I don't own the characters or the show (Just the Dunkle's and Matt)
Chapter 2.
I had been working there for almost a year, the whole staff felt like my family. I had a lot of regular customers who shared all their troubles with me. I have enough stories and tales in my head to write at least three novels. But bartenders have an ethnicity code like shrinks, everything is kept top secret. My boss was a jerk, but almost all bosses seem to be on power ego trip, and they're easy to ignore. The pay was good, good friends, and a steady girlfriend. However that all changed when Frank and Helen Dunkle decided to have a drink at my counter.
They had come in before, happy on arrival, screaming and arguing when leaving. Frank was a first class jerk to everyone, especially to the one woman who he's suppose to love more than life it self. I know he hit her, a lot. But there wasn't anything I could do about it because it never happened at the bar. The fading bruises on her body and the way he look at him with fear told me all I needed to know. Helen was beautiful, could have any guy in the world, but for some reason she picked Frank. Maybe he picked her I never bothered to ask. They had a little girl, perhaps that was a reason that they had gotten married in the first place because of her.
It was near the end of my shift when they came in the night. In an hour I would be on way home to my apartment where my girlfriend from the last 4 months waited. You know at some moments through out your life you get a feeling that something really bad is going to happen? Well that feeling hit me when I saw Frank and Helen, but I'll I could do was ignore it; I had customers to take care of. They said in one of the back tables on the opposite side of the jukebox and billiard tables. The bar was pretty empty, I only remember besides myself and the Dunkle's to be 7 other people. Must of them drunk and waiting for me to call them a cab to get home. At Barlen's Bar we tried our hardest to stop people from driving under the influence, we thought it to be our duty. Even if that meant stealing their car keys, now that can piss a person off. But I don't regret ever doing it.
Just like all the other times the Dunkle's came in happy, smiling, laughing, you'd almost think they were a happy couple. Fifteen minutes past and they were still getting along great; maybe I was just acting paranoid and at that point decided to stop spying on them. A few moments after I turned my back I heard the very recognizable sound of an open hand hitting skin, hard. I spun around to see Helen holding the side of her face and tears rising to the surface and Frank looked mad that she was acting that way. I left my post and walked over to their table not sure what I was going to do.
"Hey! We don't take that kind of behavior here. So I must ask you to leave." I had tried to sound tough and firm like saying no wouldn't even be a consideration.
"What are you talking about?" Frank innocently asked me.
"You know perfectly well."
"Um no I don't."
"Oh it's nothing Ned, don't worry about it." I wasn't sure how Helen knew my name, but it was a fairly small town so I wasn't really surprised by it.
"Yeah Ned go back to mixing drinks. And while you're at it I would like a draft Coors, please." I wanted to slap Frank, I couldn't though. All I could do was leave them be, I had no prove, plus Helen didn't want any help.
Soon the couple was back to talking in civil tongues and I was listening to Matt complain about his wife yet again. I would be able to leave in 20 minutes, God was I ready to. Some days I love my job and the people met. Others I don't because see first hand how cruel the world can be, and there isn't jack shit you can do about it. I was bending down to get a new bottle of scotch when it happened.