Barstool Sessions II
Another New Day, Another New Job
Ben placed the box he was carrying on the floor. Lillyanna had
been moving into the apartment for a week now and had asked Ben if he
would help with some of the boxes. Being a nice guy, Ben agreed and
was now placing the final box down.
Ben's ice blue eyes scanned the main room of the apartment as he
searched for Lillyanna. She said she was going to run down the street
for something, that had been ten minutes ago. Ben pulled his
sunglasses off and slid them into a pocket as he fell into the deep
violet easy chair he'd moved earlier that morning.
"Man, I hate moving my own stuff, why do I always agree to help
other people move theirs?" Ben shrugged and sank deeper into the
chair. "Must be my good nature." The auburn islander pulled his
duster closed as he yawned. Seconds later he was curled up in the
chair taking his mid-morning nap.
Lillyanna fumbled with her keys as she tried to balance the bags
she was carrying. It had taken her nearly a half-hour to find a store
selling what she'd needed. Two trips on the wrong subway train and a
mixed up address later she'd found her way back to McLeary's.
Lillyanna grumbled as she placed the bags on the floor and began
searching for the right key to open the door with. "Dammit I should
have just had Ben stay here after he was done. AH HA!" Lillyanna
succeeded with the keys and pushed the door open.
The dark-haired woman entered her apartment expecting to see
boxes stacked up, furniture waiting to be arranged, and herbs waiting
to be planted. The last thing she expected to find was a man in a
trenchcoat sleeping soundly in her overstuffed chair. Lillyanna smiled
at the sight that few people ever had.
Ben lay curled into a tight ball on the chair. His duster had
fallen open allowing him slight maneuverability in his dreams. Ben's
usually deep voice was subdued as he mumbled in his sleep.
Lillyanna smiled to herself as she carried her bags into the
kitchen area of the apartment. With a sly smile Lillyanna dropped her
bags loudly on the counter.
Ben fell from the chair and rolled onto his feet. "Wha...huh?
What happened? Oh hey Lil, when'd you get back?"
Lillyanna smiled as she began emptying the bags. "Just now. I
see you got all the boxes inside. Thanks for the help."
Ben yawned and stretched his arms over his head, his large duster
pulled off his shoulders slightly. "No prob. Its nothin' I haven't
done before." The island boy lowered his arms and checked his watch.
"Cripes. I'll catch ya later, Lil. I'm gonna head home and get ready
for work."
Lillyanna looked curiously at Ben. "But you don't go in until
tonight. Why the rush?"
Ben removed his sunglasses and ran a hand through his deep auburn
hair. "Sorry lass, but I was just about to got to sleep when you
called me over here. I mean I'm still wearing the clothes I wore to
work last night."
Lillyanna shook her head. "You didn't have to come you know."
Ben smiled slightly knowing he was about to become annoying. "It
was nothin'. Well I'll see ya tonight. Got a new drink I want you to
try out, if ya want to."
Lillyanna smiled back. "Yeah I guess that wouldn't be too bad.
All right, I'll see you tonight. Stay out of trouble Bacchus."
Ben smiled gleefully. "As the god of drunken orgies I can nae do
such a thing." Ben opened the door and walked out into McLeary's.
Brodie Bruce, current host of the hit NBC show The Tonight Show,
sat in his dressing room brooding. He'd been the show's host for a few
years and was enjoying the job. But there was something missing from
his life, he just wasn't sure what it was anymore.
Brodie had one of the largest comic book collections on the East
Coast, rivaled only by the comic companies and his hero Stan "The Man"
Lee. As he flipped aimlessly through his newest issue of Fantastic
Four, Brodie idyll thought of his life before The Tonight Show. A tiny
smile crept across his features as he thought about how he'd attained
the job in the first place.
That one day at the mall he'd been attempting to deal with his
girlfriend, and now drummer in his studio band, having dumped him. His
best friend and cohort T.S. was likewise dealing with the loss of his
lover. By the day's end they had both obtained the objects of their
affections, ruined two men's carriers, destroyed a live television
show, and publicly humiliated at least four people. All in all it had
been a good day.
Brodie placed the comic book back in its protective sleeve and
sighed. Quickly he grabbed his suit jacket and headed out of the
studio. "I need a drink. Maybe I'll go visit that new bar Randal was
talking about."
Ben growled unconsciously as he slammed the refrigerator door
closed. "DENIS! Where the hell is the cranberry juice?!"
A man with short blonde hair looked over the railing down at the
bar. "Check the fridge!"
Ben glared up at his boss. "I did that already!"
Denis glared back at his employee. "Both of them?"
"Of course! And the one in back! Don't tell me you didn't get
any cranberry juice!" Ben leaned against the bar as he yelled at Denis
on the next floor.
"What do you need it for?!" Denis asked as he lit a cigarette.
Ben grumbled, "Wish I had a smoke." He looked up at Denis. "I
told you I found a new drink recipe I wanted to make!"
"Which one?!"
Ben ran a hand through his deep brown hair and sighed. 'I will
not get angry. I will not get angry.' The bartender took a deep
breath and let it out slowly. "The sea breeze! I found the grapefruit
juice, now where's the cranberry I asked you to get?!"
Denis scratched his head as he thought of the last order he'd
made. He didn't remember ordering any juice except orange. "Ask
Sheila, I think she knows!"
Ben mumbled something incoherent as he looked around the bar for
Sheila. He could just make out the Asian waitress with the blue hair
at the other end of the tavern picking up a check.
Sheila placed her tray down and began placing empty bottles,
mugs, and shot glasses onto it. Her spiky, blue hair fell limply into
her face, her hair gel having lost its hold an hour ago in the humid
bar. Sheila picked up her tray and made her way to the bar, weaving
between people and chairs.
The Asian waitress placed her tray on the bar and waved. Her
wrists jangled from the obscene number of bracelets she wore. "Ben."
The tanned barkeep turned on his heel and stared the waitress
down. "Hey Shel, ya seen the cranberry juice? I need to make a drink
and I can't find it."
Sheila shook her head slightly. "Sorry B, not recently. Hey I
need three orders of Miller, two Heinekens, a pitcher of Bud, and a
Long Island."
Ben nodded and began preparing the order. "On it." With a slide
across the floor and a half step the twenty-something surfer/bartender
was pouring drinks as if it were his nature.
Sheila looked around for a moment before turning her attention
back to Ben. "Have you seen Lillyanna today?"
Ben placed the pitcher on Sheila's tray and nodded. "Sure did.
She's up with Denis finishing off their paper work."
Sheila nodded as she leaned against the bar. "So?"
"So what?" Ben asked as he placed the bottles of Heinekens on the
tray. "Whata ya wanna ask?"
Sheila allowed a sly grin to creep over her features. "So...have
you slept with her yet?"
The barkeep nearly fell over from the unexpected question. As he
regained his sense, Ben spun and stared at Sheila. "Jesus woman. You
think all I do is mix drinks, fuck, and surf. Is that it?"
Sheila shook her head. "No that's your over-sexed friend you
brought in here one day. I just know you, you enjoy sex. And I
figured you've had a week, so..."
Ben dropped the remaining drinks onto the tray. "First off Shel,
ya don't know me. No one does...not as much as they think they do.
And second, no I haven't fucked her yet. And I doubt I will. She
reminds me too much of someone else...someone I'd rather forget." Ben
left his meaning to hang in the air as he turned and walked into the
back room.
Sheila watched silently as Ben maneuvered himself out the back
door of the bar and into the adjoining alley. As she picked up the
tray of drinks Sheila began to wonder just how much about the Key West
barkeep she knew.
Ben stepped into the chilly New York night. His silk shirt did
not provide much warmth as the wind slashed his face and arms. Though
the island-boy did not seem to mind. His attention was focused on the
two men standing outside his establishment.
The tall one was wearing a heavy yellow coat, his long blonde
hair was neatly falling out of a black wool toboggan. The shorter one
wore a large green trench coat and a backwards "Mooby" hat. The tall
one was dancing and speaking rapidly while the shorter one stood
silently smoking a cigarette.
Rather peeved to find a pair of stoners dealing in front of his
second home, Ben steeled his anger and stormed over to the pair. The
young bartender silently stepped up behind the taller of the pair and
threw him against the brick wall. "What the FUCK is this?! I thought
I told you two to stop dealing outside my bar!"
Ben slammed the taller man against the wall before turning him
around. Ben's ice blue eyes glared deeply into the younger man's
stoned face.
"What the fuck? Who the fuck are you, bitch?" The blonde
demanded in his rapid speech.
The obese man in the trench coat tapped his tall friend's
shoulder and shook his head.
The blonde stared down at the bearded man. "What the fuck
Lunchbox? Why the fuck not?!"
The bearded man just shook his head again and nodded to Ben
before making a whirling motion with his hands.
The blonde quickly shut his mouth and turned back to the
bartender that was holding him against the wall. The man standing
before him wore an expression of rage on his usually more demure and
calm face. The blonde man chuckled and looked down into Ben's deep
blue eyes. "What can I do ya for?"
Ben glared at the pair of dealers for a moment before releasing
the man in his hands. "Look, I don't like you two dealing out here.
Makes me look bad with my boss. But how 'bout we make a deal. You
give me a dime bag, and I don't kick both your asses and forcibly
remove you from the premises. How's that sound?"
The tall blonde man was in the process of making a snide remark
when his trench-wearing partner stopped him. He nodded to the
bartender and raised a finger. Ben stared for a moment before he
caught on. "One condition?" The man nodded as he pulled the small bag
from his coat pocket.
Ben nodded, "Okay. What is it?"
The large man pointed to the ground at his feet and leaned
against the side of the tavern. He reached into his coat and produced
a cigarette and a lighter. The man proceeded to light the cigarette
and smile.
Ben nodded as he figured out what the man was saying. "So your
condition is that you can deal out here?" The man nodded. Ben rubbed
his deep brown goatee before nodding. "All right. But only for
tonight. If I catch you two out here again, I'll either kill you or
have you arrested. Depends on my mood."
The man nodded before handing over the small bag of leaves to the
now calmer barkeep. With a tiny smirk he took a drag off his cigarette
and leaned back against the wall.
The tall blonde man began yelling at his obese friend as Ben
returned to the confines of McLeary's.
Lillyanna stepped upto the bar. Her deep brown hair was tied
into a pair of braids that wrapped around her head, meeting in a palate
that lay against her back. Her lilac blouse contrasted with the dark
and almost dank atmosphere of McLeary's. She'd come downstairs from
Denis's office where she'd just finished off the last of her rental
paperwork.
Lillyanna was in the mood for that new drink Ben had promised her
this morning, and was a bit surprised to not find him at his usual
place behind the bar. Her curiosity gained the better of her as she
waved Sheila to her.
The Asian barmistress stepped upto the tavern's newest occupant.
Sheila dropped her hefty tray onto the bar next to Lillyanna. "Yeah,
girl?"
Lillyanna looked at the exhausted woman. "Where's Ben?"
Sheila shrugged as she cleaned her tray. "Not sure. I saw him
head out the backdoor a little while ago. Maybe he's taking a smoke
break. Not totally unusual for him. Just head through the kitchen,
you'll find the door to the alley. He keeps his Harley out there, so
if he's anywhere it'll be there."
The brunette woman nodded to her Asian companion before standing
and heading for the kitchen. She could hear a few whistles and
catcalls from some of the tavern's less reputable patrons. Lillyanna
stopped and looked down at her skintight leather pants and shrugged as
she continued out the door.
At a table near the jukebox sat a very popular man in the
entertainment industry. He was nursing his third beer of the night as
he contemplated his future and his occupation.
Brodie Bruce enjoyed his job with NBC, but it was getting a tad
bit tiring asking basically the same questions each day, telling the
same jokes each week, ribbing at the same people so often he'd lost
interest in them.
Brodie sighed for the umpteenth time that night and took a sip of
his beer. His eyes wandered the room as he began to wonder where this
so called "miracle working" bartender was. He'd seen someone leave the
bar area and exit a back way, but didn't think anything of it.
Ben leaned against his black Harley Davidson and inhaled again.
"This shit's almost as good as my old home blends." The bartender
chuckled as he took another tiny drag off the oddly shaped cigarette in
his hand. Ben stood in the alley next to McLeary's Tavern, where he
parked his Harley during business hours.
The bartender was enjoying his ill-appropriated goods. His
previous anger and confusion was gone and replaced by a happy and
somewhat ditzy attitude. Ben's mood improved greatly as he noticed the
door to the bar open and he saw Lillyanna walk out. "Hey babe!"
Lillyanna pushed her long dark hair from her face as she was
struck by a chilly gust of wind. "Hey babe!" a familiar voice called
out. Lilly turned and glared at the happy bartender before her. "I
hate being called that, Ben."
Lillyanna watched as the man before her took a quick drag off the
object in his hand. "All right, love. Whatever ya wish." The man was
obviously not in his left mind, by his own words he'd never been in his
right mind.
The young woman stared at her friend. "Ben, are you okay?"
The barkeep nodded and smiled. "Sure am pretty lady. Why'd
y'all ask?" Ben's Southern drawl was beginning to return to his
usually articulate speech.
"You just don't seem yourself right now." Lillyanna's deep dark
brown eyes stared down the man she had thought she knew.
Brodie waved at the Asian woman walking around. "Miss?"
Sheila stopped by Brodie's table and nodded. "Yes, what can I
get you?"
A thousand sexist comments flew through Brodie's mind at that
moment, but he was more worried about finding this bartender and
getting home to the love of his life. Brodie just shrugged and looked
at her. "I was wondering if some guy named Reilly worked here?"
Sheila looked confused for a moment before it struck her. "Oh,
you mean Ben. Yeah, he's working tonight. Why, you have some problem
you want his help with?" Though her voice sounded accusing and angry
her attitude and complexion showed that she was just playing games with
the man.
Brodie nodded. "Well, yes I do."
Sheila nodded. "Well he's on a smoke break right now. When he
comes back I'll tell him to come talk with you. Sound good?"
Brodie smiled for the first time that night. "Sure, thanks."
Sheila returned the smile as she walked off. "Don't mention it
Mr. Bruce." Almost as an afterthought Sheila looked at Brodie. "Oh
yeah, before I forget. Don't tell him where you work. He hates anyone
in the entertainment industry, not too sure why though."
With that said, Sheila began making her rounds.
Brodie watched as Sheila as she talked to a customer. "I wonder
what she meant by that."
Denis sat in his office filing paperwork. He and Lillyanna had
finalized the rental agreement and he was preparing to inform his
accountant about the deal when he heard something from outside.
Curiously the tavern's owner looked out his window into the alley
behind the bar to see his prize bartender and his new resident in a
yelling match.
Confused at the sight Denis left his papers and headed out of his
office. His destination, the alleyway.
Ben smiled wickedly at the young woman before him. "So what
brings ya out here tanight?"
Lillyanna, shocked to find out that her friend was stoned, glared
at the bartender. "I came looking for you. Sheila told me you were on
a smoke break. If I'd know this is what she meant I wouldn't have
bothered to look for you."
Ben tilted his head to the side slightly. "Whatcha mean, lass?"
Aggravated, Lillyanna stepped upto the bartender and grabbed the
half-smoked joint form the corner of his lips. She threw the blunt to
the ground and stepped on it angrily. "Dammit Ben, if I knew you were
some fucking stoner I wouldn't have bothered buying this apartment.
"You were the reason I agreed to Denis' price. I thought I'd
found a friend in you, but I guess I was wrong." Lillyanna turned on a
heel and began storming inside.
Half-aware Ben reached out and grabbed Lillyanna's arm. On a
reflex the older woman spun and slapped her friend hard enough to send
him to his rear end.
Ben looked up at Lillyanna slightly confused. "What? Lil, whata
ya talkin' 'bout? That was my first joint in six years. I'm not a
stoner."
Lillyanna glared at the man on his butt. "Don't lie to me. I
just put out your joint. I can still smell the shit on you. Hell,
you're still buzzed." A tiny crystalline tear began forming at the
corner of Lillyanna's muddy green eyes.
Weakly Ben pushed himself to his feet. "Lilly, I swear. That
was the first time in years."
The young woman glared at the barkeep. "Oh so then why all of a
sudden did you need one!"
Ben turned his eyes away from Lillyanna. He gently chewed on his
lower lip as he tried to come up with an answer. After a moment he
spoke, his voice was low and weak. "You don't need to know. Old
wounds that never seem to heal."
Angrily, and a bit hurt, Lillyanna stepped upto Ben and slapped
him again, not as hard this time. "I DON'T need to KNOW! My only
friend in this town was getting stoned for some reason and I DON'T NEED
TO KNOW!!! Dammit Ben, don't lie to me!"
Ben's deep ice blue eyes turned for the first time to meet
Lillyanna's tear filled green ones. "You don't know my past, I do.
And I want to forget it. There's shit I've gotten into that will get
you into trouble. Please, if I never ask you for another thing, please
just don't ever ask me about my past."
Lillyanna could feel her hate building up as she listened to her
friend. "Don't change the subject. I want to know why you thought you
needed to come out here and burn off your last few brain cells!"
Ben averted his gaze once more. "I didn't change the subject. I
came out here to escape from myself for a moment. I met a couple of
stoners dealing out here and I got rid of them. But I found a dime bag
one of them dropped, and..."
Ben's large arms wrapped around his chest as he neared tears.
"I'm weak, okay. My past makes me weak." His voice was wavering as he
inched closer and closer to crying.
Denis stepped into the alley, careful to not slam the door into
the tavern. He could hear Lillyanna and Ben argue. He chuckled at an
inane thought, "Heh, they sound like a married couple."
Silently Denis maneuvered himself close enough so that he could
hear both sides of the conversation, and also so he wouldn't be noticed
by the pair of arguers.
Lillyanna stopped the rant that began to work itself into her
voice. She could see that her friend was telling the truth. She could
also see that whatever he was cryptically speaking about was causing
him more pain than she knew.
Ben released himself from his weak hug and started for the tavern
door. He kept the few words on his mind to himself as he walked past
Lillyanna. Silently he blinked back a few tears as he opened the door.
Just before stepping inside Ben looked back to the dark-haired woman
and mouthed a silent "I'm sorry".
Lillyanna watched as her friend stepped inside. Lillyanna chewed
on her lower lip as she pondered what the younger man had just told
her. It was obvious to her that there was something he was hiding that
was slowly killing him inside, and if he didn't let go soon he would
hurt someone, most likely himself.
Lillyanna gently brushed a tear off her cheek as she looked at
the door before her. "I'm sorry Ben, but someday you'll tell me.
You'll tell me all of it. I don't want you being in this much pain
alone. I can wait, but not forever." Quietly the young woman started
up the fire escape to her apartment. "Someday my friend, someday."
The night passed slowly along for the lethargic bartender. Ben
had turn on his internal auto-pilot and just ran the tavern like a
zombie. Any conversation he might have had with the customers was
reduced to simple nods, grunts, and the occasional "yes" or "okay".
Ben finally made "Last Call" an hour later than usual.
Though the bar's occupants didn't mind, Sheila did complain as
the people began filing out of the building.
Brodie downed his whiskey and stepped upto the bar. He placed
the empty glass behind the auburn bartender. "Hey." His greeting was
answered with a simple jerk of the other man's head.
Brodie was a bit surprised at the man's action. Randal had told
him that Mr. Reilly was a nice, considerate bartender with a totally
insatiable need to help anyone that was seated at his bar, but tonight
that man seemed to be replaced by an unthinking, uncaring man with a
bar towel and a frown.
"I was hoping to talk with you. If you have the time." Brodie
spoke easily, unsure if he'd upset the man before him.
Ben barely registered the man sitting at his bar. He shrugged at
the man not caring either way if he spoke or not. All the confused
bartender could think about was how quickly he'd upset Lillyanna, and
how easily he'd broken his promise to an old Key West friend.
In the background of his hearing Ben listened to the man at the
bar as he rambled on about his work with the Tonight Show. The man
kept mentioning how much he disliked working with NBC, no matter how
much they were paying him.
The young barkeep half-listened as the other man recounted a
story about him and his best friend at a mall. Ben didn't care about
how the man at his bar got his job with NBC, or how his best friend
wouldn't stop pining over a girl, or even about how he nailed his own
ex in an elevator.
Finally fed up Ben tossed his towel into a bucket to be washed
and growled. "If you hate your job so much, then quit. Give 'em yer
two weeks then find something else. Hell, go open a fucking comic shop
for all I care. 'Brodie's fucking Secret Stash,' yeah that's a great
name for a comic shop."
Brodie sat back as the bartender yelled at him. It wasn't so
much yelling as it was him letting off some steam. But the barman had
a point. He hated his job, so why didn't he just quit. Quickly he
jumped up and grabbed Ben's hand, which he violently shook.
"You're right. I'll do it. I'll quit. AND, I will open a comic
shop. Thanks. Randal was right, you are a genius." Brodie shook the
man's hand once more before running out of the bar.
Ultimately confused Ben watched as the man ran from his tavern.
The young bartender scratched his head a few times before shrugging and
cleaning up the mess left by that evening's patrons.
Epilogue
Lillyanna lie on her bed. Her hands under her head as she looked
up at the ceiling. "Ben," she whispered, "I wish you'd just tell me
what was bothering you so much. You can't keep it hidden forever, we
both know that."
Lillyanna rolled over and closed her eyes. "Someday I hope you
tell me what happened."
Outside a small convenience store a pair of men stood. One was a
tall blonde in a yellow coat, the other a stout man in a trench coat.
The blonde was pacing back and forth. "What the fuck, Silent
Bob. That fucker tried to kick our asses and all you did was give him
some weed?! C'mon Lunchbox, what the fuck?! What's his fuckin'
problem?!"
Silent Bob looked over at his compatriot and sighed. "Jay, shut
up. Let's just go home. Ben's got enough problems without you wanting
to kick his ass." The trench coat wearer placed a "Nails" cigarette
between his lips and lit it as he returned to his near-perpetual
silence that gave him his name.
Jay began yelling at his partner. He was of course ignored the
whole way back to the small apartment that the pair shared.
*Chibi Dude Slayer does official author's jig*
CDS: *look around* Where is he? He was just here?
*CVB walks onstage with CFF close behind*
CVB: Dude, you gotta come see this. This is SO fucked up.
CFF: Yeah. Dude Slayer's finally lost it.
CDS: *looks shocked* No way! I knew he had a bad day today.
With the dreams, and college, and the cops, and life in general. But
he can't loose it.
CVB: I think the speeding ticket was the final straw. He's been
on a binge since he got back home today. Booze, pot, red meat, raw
fucking red meat, right off the bone!
*Chibi Firefingers slaps CVB upside his head*
CFF: Stop quoting "Lock and Load"
CVB: *rubs back of head* okay :(
CDS: Okay, let's go check the boss out.
*the chibis push open the door to The Dude Slayer's office*
*The Dude Slayer is sitting in a high-backed leather office
chair, a bottle of Wild Turkey in his left hand, a joint in his right,
and a very large hamburger on his desk*
*CVB sticks his tongue out* :P
CVB: Told ya, didn't I? Booze, pot, and meat. He's fucked up I
tell ya.
CDS: *looks at TDS* Man, what happened. He's gone.
TDS: *in a bad Scottish accent* Oh, Danny-boy! Oh, Danny-boy!
I forgot the words to yer song so long ago. Oh, Danny-boy
*the chibis face fault*
Chibis: HE'S SINGING DANNY BOY!!!!!!
*all three scream and run off*
*TDS looks at the door and sighs. He tosses the empty bottle on
the floor and puts out the home wrapped cigarette*
TDS: Stupid chibis.
*weakly TDS lays his head on the desk and forces himself to hold
back a stream of tears that threaten to overtake him*
*Vampboy walks to the podium and adjusts the microphone*
VB: I apologize for that strange sight, everyone. Dude Slayer
assures me it's not permanent. He's just under a lot of strain this
month. And it's all piling up on him this week. His parents are
bitching and harping at him, his instructors want work he doesn't have,
he scratched the hell outta the front end of Zippy (his 2001 Camry),
and to top it all off he just got nailed for speeding, finally.
Dude, he does 90 in a 55 just to come home from class. His
excuse is that he loves the open road. When there's no traffic he has
an urge to just open the engine as far as it'll go and just race.
That's why he named his car Zippy. Even though my Camero should be the
one with that name. Oh well.
*Firefingers walks onstage. Her fiery aura is gone*
FF: Dude Slayer wanted me to remind you. He doesn't own Brodie,
Jay, Silent Bob, or Brodie's Secret Stash. Kevin Smith, Miramax, and
View Askew own them.
Denis Leary owns himself, "Lock and Load", and McLeary's.
Jessica (a friend of Ben's) and Ben both own Lillyanna. He also wishes
to assure everyone that he is not a stoner, far from it. Dude Slayer
finds no joy in relying on a chemical substance to survive. I think
that covers everything, Vampboy you agree.
VB: I think so. I got nothin' else to say. Oh yeah. All
alcoholic beverages are owned by their respective companies. Too many
to name.
Well drop TDS a line at the_dude_slayer@alberta.com
Ja ne
Another New Day, Another New Job
Ben placed the box he was carrying on the floor. Lillyanna had
been moving into the apartment for a week now and had asked Ben if he
would help with some of the boxes. Being a nice guy, Ben agreed and
was now placing the final box down.
Ben's ice blue eyes scanned the main room of the apartment as he
searched for Lillyanna. She said she was going to run down the street
for something, that had been ten minutes ago. Ben pulled his
sunglasses off and slid them into a pocket as he fell into the deep
violet easy chair he'd moved earlier that morning.
"Man, I hate moving my own stuff, why do I always agree to help
other people move theirs?" Ben shrugged and sank deeper into the
chair. "Must be my good nature." The auburn islander pulled his
duster closed as he yawned. Seconds later he was curled up in the
chair taking his mid-morning nap.
Lillyanna fumbled with her keys as she tried to balance the bags
she was carrying. It had taken her nearly a half-hour to find a store
selling what she'd needed. Two trips on the wrong subway train and a
mixed up address later she'd found her way back to McLeary's.
Lillyanna grumbled as she placed the bags on the floor and began
searching for the right key to open the door with. "Dammit I should
have just had Ben stay here after he was done. AH HA!" Lillyanna
succeeded with the keys and pushed the door open.
The dark-haired woman entered her apartment expecting to see
boxes stacked up, furniture waiting to be arranged, and herbs waiting
to be planted. The last thing she expected to find was a man in a
trenchcoat sleeping soundly in her overstuffed chair. Lillyanna smiled
at the sight that few people ever had.
Ben lay curled into a tight ball on the chair. His duster had
fallen open allowing him slight maneuverability in his dreams. Ben's
usually deep voice was subdued as he mumbled in his sleep.
Lillyanna smiled to herself as she carried her bags into the
kitchen area of the apartment. With a sly smile Lillyanna dropped her
bags loudly on the counter.
Ben fell from the chair and rolled onto his feet. "Wha...huh?
What happened? Oh hey Lil, when'd you get back?"
Lillyanna smiled as she began emptying the bags. "Just now. I
see you got all the boxes inside. Thanks for the help."
Ben yawned and stretched his arms over his head, his large duster
pulled off his shoulders slightly. "No prob. Its nothin' I haven't
done before." The island boy lowered his arms and checked his watch.
"Cripes. I'll catch ya later, Lil. I'm gonna head home and get ready
for work."
Lillyanna looked curiously at Ben. "But you don't go in until
tonight. Why the rush?"
Ben removed his sunglasses and ran a hand through his deep auburn
hair. "Sorry lass, but I was just about to got to sleep when you
called me over here. I mean I'm still wearing the clothes I wore to
work last night."
Lillyanna shook her head. "You didn't have to come you know."
Ben smiled slightly knowing he was about to become annoying. "It
was nothin'. Well I'll see ya tonight. Got a new drink I want you to
try out, if ya want to."
Lillyanna smiled back. "Yeah I guess that wouldn't be too bad.
All right, I'll see you tonight. Stay out of trouble Bacchus."
Ben smiled gleefully. "As the god of drunken orgies I can nae do
such a thing." Ben opened the door and walked out into McLeary's.
Brodie Bruce, current host of the hit NBC show The Tonight Show,
sat in his dressing room brooding. He'd been the show's host for a few
years and was enjoying the job. But there was something missing from
his life, he just wasn't sure what it was anymore.
Brodie had one of the largest comic book collections on the East
Coast, rivaled only by the comic companies and his hero Stan "The Man"
Lee. As he flipped aimlessly through his newest issue of Fantastic
Four, Brodie idyll thought of his life before The Tonight Show. A tiny
smile crept across his features as he thought about how he'd attained
the job in the first place.
That one day at the mall he'd been attempting to deal with his
girlfriend, and now drummer in his studio band, having dumped him. His
best friend and cohort T.S. was likewise dealing with the loss of his
lover. By the day's end they had both obtained the objects of their
affections, ruined two men's carriers, destroyed a live television
show, and publicly humiliated at least four people. All in all it had
been a good day.
Brodie placed the comic book back in its protective sleeve and
sighed. Quickly he grabbed his suit jacket and headed out of the
studio. "I need a drink. Maybe I'll go visit that new bar Randal was
talking about."
Ben growled unconsciously as he slammed the refrigerator door
closed. "DENIS! Where the hell is the cranberry juice?!"
A man with short blonde hair looked over the railing down at the
bar. "Check the fridge!"
Ben glared up at his boss. "I did that already!"
Denis glared back at his employee. "Both of them?"
"Of course! And the one in back! Don't tell me you didn't get
any cranberry juice!" Ben leaned against the bar as he yelled at Denis
on the next floor.
"What do you need it for?!" Denis asked as he lit a cigarette.
Ben grumbled, "Wish I had a smoke." He looked up at Denis. "I
told you I found a new drink recipe I wanted to make!"
"Which one?!"
Ben ran a hand through his deep brown hair and sighed. 'I will
not get angry. I will not get angry.' The bartender took a deep
breath and let it out slowly. "The sea breeze! I found the grapefruit
juice, now where's the cranberry I asked you to get?!"
Denis scratched his head as he thought of the last order he'd
made. He didn't remember ordering any juice except orange. "Ask
Sheila, I think she knows!"
Ben mumbled something incoherent as he looked around the bar for
Sheila. He could just make out the Asian waitress with the blue hair
at the other end of the tavern picking up a check.
Sheila placed her tray down and began placing empty bottles,
mugs, and shot glasses onto it. Her spiky, blue hair fell limply into
her face, her hair gel having lost its hold an hour ago in the humid
bar. Sheila picked up her tray and made her way to the bar, weaving
between people and chairs.
The Asian waitress placed her tray on the bar and waved. Her
wrists jangled from the obscene number of bracelets she wore. "Ben."
The tanned barkeep turned on his heel and stared the waitress
down. "Hey Shel, ya seen the cranberry juice? I need to make a drink
and I can't find it."
Sheila shook her head slightly. "Sorry B, not recently. Hey I
need three orders of Miller, two Heinekens, a pitcher of Bud, and a
Long Island."
Ben nodded and began preparing the order. "On it." With a slide
across the floor and a half step the twenty-something surfer/bartender
was pouring drinks as if it were his nature.
Sheila looked around for a moment before turning her attention
back to Ben. "Have you seen Lillyanna today?"
Ben placed the pitcher on Sheila's tray and nodded. "Sure did.
She's up with Denis finishing off their paper work."
Sheila nodded as she leaned against the bar. "So?"
"So what?" Ben asked as he placed the bottles of Heinekens on the
tray. "Whata ya wanna ask?"
Sheila allowed a sly grin to creep over her features. "So...have
you slept with her yet?"
The barkeep nearly fell over from the unexpected question. As he
regained his sense, Ben spun and stared at Sheila. "Jesus woman. You
think all I do is mix drinks, fuck, and surf. Is that it?"
Sheila shook her head. "No that's your over-sexed friend you
brought in here one day. I just know you, you enjoy sex. And I
figured you've had a week, so..."
Ben dropped the remaining drinks onto the tray. "First off Shel,
ya don't know me. No one does...not as much as they think they do.
And second, no I haven't fucked her yet. And I doubt I will. She
reminds me too much of someone else...someone I'd rather forget." Ben
left his meaning to hang in the air as he turned and walked into the
back room.
Sheila watched silently as Ben maneuvered himself out the back
door of the bar and into the adjoining alley. As she picked up the
tray of drinks Sheila began to wonder just how much about the Key West
barkeep she knew.
Ben stepped into the chilly New York night. His silk shirt did
not provide much warmth as the wind slashed his face and arms. Though
the island-boy did not seem to mind. His attention was focused on the
two men standing outside his establishment.
The tall one was wearing a heavy yellow coat, his long blonde
hair was neatly falling out of a black wool toboggan. The shorter one
wore a large green trench coat and a backwards "Mooby" hat. The tall
one was dancing and speaking rapidly while the shorter one stood
silently smoking a cigarette.
Rather peeved to find a pair of stoners dealing in front of his
second home, Ben steeled his anger and stormed over to the pair. The
young bartender silently stepped up behind the taller of the pair and
threw him against the brick wall. "What the FUCK is this?! I thought
I told you two to stop dealing outside my bar!"
Ben slammed the taller man against the wall before turning him
around. Ben's ice blue eyes glared deeply into the younger man's
stoned face.
"What the fuck? Who the fuck are you, bitch?" The blonde
demanded in his rapid speech.
The obese man in the trench coat tapped his tall friend's
shoulder and shook his head.
The blonde stared down at the bearded man. "What the fuck
Lunchbox? Why the fuck not?!"
The bearded man just shook his head again and nodded to Ben
before making a whirling motion with his hands.
The blonde quickly shut his mouth and turned back to the
bartender that was holding him against the wall. The man standing
before him wore an expression of rage on his usually more demure and
calm face. The blonde man chuckled and looked down into Ben's deep
blue eyes. "What can I do ya for?"
Ben glared at the pair of dealers for a moment before releasing
the man in his hands. "Look, I don't like you two dealing out here.
Makes me look bad with my boss. But how 'bout we make a deal. You
give me a dime bag, and I don't kick both your asses and forcibly
remove you from the premises. How's that sound?"
The tall blonde man was in the process of making a snide remark
when his trench-wearing partner stopped him. He nodded to the
bartender and raised a finger. Ben stared for a moment before he
caught on. "One condition?" The man nodded as he pulled the small bag
from his coat pocket.
Ben nodded, "Okay. What is it?"
The large man pointed to the ground at his feet and leaned
against the side of the tavern. He reached into his coat and produced
a cigarette and a lighter. The man proceeded to light the cigarette
and smile.
Ben nodded as he figured out what the man was saying. "So your
condition is that you can deal out here?" The man nodded. Ben rubbed
his deep brown goatee before nodding. "All right. But only for
tonight. If I catch you two out here again, I'll either kill you or
have you arrested. Depends on my mood."
The man nodded before handing over the small bag of leaves to the
now calmer barkeep. With a tiny smirk he took a drag off his cigarette
and leaned back against the wall.
The tall blonde man began yelling at his obese friend as Ben
returned to the confines of McLeary's.
Lillyanna stepped upto the bar. Her deep brown hair was tied
into a pair of braids that wrapped around her head, meeting in a palate
that lay against her back. Her lilac blouse contrasted with the dark
and almost dank atmosphere of McLeary's. She'd come downstairs from
Denis's office where she'd just finished off the last of her rental
paperwork.
Lillyanna was in the mood for that new drink Ben had promised her
this morning, and was a bit surprised to not find him at his usual
place behind the bar. Her curiosity gained the better of her as she
waved Sheila to her.
The Asian barmistress stepped upto the tavern's newest occupant.
Sheila dropped her hefty tray onto the bar next to Lillyanna. "Yeah,
girl?"
Lillyanna looked at the exhausted woman. "Where's Ben?"
Sheila shrugged as she cleaned her tray. "Not sure. I saw him
head out the backdoor a little while ago. Maybe he's taking a smoke
break. Not totally unusual for him. Just head through the kitchen,
you'll find the door to the alley. He keeps his Harley out there, so
if he's anywhere it'll be there."
The brunette woman nodded to her Asian companion before standing
and heading for the kitchen. She could hear a few whistles and
catcalls from some of the tavern's less reputable patrons. Lillyanna
stopped and looked down at her skintight leather pants and shrugged as
she continued out the door.
At a table near the jukebox sat a very popular man in the
entertainment industry. He was nursing his third beer of the night as
he contemplated his future and his occupation.
Brodie Bruce enjoyed his job with NBC, but it was getting a tad
bit tiring asking basically the same questions each day, telling the
same jokes each week, ribbing at the same people so often he'd lost
interest in them.
Brodie sighed for the umpteenth time that night and took a sip of
his beer. His eyes wandered the room as he began to wonder where this
so called "miracle working" bartender was. He'd seen someone leave the
bar area and exit a back way, but didn't think anything of it.
Ben leaned against his black Harley Davidson and inhaled again.
"This shit's almost as good as my old home blends." The bartender
chuckled as he took another tiny drag off the oddly shaped cigarette in
his hand. Ben stood in the alley next to McLeary's Tavern, where he
parked his Harley during business hours.
The bartender was enjoying his ill-appropriated goods. His
previous anger and confusion was gone and replaced by a happy and
somewhat ditzy attitude. Ben's mood improved greatly as he noticed the
door to the bar open and he saw Lillyanna walk out. "Hey babe!"
Lillyanna pushed her long dark hair from her face as she was
struck by a chilly gust of wind. "Hey babe!" a familiar voice called
out. Lilly turned and glared at the happy bartender before her. "I
hate being called that, Ben."
Lillyanna watched as the man before her took a quick drag off the
object in his hand. "All right, love. Whatever ya wish." The man was
obviously not in his left mind, by his own words he'd never been in his
right mind.
The young woman stared at her friend. "Ben, are you okay?"
The barkeep nodded and smiled. "Sure am pretty lady. Why'd
y'all ask?" Ben's Southern drawl was beginning to return to his
usually articulate speech.
"You just don't seem yourself right now." Lillyanna's deep dark
brown eyes stared down the man she had thought she knew.
Brodie waved at the Asian woman walking around. "Miss?"
Sheila stopped by Brodie's table and nodded. "Yes, what can I
get you?"
A thousand sexist comments flew through Brodie's mind at that
moment, but he was more worried about finding this bartender and
getting home to the love of his life. Brodie just shrugged and looked
at her. "I was wondering if some guy named Reilly worked here?"
Sheila looked confused for a moment before it struck her. "Oh,
you mean Ben. Yeah, he's working tonight. Why, you have some problem
you want his help with?" Though her voice sounded accusing and angry
her attitude and complexion showed that she was just playing games with
the man.
Brodie nodded. "Well, yes I do."
Sheila nodded. "Well he's on a smoke break right now. When he
comes back I'll tell him to come talk with you. Sound good?"
Brodie smiled for the first time that night. "Sure, thanks."
Sheila returned the smile as she walked off. "Don't mention it
Mr. Bruce." Almost as an afterthought Sheila looked at Brodie. "Oh
yeah, before I forget. Don't tell him where you work. He hates anyone
in the entertainment industry, not too sure why though."
With that said, Sheila began making her rounds.
Brodie watched as Sheila as she talked to a customer. "I wonder
what she meant by that."
Denis sat in his office filing paperwork. He and Lillyanna had
finalized the rental agreement and he was preparing to inform his
accountant about the deal when he heard something from outside.
Curiously the tavern's owner looked out his window into the alley
behind the bar to see his prize bartender and his new resident in a
yelling match.
Confused at the sight Denis left his papers and headed out of his
office. His destination, the alleyway.
Ben smiled wickedly at the young woman before him. "So what
brings ya out here tanight?"
Lillyanna, shocked to find out that her friend was stoned, glared
at the bartender. "I came looking for you. Sheila told me you were on
a smoke break. If I'd know this is what she meant I wouldn't have
bothered to look for you."
Ben tilted his head to the side slightly. "Whatcha mean, lass?"
Aggravated, Lillyanna stepped upto the bartender and grabbed the
half-smoked joint form the corner of his lips. She threw the blunt to
the ground and stepped on it angrily. "Dammit Ben, if I knew you were
some fucking stoner I wouldn't have bothered buying this apartment.
"You were the reason I agreed to Denis' price. I thought I'd
found a friend in you, but I guess I was wrong." Lillyanna turned on a
heel and began storming inside.
Half-aware Ben reached out and grabbed Lillyanna's arm. On a
reflex the older woman spun and slapped her friend hard enough to send
him to his rear end.
Ben looked up at Lillyanna slightly confused. "What? Lil, whata
ya talkin' 'bout? That was my first joint in six years. I'm not a
stoner."
Lillyanna glared at the man on his butt. "Don't lie to me. I
just put out your joint. I can still smell the shit on you. Hell,
you're still buzzed." A tiny crystalline tear began forming at the
corner of Lillyanna's muddy green eyes.
Weakly Ben pushed himself to his feet. "Lilly, I swear. That
was the first time in years."
The young woman glared at the barkeep. "Oh so then why all of a
sudden did you need one!"
Ben turned his eyes away from Lillyanna. He gently chewed on his
lower lip as he tried to come up with an answer. After a moment he
spoke, his voice was low and weak. "You don't need to know. Old
wounds that never seem to heal."
Angrily, and a bit hurt, Lillyanna stepped upto Ben and slapped
him again, not as hard this time. "I DON'T need to KNOW! My only
friend in this town was getting stoned for some reason and I DON'T NEED
TO KNOW!!! Dammit Ben, don't lie to me!"
Ben's deep ice blue eyes turned for the first time to meet
Lillyanna's tear filled green ones. "You don't know my past, I do.
And I want to forget it. There's shit I've gotten into that will get
you into trouble. Please, if I never ask you for another thing, please
just don't ever ask me about my past."
Lillyanna could feel her hate building up as she listened to her
friend. "Don't change the subject. I want to know why you thought you
needed to come out here and burn off your last few brain cells!"
Ben averted his gaze once more. "I didn't change the subject. I
came out here to escape from myself for a moment. I met a couple of
stoners dealing out here and I got rid of them. But I found a dime bag
one of them dropped, and..."
Ben's large arms wrapped around his chest as he neared tears.
"I'm weak, okay. My past makes me weak." His voice was wavering as he
inched closer and closer to crying.
Denis stepped into the alley, careful to not slam the door into
the tavern. He could hear Lillyanna and Ben argue. He chuckled at an
inane thought, "Heh, they sound like a married couple."
Silently Denis maneuvered himself close enough so that he could
hear both sides of the conversation, and also so he wouldn't be noticed
by the pair of arguers.
Lillyanna stopped the rant that began to work itself into her
voice. She could see that her friend was telling the truth. She could
also see that whatever he was cryptically speaking about was causing
him more pain than she knew.
Ben released himself from his weak hug and started for the tavern
door. He kept the few words on his mind to himself as he walked past
Lillyanna. Silently he blinked back a few tears as he opened the door.
Just before stepping inside Ben looked back to the dark-haired woman
and mouthed a silent "I'm sorry".
Lillyanna watched as her friend stepped inside. Lillyanna chewed
on her lower lip as she pondered what the younger man had just told
her. It was obvious to her that there was something he was hiding that
was slowly killing him inside, and if he didn't let go soon he would
hurt someone, most likely himself.
Lillyanna gently brushed a tear off her cheek as she looked at
the door before her. "I'm sorry Ben, but someday you'll tell me.
You'll tell me all of it. I don't want you being in this much pain
alone. I can wait, but not forever." Quietly the young woman started
up the fire escape to her apartment. "Someday my friend, someday."
The night passed slowly along for the lethargic bartender. Ben
had turn on his internal auto-pilot and just ran the tavern like a
zombie. Any conversation he might have had with the customers was
reduced to simple nods, grunts, and the occasional "yes" or "okay".
Ben finally made "Last Call" an hour later than usual.
Though the bar's occupants didn't mind, Sheila did complain as
the people began filing out of the building.
Brodie downed his whiskey and stepped upto the bar. He placed
the empty glass behind the auburn bartender. "Hey." His greeting was
answered with a simple jerk of the other man's head.
Brodie was a bit surprised at the man's action. Randal had told
him that Mr. Reilly was a nice, considerate bartender with a totally
insatiable need to help anyone that was seated at his bar, but tonight
that man seemed to be replaced by an unthinking, uncaring man with a
bar towel and a frown.
"I was hoping to talk with you. If you have the time." Brodie
spoke easily, unsure if he'd upset the man before him.
Ben barely registered the man sitting at his bar. He shrugged at
the man not caring either way if he spoke or not. All the confused
bartender could think about was how quickly he'd upset Lillyanna, and
how easily he'd broken his promise to an old Key West friend.
In the background of his hearing Ben listened to the man at the
bar as he rambled on about his work with the Tonight Show. The man
kept mentioning how much he disliked working with NBC, no matter how
much they were paying him.
The young barkeep half-listened as the other man recounted a
story about him and his best friend at a mall. Ben didn't care about
how the man at his bar got his job with NBC, or how his best friend
wouldn't stop pining over a girl, or even about how he nailed his own
ex in an elevator.
Finally fed up Ben tossed his towel into a bucket to be washed
and growled. "If you hate your job so much, then quit. Give 'em yer
two weeks then find something else. Hell, go open a fucking comic shop
for all I care. 'Brodie's fucking Secret Stash,' yeah that's a great
name for a comic shop."
Brodie sat back as the bartender yelled at him. It wasn't so
much yelling as it was him letting off some steam. But the barman had
a point. He hated his job, so why didn't he just quit. Quickly he
jumped up and grabbed Ben's hand, which he violently shook.
"You're right. I'll do it. I'll quit. AND, I will open a comic
shop. Thanks. Randal was right, you are a genius." Brodie shook the
man's hand once more before running out of the bar.
Ultimately confused Ben watched as the man ran from his tavern.
The young bartender scratched his head a few times before shrugging and
cleaning up the mess left by that evening's patrons.
Epilogue
Lillyanna lie on her bed. Her hands under her head as she looked
up at the ceiling. "Ben," she whispered, "I wish you'd just tell me
what was bothering you so much. You can't keep it hidden forever, we
both know that."
Lillyanna rolled over and closed her eyes. "Someday I hope you
tell me what happened."
Outside a small convenience store a pair of men stood. One was a
tall blonde in a yellow coat, the other a stout man in a trench coat.
The blonde was pacing back and forth. "What the fuck, Silent
Bob. That fucker tried to kick our asses and all you did was give him
some weed?! C'mon Lunchbox, what the fuck?! What's his fuckin'
problem?!"
Silent Bob looked over at his compatriot and sighed. "Jay, shut
up. Let's just go home. Ben's got enough problems without you wanting
to kick his ass." The trench coat wearer placed a "Nails" cigarette
between his lips and lit it as he returned to his near-perpetual
silence that gave him his name.
Jay began yelling at his partner. He was of course ignored the
whole way back to the small apartment that the pair shared.
*Chibi Dude Slayer does official author's jig*
CDS: *look around* Where is he? He was just here?
*CVB walks onstage with CFF close behind*
CVB: Dude, you gotta come see this. This is SO fucked up.
CFF: Yeah. Dude Slayer's finally lost it.
CDS: *looks shocked* No way! I knew he had a bad day today.
With the dreams, and college, and the cops, and life in general. But
he can't loose it.
CVB: I think the speeding ticket was the final straw. He's been
on a binge since he got back home today. Booze, pot, red meat, raw
fucking red meat, right off the bone!
*Chibi Firefingers slaps CVB upside his head*
CFF: Stop quoting "Lock and Load"
CVB: *rubs back of head* okay :(
CDS: Okay, let's go check the boss out.
*the chibis push open the door to The Dude Slayer's office*
*The Dude Slayer is sitting in a high-backed leather office
chair, a bottle of Wild Turkey in his left hand, a joint in his right,
and a very large hamburger on his desk*
*CVB sticks his tongue out* :P
CVB: Told ya, didn't I? Booze, pot, and meat. He's fucked up I
tell ya.
CDS: *looks at TDS* Man, what happened. He's gone.
TDS: *in a bad Scottish accent* Oh, Danny-boy! Oh, Danny-boy!
I forgot the words to yer song so long ago. Oh, Danny-boy
*the chibis face fault*
Chibis: HE'S SINGING DANNY BOY!!!!!!
*all three scream and run off*
*TDS looks at the door and sighs. He tosses the empty bottle on
the floor and puts out the home wrapped cigarette*
TDS: Stupid chibis.
*weakly TDS lays his head on the desk and forces himself to hold
back a stream of tears that threaten to overtake him*
*Vampboy walks to the podium and adjusts the microphone*
VB: I apologize for that strange sight, everyone. Dude Slayer
assures me it's not permanent. He's just under a lot of strain this
month. And it's all piling up on him this week. His parents are
bitching and harping at him, his instructors want work he doesn't have,
he scratched the hell outta the front end of Zippy (his 2001 Camry),
and to top it all off he just got nailed for speeding, finally.
Dude, he does 90 in a 55 just to come home from class. His
excuse is that he loves the open road. When there's no traffic he has
an urge to just open the engine as far as it'll go and just race.
That's why he named his car Zippy. Even though my Camero should be the
one with that name. Oh well.
*Firefingers walks onstage. Her fiery aura is gone*
FF: Dude Slayer wanted me to remind you. He doesn't own Brodie,
Jay, Silent Bob, or Brodie's Secret Stash. Kevin Smith, Miramax, and
View Askew own them.
Denis Leary owns himself, "Lock and Load", and McLeary's.
Jessica (a friend of Ben's) and Ben both own Lillyanna. He also wishes
to assure everyone that he is not a stoner, far from it. Dude Slayer
finds no joy in relying on a chemical substance to survive. I think
that covers everything, Vampboy you agree.
VB: I think so. I got nothin' else to say. Oh yeah. All
alcoholic beverages are owned by their respective companies. Too many
to name.
Well drop TDS a line at the_dude_slayer@alberta.com
Ja ne
