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by | Oct 8, 2007 | Poetry | 1 comment

Highly musical legs dancing the floor, her hair rayed the fog lights.  I walked in and turned to the barkeep to order my hardest drink, orange juice and ginger ale.  I added a splash of vanilla to liven things up.  “Who’s that girl,” the person next to me asked.  “I’m not sure,” not even looking up.  “I saw her on fire earlier.”  “That’s nice.”  I turned away from him only to see on my other side her.  “I can’t help you.”  “That’s nice.” “Hey, let’s switch places.”  “Leave me alone, go around.”  He got off his stool, almost knocking it into my lap and leaned into her.  “I need some assistance.”  I tune out the rest of the conversation, “another drink bartender, to go.”   All my time is over, it’s good to see you.  Don’t let me leave once more without paying.  I hate owing somebody something.  I stood up.  “Hey, you’re leaving?”  “Yea, why?”  “I’ve never had someone just leave before.  Maybe I could help you after all.”  “No thanks, I don’t play your kind.”  Exiting the door, a cab pulled up.  He instinctively swerved away from me.  “Hey, I’m not drunk!”  “That’s what they all say, now get in.”  It was actually fairly clean inside.  “Where to?” “183 Westmeister street.”  “But that’s only a few minutes walk!”  “I know, just drive around a bit.”  “Ok pal whatever you say.”  The lights coronaed all the windows creating dashing designs on my shirt.  I looked out at the empty streets, empty street corners, empty stores, empty seat beside me.  Over the Ghamber Street bridge, then back over it again the other way.  “Hey, mind if I pickup another fare then?”  “Whatever.”  He chuckles, she gets in beside me, sat her bags down between us, adjusted her toby hat above her eyes, I don’t even know if she’s noticed me.  She’s adjusting her hair, pulling out a mirror and smacking lips.   The mirror catches a glimpse of me and she jumps.  “Oh my God!”  smile, “Hi.”  “I didn’t see you there.”  “You were busy.”  “Aha I guess so, sorry.”  “It’s no problem.”  “Where you headed?”  “Just riding.”  confused look, “Oh.”  She measures me up and down, like I was some homeless guy that just wanted somewhere warm to be.  I could barely move with all the bags in the car, I was beginning to crush some of them.  “I’m sorry I didn’t know you were in here or I would of put them in the back.”  “It’s no problem.”  “You don’t have many problems, do you?”  “Quite.”  Hmm “Well, here’s my stop.”  She gets out, looks in “So, are you going to help or what?”  “Help?”  She looks at the bags.  I very clumsily pushed them together, grasping them all in one hand while closing the door behind me.  I paid her fare, and gave the cabbie a $50 tip.