johnny stood on the sidewalk outside ruby’s.
the neon sign advertising dixie beer was still winking over the 458 club across the street.
johnny would have liked to enter the 458 club, just to get warm, but he had no money. enough for another cup of coffee maybe, but he did not want to spend it.
it had been a long time since johnny had been in a bar. he tried to remember what they were like.
there was always a barmaid.
her name was estelle.
she had a face like a bulldog and talked tough but if you got to know her she was soft inside.
and there was always reilly.
reilly was a barfly, who always stayed until the place closed.
johnny thought he had it straight. he decided to ask estelle, or the manager if there was one, for a job. that would be a good excuse to go inside.
johnny crossed the street and entered the 458 club.
it was dark inside the club. but sure enough, estelle was behind the bar, leaning on it with crossed arms.
and reilly was alone at the end of the bar, slumped over it like an octopus.
“we’re closed,” estelle told johnny. “last call was four minutes ago.”
“um - i didn’t want a drink,” johnny mumbled.
“then what do you want?” estelle looked at johnny with her little alligator eyes. “kitchen is closed, an hour ago.”
johnny lost his nerve about asking for a job. “how about a cup of coffee?” he asked.
“you want coffee? hey, hank!” estelle shouted to some invisible figure in the shadows.
“what?” a husky voice replied. johnny remembered hank. there was always a guy named hank.
and there was always a fat man, but that was another story…
“any coffee left?” estelle asked the voice.
“there always is,” the voice answered.
“let me check that i got enough for it,” said johnny.
“it’s free. just help this bum out the door, so i don’t have to.” estelle nodded at reilly slouched at the end of the bar. “i’m in a hurry. i got a hot date, what do you think of that?”
johnny didn’t know what to say so he just nodded. estelle took a mug of coffee from a slot in the wall behind her and shoved it at johnny. “what do you think of that?” she repeated.
“sounds good,” said johnny. “a hot date on a cold night.”
“ha, ha, ha, that’s right1” estelle laughed like a wolf. johnny couldn’t figure if she really had a “hot date” or if it was a joke.
emboldened by her friendly tone, johnny asked, “you doing any hiring?”
“hiring? for what?’
“i don’t know, anything.” johnny took a sip of the coffee. it was sludge, but very hot and burned his tongue.
“no, we’re not doing any hiring. just help this bum out of here, you can handle that?”
“i can handle it,” johnny answered.
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