The day had been hot, very hot, and the drive had been a long one. The a/c had lost most of its power soon after midday and I was feeling sticky and crabby. Most of my belongings were jammed into the trunk and across the back seats of my sedan and I would have to check into a motel room because there was no way I was up for driving through the night to get to my parents' house. I wasn't looking forward to throwing myself on their charity after so many years of frosty distance but I was going to have to accept that. Breaking up is never straightforward and I'd had all my eggs in on basket for a long time now.
It was a small town and there were precious few signs that it wasn't destined to get smaller as the years passed by. A gas station, a few uninspiring drab motels, convenience stores, a lifeless bar and a diner was about as action-packed as it got in these parts. There was no one on the street as I drove slowly down and I only saw three cars, all headed back up the highway in the direction I'd come from. I wished I could turn round and follow them but my split with Sean had been so vicious in the accusations thrown by both of us that I knew we were never going to fix things. I filled up with gas and hardly got a word out of the denim-clad, dirty youth who was the only person working the place. The diner was already closed so I toured back half-heartedly, cruising past the motels. There was nothing to choose between them. They were all totally without character and lifeless.
I checked into the first one I had passed, the last one I came to now. There was no point in thinking about it further. It didn't matter -- they were all dives. The man at the desk hardly took any interest in having a guest. Probably he saw me as just more work for him. He was in his fifties and looked like he might spend the rest of his life watching tv with his feet up, chugging his beer. I asked where I could get something to eat and he wordlessly jerked his thumb in the direction of the bar. I knew I looked tired and strung out but normally I could get a smile out of most folks. I took the key and the thin towel I had to leave a deposit for and headed to the room. There were just two other cars in the lot and one had to be the manager's so it seemed I'd just doubled the number of their guests for the night.
The room was small and as worn out as I felt. The pillows were thin and the walls hadn't seen paint since I left school. The bed creaked and was harder than I liked. The tv was the only decoration the place had. The bathroom wasn't big enough to turn around in without banging into something but I needed a shower desperately so I peeled off my dirty clothes and washed the day off of me. As the hot water eased my aching body, my mind began to relax too. It stopped mattering what the motel was like. It could have been a five-star luxury hotel in Paris and it couldn't have felt any better right at that moment. I must have stayed in there for ten minutes or more. I had no place to go and I wasn't keen to go back to the one-track sad thoughts of the day. When I finally did emerge, after toweling myself dry, I realised that I was hungry. Not surprising really as I'd been too strung out to think about food since I'd left Sean.
I didn't want to put my old clothes back on. They were so damp with sweat I knew I'd just want a shower again and I hadn't brought anything in from the car. I didn't have a robe hanging on the bathroom door like I would have at home -- or what had still been home this morning -- so I wrapped the towel about me, covering everything that needed to be covered. It was just big enough to go from my chest to the middle of my thighs with a bit of cleavage showing. It wasn't something I'd want to bend over in but that wasn't going to be necessary. I wouldn't keep it on if I was dancing but the trip to the car was no more than a few yards. Anyway, the place was deserted. I slipped out the door and turned the key. As luck would have it, I saw that I wasn't alone out there as I locked the car and headed back for the door.
The motel manager had gotten off his chair to have a smoke and was standing about 30 yards away, leaning against a wall. He was watching the one other guest, as he too was locking his car. I saw him turn to take me in and that's where his attention stayed. I checked the towel was secure and saw that the other man was looking my way too. Maybe I was the only woman in this hick town! He was a big, tall guy, about forty and stockily built. He grinned at me and then went over to his room. I didn't need company but was glad he at least smiled, unlike the expressionless manager. I went back inside and locked the door.
There was no mini bar in a place like this. It was way too low class. There wasn't even a fridge to put beer in if I could find somewhere still open to sell me some. The night was humid and even though I'd just showered, I was already beginning to feel like I hadn't. I definitely wanted a drink. It didn't take me long to scan the list of possibilities -- it boiled down to the drab bar I'd passed. It wasn't hard to imagine what it would be like. There'd be a barman who was the cousin of the manager of this motel and about four old guys, bored out of their skulls, sipping at the only beer they'd buy all night. If I went in, they'd make no pretence about not staring at me because they wouldn't be able to remember the last time they'd seen a woman in the place. Was I that thirsty? Really?
Truth is, I was. So what if a few old timers stared. It wasn't like that never happened to me. I was 42 but I kept in shape and the years hadn't been too unkind. I was in the mood to be noticed rather than ignored anyway. I'd invested a lot in Sean and I wasn't going to see any return at all now. I'd better get used to not thinking of myself as part of a couple. I'd got a wide choice of clothes to pick from as I'd taken my entire wardrobe that morning when I left. There were some dresses and tops that would be just too classy for small town, deadbeat bar and there were a few clothes I'd only wear if I actually was man hunting. Those days were long gone! I settled for a knee-length denim skirt and a plain white t-shirt. Perfectly respectable and nothing to make anyone think I was looking for action.
Even though it was close by, I drove to the bar. I didn't like the idea of walking the main street after dark with everything closed. I pulled into the parking lot and saw that I was about right. There were just five other vehicles there. At least it wouldn't be smoky with
so few customers, I thought, as I walked in and looked about. County music washed out from a jukebox in one corner and I could see just one table occupied in the badly lit main section. The two men sitting at a table big enough for eight were half way through their beers and immediately stopped drinking to eyeball me. I took no notice of them and walked to the bar. I could see that I hadn't been fair to the barman because he was in his early twenties and pretty nice looking in a vacant, surfer-blond sort of way. Far too young to have been of interest to me but definitely not a creep. I ordered a beer and took the rest of the place in.
The only other customers were at the back where there was a pool table. Two middle aged business types, looking tired and sweaty in their collared shirts and long pants were lazily knocking balls about while two more sat and watched. One was a black guy, I'd say in his fifties, in a shirt that he must have bought in the days when disco was something new, and a woman, maybe ten years younger than me. I was wrong about being the only woman, just as I had been about the barman. As I looked with more attention, I saw that the woman was wearing tight, short shorts and a halter top that showed off her bare, tanned back. So much for me worrying about causing a stir. She'd surely got that covered.
After about ten minutes, I was ready for my second beer. No one had spoken to me aside from the barman when he took my order and that suited me fine. My eyes turned back to the pool game and I saw that the woman was now playing Mr. Disco. She wasn't bad at the game and was sinking balls neck and neck with him. When she turned I couldn't help but notice she wasn't wearing a bra under her pale blue top. What was embarrassing is she saw me looking and held my eye for a moment. I hoped she didn't think I was interested or that I was being disapproving. It was just that she was quite busty and, as most men will agree, boobs just grab your attention even if you don't mean it to be grabbed.
I looked down at my beer and mused about my day from hell. I hadn't had a break up like this before. It wasn't that I hadn't seen it coming and it wasn't like either of us had left for another lover. It was just the weight of time taking its toll and the hurt that can't be avoided when you genuinely love someone but can't make it work and you finally make the break. My thoughts drifted and I swung between remembering good times and reliving bad times. I wondered which would win out in the end.
The crack of a ball being potted with power snapped me out of my melancholic reverie and I looked up. The woman had clearly won the game and now she was coming over to the bar. Naturally, I assumed she had decided it was time for another drink but, no, she walked straight up to me.
"I wonder if you'd be up for taking me on?" she asked, with a smile that was arrogant rather than friendly. "You gonna spend all night propping up the bar or do you want to live a little?"
My first thought was to politely decline but there was something about the challenge in her eyes that stopped me. I could play competently, I knew. She'd probably beat me but so what? She was right that propping up the bar all night was not my style. I'd half decided to cut my losses and turn in for an early night but I doubted I'd find sleep easy.
"Sure," I said, getting up and meeting her gaze. "Why not? I saw you just won and I'm not saying I can do any better but I'm happy to oblige. My name's Tess."
"Bella," she said by way of reply and walked back to the pool table with a sway of her hips that I guessed was meant to ensure she took all the attention. Seemed like she wanted to play me to make her look better. I didn't care though. It was here town, her bar -- good luck to her.
By the time I had picked up a cue, I saw the bar's business had suddenly doubled. There was no mistaking the manager from my motel and I also recognised the guy from the car lot. There were three other men, all in their forties or so, with them. The youth from the gas station had come by too. Once the got their drinks, they all came over to the side of the room where the pool table was and made it clear they were planning to watch. The guys at the other table had finished eating a while ago and we suddenly had what seemed to me a fair size audience. There eleven men waiting for the game to start and even the barman was turned our way.
"You happy to play local rules?" Bella asked and broke before I could answer.
"Anything special I should know," I shot back.
"That depends," she laughed. "I'd say I was quite special.What about you?"
I didn't choose to answer that question and concentrated on sinking a ball in the top right pocket. It wasn't that hard but I couldn't afford to be distracted. It would be good to get off to a quick start. That might give Bella pause to think. I took my time, released, and was happy to see the ball disappear just as I meant it to, even though I had no position for the next shot.
"Well, I guess we'll take that as a 'yes' to abiding by the rules here, Miss Tess," she said theatrically. "Sink two in consecutive shots and you'll make me take something off."
That stopped me in my tracks and I retorted, "What do you mean? Are you saying this is a game of strip pool?"
"Not necessarily, honey. That depends on how good you are. You might get me to take off one or two things but I doubt you'll strip me. You'd better be good if you want to keep that pretty top on and not have these fellas see what's underneath."
I knew there was nothing underneath her top but I really didn't want to be here in a dive like this if she actually took it off. These men looked like they'd devour either of us if we gave them that sort of encouragement.
"You can't be serious," I said, hoping she wasn't. Then I played a shot aimed at safety, maybe because I thought she might be.
Her smile told me she was. "Very serious, darling. It adds spice to a life that frankly needs spicing up from time to time. Do you like spice?"
I watched her line up her next shot and was not pleased to see her double a long shot into a bottom pocket.
"I don't need any spice, thank you," I answered.
"We'll see now, don't you worry none," was her reply and then I had to look on as she sank a ball at an acute angle into a centre pocket.
"What'll it be?" she asked me gleefully. "Local rules mean you take something off and shoes don't count. Bar rules says no bare feet. Nothing about bare tits or bare butts though. Your choice -- skirt or top?"
The situation had turned sour for me. It was not all what I had expected and not what I wanted. As I looked at the leering males, I could see getting them to accept a refusal to play by their rules would not be easy. The trouble was I wearing a thong underneath my skirt and the top halves of the cups of my bra were fairly see-through. What could I do? What should I do? There was no friend here to turn to. Bella was standing with a hand on her cocked hip and turned to the men.
