Just a quick, fun one, with no real sex. Hope you enjoy.
*****
Doing a long distance sales run through the prairies or heartlands has its disadvantages: the cities are rather spaced out and the terrain is flat and mostly empty. However, on my third time of making the four-week trek, I started to appreciate some of the advantages: many of the small towns and villages were so unique and full of interesting characters and colorful local tales that more than made up for the boring drives between them.
On this one specific trip, I stopped at a tiny town that I've never been to before for supper. I made a point each time to find new places. As soon as I stepped into the only pub/restaurant, I was so surprised by the dΓ©cor that I let out a loud giggle. Everything was UFO themed, from the green flying saucer bar chairs to the neon alien lights. All over the walls were pictures and new paper clippings from alleged sightings. The place was almost empty except a group of three elderly men sitting together playing cards at a back table.
"Problem with my place?" said a grisly man who had to be in his late sixties, looking quite offended by my reaction.
"Sorry, just was caught off guard," I said looking around, "I'd expect this in New Mexico, not Montana. This is great."
"Can I get you something?" the man said, looking like he wasn't completely sure I was sincere.
"A pint of draft and a menu, please," I said.
I sat down at the bar, and was pleasantly surprised to see even the menu was UFO themed. Hotdogs were probes in buns; burgers were mutilated cows; and onion rings were crop circles.
"So, I'm guessing locally there's been a few sightings around here? Crop circles?" I asked the bartender as he brought my beer.
"Shit, crop circles are just damn kids with too much time on their hands," he said while looking at me like I was a complete idiot, "Kids around here know better; they'd get such a whopping pulling shit like that. We have had a couple of sightings, though. One made national news in the sixties, and an abduction that's a bit of a local legend."
"Oh, someone was abducted?" I said very interested. I didn't believe in aliens, but still found stories about them fascinating.
"Couple people at once." He gestured towards the card players. "Larry, his ex-wife Betty was abducted at the same time as Slappy. It's quite the story if you're interested."
"Yeah, sure..."
"Hey Lar, get over here. This fella will buy ya a round to hear about Betty's abduction," called out the bartender.
The oldest looking of the three card players, who also looked to be in the best shape physically replied, "Sure, Merv. We're done for a bit any way."
I turned to Merv. "But wasn't the other guy abducted too?"
Merv grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, but Larry tells the story way better than Slappy."
"Yes he does," said a shorter chubby man who was approaching the bar beside Larry.
"Mike," I said extending my hand to both older gentlemen.
"Larry." For looking around eighty, he had a firm grip.