They walked in silence for a few minutes until a little row of shops came into view. Carl spotted a grotty looking bar and nodded to it.
“Fancy a drink?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t we be trying to hail a cab?” Anna protested.
“Come on, live a little,” Carl smiled.
“Ok fine. But don’t get in trouble for giving booze to a minor,”
“Ah shut up. When I was your age I could drink any old timer under the table,” and he pushed open the door.
Anna had never seen a dive bar in real-life before and the first thing that hit her was the smell. Stale tobacco and watered down beer mixed with cheap aftershave.
“Urgh…. God,” she felt the need to cover her mouth.
“Just relax,” Carl laughed at her. “It’s cool. What you havin?”
“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Same as you I guess,”
“Good luck,” he grinned cheekily as he approached the gnarly looking barman.
He looked up from the glass he was cleaning as if he had been interrupted from an important job.
“Two double scotch and sodas,” Carl asked and the barman nodded without saying a word.
He slid two glasses down the bar as the couple climbed onto stools that sat between the local patrons.
Anna leaned into Carl’s side. “This place is scary,” she gripped his arm.
“And everything we left behind wasn’t?” he asked sarcastically.
“I guess,” she shrunk back and wrapped her fingers around her glass.
But as she got settled into her surroundings she noticed that all the guys along the length of the bar were staring at her. Some gawped at her chest while others tried to flirt and make eye contact. She shivered as she was reminded of her father in every one of their faces.
“Hey, I need the bathroom. Will you be ok for two minutes?” Carl asked.
“I guess,” she spoke optimistically.
The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with these creeps. And as Carl disappeared into the restroom her fears were confirmed. The guy closest to her was eager to take Carl’s seat and he leaned into her close. She could smell the disease from his rotting teeth and the way it mingled with cheap beer. She imagined his dirty hair to be crawling underneath his trucker hat and she prayed he would leave her alone. Of course he only leaned in closer.
“Hey… pretty lady,”
“Oh God,” she looked to her shoes hoping her rudeness would make him go away.
“Hey, pretty lady, I said. You sure are beautiful,”
Anna shuddered and zipped up her coat to hide her body.
“Don’t go hiding from me pretty girl. You can show me your fine body any time,”
“Fuck sake Larry leave the girl alone,” the bar manager came out from the back. “I’m sorry miss. This loser has never seen a lady before,”
“Oh it’s ok,” she sipped at her drink and winced.
The manager came out from behind the bar and shooed away Larry like a mischievous cat. Anna looked up to his friendly face and felt safe in his company. His furry eyebrows framed a chubby face. And he appeared to be in a perpetual state of sniffing in order to stop his glasses from falling off his little snub nose.
“You look too nice to be working in here. You actually don’t smell of anything,” Anna laughed.
“And you definitely look to nice to be drinking here and far too young I may add. Do your parents know you’re here? You need a ride somewhere?” he asked seriously.
“Oh no. I’m fine. My boyfriend’s just in the bathroom,” and as she spoke he strode back over to the bar and the manager shrunk away in his company.
“I see you’re getting creeped on again. I can’t take you anywhere!” he ran a hand through her hair.
“You don’t know the half of it,” she huffed and attempted her drink once more. “I’m sorry this is just rancid. It’s yours,” and she pushed it over to Carl.
He knocked both his and Anna’s drinks back in seconds. Then fumbling in his jacket pocket he pulled out a little bottle of Vicodin and took two.
“For my back pain,” he explained to the manager who was eyeing the couple suspiciously. “But…” Carl continued. “I’m gonna find us a cab to town. Hey you!” he pointed at the manager who seemed to be grossly offended at his behaviour. “You have a payphone?”
“No. We do not. But there’s one around the corner. Just on your left there,” and he pointed towards the back wall of the bar.
“Thanks buddy,” and Carl got up to leave.
“Don’t leave me again. Please!”
“You’ll be fine! I’ll only be gone two minutes. You don’t mind watching my stuff do you?”
“No, that’s cool,” and she grabbed hold of the briefcase.
Carl swaggered out the bar and headed to the payphone with the manager glaring into his back as he left. Anna thought he wanted to come back and talk to her but was too afraid. Carl had that effect on people though. His size always seemed to mean no one chanced their luck.