on the moist part of her hand. He licked the salt off and threw the shot back, neglecting to put the sliver of lime in his mouth. Instead, he chased the shot with the remainder of his gin and tonic. "Care to try again?" he asked smiling.
Elizabeth walked to the front door and twisted the deadbolt shut. She then hit the light switches turning off the lights in the parking lot as well as the "Open" sign illuminating in the window. "I'm afraid we're closed," she said walking back towards the bar.