Freewriting Friday!
Catfish
LGBTQIA+
violence, adult language, transphobia, substance consumption, both legal and illegal
BDSM - knife play proposed and rejected
"While I'm up here, get me another drink, Max. Make it cool and dark. It's about to get awful hot in here."
I softly speak into the microphone while my fingers dance the frets on my guitar, Betty. Max looks up at me, and points upward in approval while the sound of Betty's voice fills the halls of the bar. "All yours, Trix."
I smile a sexy grin as I continue my riff. "Oh don't you wish, Maxie boy." Max grins back while he cleans a fresh glass, the smoke billowing in front of him from his patrons at the tables between us. My fingers continue their sensual dance and Betty whines out her soulful tune. As I play I press her against my midriff, bending her to the sky as I reach for the higher frets and let her cry out the blues we both hold deep inside us. My silky red dress is tightly wound around my body. Short, and showing all my mother gave me to walk on underneath the black shine of Betty's smooth body. All alone up here, all eyes are on me, and I'm about to bear all what's underneath. I don't know what these boys are more thirsty for: what's under my dress, or what's under my skin, I think to myself as I lean toward the mic and let my lips slowly part.
Just as I'm about to sing, a tall, dark figure saunters through the door to the left. It catches me off guard, and I have to do one more little riff not to break rhythm. It's her. I know her name--Layla. At least that's what she goes by in here. She's wearing tight, black leather pants, showing off her day-long legs, with black, raised-heel boots, a tight black top and leather jacket. And she has a cowboy hat. This girl's trouble. All kinds of sin rolls off her as she strolls over to the bar and taps on it, prompting Max to pour her usual -- Jack Daniels, straight up. I chuckle at a passing thought while I round my way back to the end of my loop. Slow. Soft. Sultry. Let it out, Beatrix.
"I wish... I was a catfish
Swimmin' in the... Deep, blue sea.
I'd have all you pretty fishers..."
She looks straight at me, those damned, devil eyes undressing me from across the room. Her pupils are as deep blue as the sea I want to be in.
"... Fishin' after me."
I meet her gaze as my desires escape my ruby lips. Her stare darkens as she tips her head and the brim of her hat covers the shame she wants to bear in its shadow. A flicker of light and a puff of smoke illuminates her pretty face before she meets my eyes again. This girl is trouble alright. She mouths three words without making a sound: Red, Yellow, Green. I nod my head as I continue my song, not so much as breaking a single beat in rhythm.
The boys all light up, hollering and whistling with every verse and I can see that Betty is working her voodoo on each one of them while they think of all they want to do with me if they can catch me. The dark room darkens and comes to a hush while I playfully and sensually press my silky fingers into Betty's neck, making her cry the sounds of all my wanton desires and making men melt behind theirs drinks.
The bar is an old, beat up and rough joint in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee. It's the kind of place anyone from bikers to businessmen come in, looking for a good time -- either in the privacy of the bathroom stall, or across a strangers teeth out in the open. It's always funny when the random yuppie accidentally stumbles in then makes an immediate break for the door when they see what kind of guys come in here. Then there's me -- the only girl that comes here for the same reason everyone else does. At least until she walked in for the first time a few months back.
Anyone can come in here and find a good time. Some come out of the bathroom wiping the white powder off their upper lip, some stumble out straightening their belt while another guy comes out with him. Sometimes men leave the place bruised and bloodied. Sometime s they come out in handcuffs. Not the kind of place you wanna bring your Mama to. But nobody cares. Nobody dares give anyone a hard time, unless they're looking for a good brawl... or a good fuck.
I have a feeling Layla's looking for both. She's the tough type, and is constantly both always pissed off and always wanting some action of any kind. I always like to picture her as some biker chick that gets tired of keeping the boys in her gang in line, and comes here to blow off some steam. Truth is, nobody knows who she is or where she comes from. I chuckle at the thought of her being a bored housewife in real life, looking for that one night a week to go somewhere and just be someone else. Who knows... In reality, the truth is probably something else entirely. But she sure is setting her sights up here tonight. Like a hunter just found their prey. Like a fisher staring deep in the water. I gulp as I finish the final verse.
"Well, I feel, yes I feel
Feel that I could lay this ol' body down
I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin'
Back down the road I'm goin'"
With that I let my fingers slow their soulful movement, and bring the song to a close. The room is filled with the shouts, applause, and catcalls of horny men full of liquor and smoke. I carefully place Betty in her case on the stage, let the next singer get up and do their thing while I go get the drink Max poured me.
"Just how you like it, babe." Max winks at me, then slides the glass over to me. I send him a warm side smile and nod. Looking around, Layla's nowhere to be found. I look over at Max, and he just shrugs. Son of a bitch. I guess she wasn't that into me after all. Oh well, I guess. Just then a massive figure with a bushy long beard looking like something from a country horror flick flops on the stool next to me. Dude had a truckers cap on, dirty, baggy jeans and a white tee shirt that said Female Body Inspector on. Absolutely not.
"You sure were somethin' up there, miss..." He managed to spill the words out from under all that bush on his face.
"Trix" I managed to respond underneath a chuckle.
"Much obliged. I'm John, but the guys call me Feller back home. Well, Miss Trix, I'd like to buy you a drink. Then maybe I can give you another one in my truck after." His big, ugly face beamed a sick smile as he half giggled low as his sense of dignity was.
"Well, Feller... Thank you," I looked him up and down while speaking. Then I dropped my voice down into bass range of my old masculine tone: "But I don't think you'd go for a girl like me, sweetie." Immediately his face dropped and froze. I snickered behind my closed lips before returning to my true voice.
"See you around, Feller." I raised my glass in a toast to him before turning back toward the bar counter and setting my glass down. Oh, most guys in here are cool alright. Every now and then though some poor, strange, straight closed-minded buffoon of a trucker pops in thinking he's found his tribe until he finds out different. Then they see me and like what they see. I'm a steamy little dish of all woman with a voice that could bring B.B. to his knees for me. Still, I'm not everyone's shot of bourbon.
"What the..." His poor, insecure face looks like he's just found out he drank piss out of his mug.
"Move along, pal." Max says sternly with one hand under the bar. I know what's under there. Max is pretty cool about fights in his bar. Long as guys don't start breaking stuff, he pays his own mind when dudes get rowdy. But he doesn't like anyone messing with me. The poor little Feller boy stumbles back, and bumps into the brick wall of a body of a leather vest wearing Mandingo behind him.
"Best leave before you do somethin' you regret, bub." He growls under his thick, gray beard. Feller -- what the hell kind of a nickname is that anyway? Feller regains his composure and practically runs out the door, and the night continues undisturbed.
"Thanks Chuck." I raise my glass to him. "Better run, bub. Delmar's looking a little hot over there. Think he's got plans for you now." I wink as I bask in Chuck's blushed face before he turns back to his table with Delmar. The guys here sure take care of me. Its not that they come here for me or anything. Max just says I bring a warmth to the bar on open mic night that makes everyone less... rambunctious. Well, at least less likely to pull fists and more open to other expressions, I'd like to think.
I finish and set my glass on the bar top with a tap. "That's it for me tonight Max. I gotta pee then I'm going home and having a hot bath before bed."
"Thanks for that image, Trix. You be a good girl this week honey, you hear?" Max smiles and gives me a wink as I pick myself up off the stool. I just smile back. He and I got together a year or so ago. He was nice, but a little too nice for my taste. He never got over me, but we're still good friends. I don't mind the flirtiness with him, but I'd never go back, bless his gentle heart. He is awfully cute though.
I saunter my way into the hallway to the bathroom. There are two bathrooms, unisex like at most bars like this. But I do hope one is empty right now. I really gotta go.