Story #7342

Story #7342

It was another quiet night for Chris Whitley along the gloomy and dead-end streets of Baltimore. As usual, he was tired of being cooped up in his house on a weeknight with nowhere to go and nobody to see. It was the same old song and dance for the last two months since Felicity Chalmers dumped him. To be honest, he didn’t even know how he lasted as long with her as he did. Eight months of torture, and not the kinky kind some people got off to. Sure, the first two months were great. They got to know each other, sex was a constant thing, he met her parents, and that’s when things started to go downhill. Felicity was high maintenance and came from a wealthy family. Her father was an oil tycoon, and he and his buddy had just moved their prized football team to Indianapolis two years prior. To say the guy was wealthy was an understatement. Chris always felt uncomfortable around them and constantly felt Felicity’s mother's eyes on him, judging him like some clueless dog in a dog show that didn’t know what it was doing.

After a while, sex was off the table, and it was always going out to dinner with her parents over the weekend or with her friends during the week. Sometimes he wouldn’t even see her during the week because she was always out with friends clubbing. He remembered the time he had run into her at a bar with her friends, and she was so high on cocaine that she didn’t even recognize him. She tried denying it, saying it must’ve been someone else, but he knew the truth. After a while, the phone calls stopped, and then came the dreaded voice message on the answering machine one night when he got home from work. He remembered it as clear as day, Hey it’s me. Look, I’m sure you’ve noticed I haven’t called you in a while, and well, we’re done. You’re just too plain for me, and I can’t be seen with plain, boring men; it would ruin my reputation. But hey at least you have the sex to remember me by, goodbye Chris and don’t call me back.

Just like that, eight months down the drain. He knew it was him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she kicked him to the curb, but to be so nonchalant about it? That’s what bothered him. It was as if eight months meant nothing to her. Then again, he didn’t really try and stopped caring about two months in. He knew what she did at those places at night, but he could never get himself to admit it. It wasn’t just the bar that one night; it was a whole string of nights. The night he caught her coming out of Club Paloma with two Spanish men around both arms, or when she and her best friend came to his apartment drunk and high as hell, waking up the entire apartment complex. Of all the things she did, one that stood out most was when he genuinely missed her and decided to go to her favorite club, Club Caliste. At first, he didn’t see her on the dance floor, at the bar, or at a table, and then he spotted her. He was in such disbelief that his numbness at the time was likely what pushed him out. He saw Felicity in the corner of the club getting fucked up against a railing screaming her bloody head off that was drowned out by the music.

He knew he couldn’t confront her; hell, he couldn’t even bring it up to her in confidence; she would have just shunned him. So he rode the wave and coasted through it for three more months until that message on his answering machine. Chris now rarely left the house. He was bummed about Felicity, but he couldn’t answer himself as to why. Maybe it was the sex, he thought. Then again, after she stopped putting out, it was watching porn on television or taking cold showers every other night. Chris rarely went out, but after a while he knew he couldn’t be cooped up anymore, so he finally decided to go out and enjoy all the splendor that the nightlife of Baltimore has to offer.

Chris was never much of a bar person, and he sure as hell wasn’t a club person, especially after seeing Felicity doing what she does in them. He knew if he ever set foot in one that he’d likely see her but then again, they rarely ever let guys like him into fancy clubs that Felicity Chalmers frequented. The only reason they let him in that night he caught Felicity was because he had been there with her before and the bouncer recognized him. Other than that, there was no way plain old Chris Whitley was getting into a fancy club. He walked down the street kicking medium-sized pebbles and a can when he came to a part of town he didn’t recognize. It was a small alley that looked like it had something lit up on the other side. He decided to walk it, caring not if some crazed night stalker or homeless person approached him. In that moment, he felt like it would be a blessing to get into an incident with a vagrant or get robbed by a crazy person. He stopped in the alley and thought to himself.

“Why the fuck do I want that? What’s wrong with me? Am I really that lonely?”

He kept walking until he got to the end of the alley. It was there that he came across a dive bar called Al Keno’s Lounge. What a fucking dump, he thought. He had seen some rundown places in his twenty-four years of life, but this took the cake. It was medium-sized but was painted gray or blue; he couldn’t tell because it was too dark. Paint was chipping, and the walls had graffiti sprayed on them, and finally that neon sign. The neon sign looked so out of place. It looked like something you’d see on Miami Vice, not on a shitty rundown dive bar in the back alley of Baltimore. Despite its look, Chris was curious. Either that or he was walking into danger but either way he decided to go inside. He stepped inside and looked around.

“Hmm, not bad considering the outside looks uninviting.”

As he looked around, he noticed tables and chairs to his right, with one guy sitting in a chair. He glanced over past the chairs and saw a pool table that looked a bit worn and had likely seen better days, but still looked like it could run a game on it. He saw the television that wasn’t on up on a small shelf on the wall in between the lounge area and the pool table. Up against the back wooden wall, he saw plaques of athletes, singers, and actresses. He could tell whoever Al Keno was that he sure loved Brigitte Nielsen, as there were three wall plaques of her up on the wall all in a row. Any more and add a table with candles, and it would look like a shrine. Finally, he glanced over to his left and in the top left corner saw a door that he presumed was likely to a bathroom or storage area. Then he got to the bar. It was a decent-sized bar counter and pretty well kept. He noticed the bartender behind the counter and wondered if he was Al. He looked ahead and saw a man sitting with his back to him at the end of the bar and a beautiful brunette with a revealing top that made her breasts pop and a short black skirt.

He shrugged and thought, what the hell, and walked over to the bar and had a seat on one of the stools two seats away from the gorgeous brunette. The bartender walked over to him.

“What’ll it be?”

“A beer, please”

“Sure, thing coming right up.”

Chris puts his hands on the counter and looks to his left and then to his right to see the woman looking at him. I wonder what her story is, he thought. Is she like that girl in that Journey song, or was she that girl from that Tina Turner song? He found her smile strangely attractive, and that was saying something considering the fact that her breasts were clearly noticeable and her skirt was short enough to create interest. The bartender comes back with his beer.

“Thanks”, Chris says.

“I haven’t seen you in here before. You new in town?” the bartender asks.

“No, I’ve been in Baltimore all my life; just new to this side of town.”

“Ah, I see. Well, welcome in”

“Are you Al?” Chris asks.

“The only one at your service.”

“I’m Chris. Nice to meet you, Al. Nice little place you got here.”

“Thanks. I know it’s not the Taj Mahal, but I think it does just fine.”, Al says before turning and walking away.

As Chris takes a sip of his beer, he feels the woman’s eyes still on him. He glances over at her, and their eyes meet. He found himself studying her face. She kind of looked like Apollonia but without the striking eyes or porcelain skin. While Chris sometimes liked to consider himself a prince charming, he knew he was no Prince. The woman finally broke the silence after staring at him long enough.

“Hey. Chris, was it?”

“Yeah. Hi.”

“Hi. I’m Shonna.”

“Hi, Shonna. How are you tonight?” Chris asks politely.

“Oh, I’m just fine, thanks. You look like a nice guy who’s down on his luck.”

“Excuse me?” Chris says, caught off guard by her statement.

“I just mean you look like a nice guy who is sad or lonely. I mean, you are in here after all.”

“Hey! I heard that!” Al says from across the bar.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, Al. You know I love ya!”

“Yeah, yeah! Love ya too, Shonna. Crazy broad.”, Al says, with the last part under his breath.

After Shonna and Al’s exchange, Chris explains why he’s there.

“Well, as a matter of fact, I do like to consider myself a nice guy, and I thought I’d get out because I was feeling lonely and tired of being in my house all the time, so I decided to go for a walk and came across this place.”

“Well, like Al said, welcome in! I’m a regular here. If I’m not here, I’m usually well, let’s just say I enjoy being in here because it beats being out there!”

Chris realized at that moment she was the girl in the Tina Turner song.

“Yeah, it seems like a nice place,” he said, taking a swig of his beer.

“So how come you been cooped up in your house? Not a social person?” Shonna asks.

Chris thought about whether or not he should tell this woman the truth. In all likelihood, he would never set foot in this bar and see her again, so what harm would a lie do? But as he looked at her, he realized there was also a sadness about her. That maybe she is lonely too. Either that or looking for her next prey to lure into that back alley. Chris, against his better judgment, decides to go with the truth.

“I got dumped two months ago, and I guess I haven’t been taking it so well.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Chris. How long were you together?” Shonna asks with sincerity.

“Eight months, but to be honest, I don’t know why I’m so hung up on it. I was burnt out from the relationship two months ago and mentally checked out. I guess because it finally happened, it just finally hit me, and it still hurts.”

“Women. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without 'em”, Al says, putting in his two cents.

Shonna looks over at him and rolls her eyes.

“Well, it's her loss, Chris, because you seem like a very nice man and you’re quite good-looking,” Shonna says, smiling.

“Thanks, Shonna, you’re very attractive yourself.”

“Well, thank you! Good to know someone appreciates me around here.” Shonna says, loud enough for Al to hear.

“Hey, I let you come in here most nights, don’t I? Tell me that ain’t appreciating you!” Al replies.

“Oh God, Al, you’re so touchy! He’s so touchy. I kid.” Shonna says.

Chris takes another sip of his beer as Shonna keeps talking.

“So I take it you don’t frequent bars very often then?”

“Not at all. Not much of a drinker either, but you know sometimes you gotta drown out your sorrows,” he says.

“Yeah, I imagine it can be hard dealing with a breakup,” Shonna says.

“You wouldn’t know, would you, Shonna?” says the man at the end of the bar, talking for the first time.

“Lou, go fuck yourself!”

“I most certainly will, sweetheart, cause god knows you won’t, and I’ve tried so many times!” Lou says.

“Ignore him. Like I was saying, I’m sure it's hard dealing with a breakup, but I’m also sure you’ll be alright. Just take things one step at a time.”

“Hey Al, she’s doing your job for ya. You’re supposed to be the wise bartender with advice for the customers.” Lou says.

“Lou, I swear to fucking god!”

Lou downs the rest of his beer and leaves the money on the bar.

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving. Al, I’ll be seeing you. Shonna, baby, it’s always fun.” Lou says, blowing her a kiss.

She flips him off as Chris just snickers to himself. Shonna turns back around to face Chris as Lou leaves the bar.

“So what was the name of the girl who broke up with you?”

“Felicity.”

“Oh, such a proper name,” Shonna says.

“Yeah, you’re not too far wrong. She was very proper until she wasn’t.”

“Aww, well you’re better off without her, Chris.”

“Thanks, Shonna,” he says, smiling at her.

Another customer comes in and sits where Lou sat at the end of the bar. Al greets him As Shonna puts her hand on Chris’ thigh.

“Look, I know you didn’t come in here looking for companionship, but you’re a nice guy, and hearing you talk about what you’re going through, well, I wanna help you by being more than just a good listener,” she says, making eye contact with him and running her hand up his thigh.

“Shonna, I think you’re gorgeous and a sweet girl, but you’re right, I’m not looking for that. I’m sorry.” He says.

Shonna keeps her hand on his thigh until she gets to his crotch, which tells a totally different story. They keep their eyes on each other as she glances down and then back up at him. Chris doesn’t take his eyes off her as her hand starts to grip his crotch. He takes a sip of his beer as she whispers for him to stand up. Chris gets up from the stool as Shonna points over to the door in the left corner, which is the bathroom. Chris heads over to the bathroom as Shonna follows him. When they’re in the bathroom, Chris looks at her with a worried look and a look of having second thoughts.

“What about Al? He’ll wonder where we are.”

“You know that guy that walked in? That’s Harmon. He’s a regular too, and those two can talk for hours. Al won’t even notice we’re gone, and besides, he knows I do this sometimes.” Shonna says, winking.

Chris relaxes as his shoulders come down a bit and Shonna playfully pushes him into the middle stall.

“Shonna, I really don’t think I’m up for this.”

Shonna looks at him and sees the sadness and genuine purity in his eyes.

“Tell you what, how about we take things slow, and I just make you feel good?”

Chris just looks at her in silence, unable to find words, as she starts undoing his pants. She then takes off his briefs and smiles before she grabs them and goes to town. Chris is caught off guard as it’s been quite a while since he’s received a blow job. Felicity said she didn’t like doing it, but the truth of the matter was she just didn’t like giving him one. He remembered the last time he got one from her was when she came home from the club higher than he’d ever seen her. Chris stopped thinking about back then and immediately came back to what was currently happening. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He was in a shitty-looking dive bar at the end of town in an unlit alley, getting sucked off in the bathroom by a lady of the night who looked like a poor woman’s Apollonia. Chris knew that while it wasn’t how he thought his night would go, he certainly didn’t disapprove of it. Shonna took him deeper, causing Chris to cry out as Shonna looked up at him and winked.

She continued to take him for five minutes until Chris finished, and she took her prize. Shonna got up from her knees and fixed her skirt as Chris put his pants back on. After they were both settled, Shonna got in front of him.

“Did you enjoy that?”

“I did, actually. More than I thought I would, thank you, Shonna.”

“God, you really are a nice guy,” she says, laughing.

He blushes.

“Look, because I know you didn’t exactly want that, but you most certainly enjoyed it; consider it on the house. And if you want, you should come back here tomorrow so we can do other things.” Shonna says, pulling up her skirt.

Chris looks and puts his hand to his mouth as if pondering the idea.

“Tomorrow night?”

“Yes, I’ll be here.”

“Alright, Shonna, you got yourself a deal,” he says, smiling.

“You’re too cute, I can’t stand it!” Shonna says, shooing him out of the bathroom.

Chris walks back out to the bar and sits back down to finish his drink. Sure enough, Al is still talking to Harmon and doesn’t even look like he noticed they were gone for ten whole minutes. Shonna comes back out and walks over to Chris. She gives him a kiss on the cheek before she heads out. She doesn’t bother saying goodbye to Al since he’s too busy in conversation with Harmon. Chris smiles as he can’t believe what just happened. He finishes his drink, and eventually Al comes back over. Chris pays him and thanks him before leaving. Al gives him a smile and goes back to talking to his now lone customer. Chris leaves the bar and feels different. He feels like that quick little blowjob in the bathroom from Shonna was the start of something. As if he awakened something inside of him. Chris walked down the alley and out to the other side. He checked his watch and thought that since it was almost midnight, that now would be a good time to head home. He didn’t know what the day held for him, but he knew what the night held, and for the first time in a long time he couldn’t wait.

*

The next night Chris walked over to Al Keno’s Lounge. He was dressed a bit more casually than he had the night before, not that it was a date or anything, and not that he expected Shonna to notice, but he just felt like it. He walked down the dark alley and came out the other side to the dive bar. Yesterday, when he came to the place, he was put off by its looks, and now he didn’t think the place looked so bad after all. He walked inside and looked around like he did the night before. Same setup, only this time there wasn’t anyone inside except Al behind the bar.

“Hmm... guess I beat Shonna here,” he says to himself.

Chris has a seat at the bar as Al walks over to him.

“What’ll it be?”

“A beer, please.”

“One beer, coming right up,” AL says, turning around to get a mug to pour the beer in.

A few moments later, Al turns back around and puts Chris’ beer in front of him. Al looks at him as if studying him.

“You look familiar. Have I seen you before?”

“Yeah, I was in here last night, remember? I was talking with Shonna.” Chris says.

“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, my memory ain’t what it used to be.”

“Haha, it’s fine,” he says

Chris sips his beer as Al goes back to doing things behind the bar. The door opens and in walks a bald man who looks like he’s in his early forties. He takes one look over at the bar and yells.

“Al!”

“Richie!”

Chris laughs at the two exchanging hellos and figures Richie must be another regular. Between him, Lou, and Shonna, it seemed like Al indeed had his regulars. Richie sits down at the far end and orders a beer. Al begins getting it for him as Richie talks. As Chris sips his beer, he glances over at the door, waiting for Shonna to arrive. He glances around, and when he looks over at the bathroom he sees Shonna with the door open, waving at him. He waves back as she waves him over. Chris takes another sip of his beer before he walks over to the bathroom as Shonna pulls him in. She kisses him deeply, catching him off guard.

“Mmm! Hi!”

“Hi Chris! I got here early and was just touching up before our fun,” she says, still gripping onto him.

“It’s okay, I thought I had beat you here.”

“Nah, can’t beat me here. I’m always here.” She says, kissing him deeply.

Chris kisses her back and notices she’s a lot more affectionate. He grips her ass tight as they keep the intense make-out session going. She pulls him into the middle stall and starts taking his pants off as he takes off his shirt. When he’s no longer wearing anything Shonna gets naked herself and puts her hand up against the stall wall and looks at Chris with a knowing look. He doesn’t need any further instruction as he thrusts into her and starts giving it to her from a side and behind angle. Shonna moans, which drives Chris crazy as he keeps thrusting into her more and more. He grips her breasts as he stays inside her and she moans louder, making Chris even more turned on. After a while, Shonna tries to grip the wall, but there’s nothing to grip, and she can feel herself getting close.

“Oh God, yes, fuck me, Chris! Fucking pound me! I’m so close!”

Chris does as she says and pounds into her hard and deep as she lets out a long moan and climaxes. Chris says he’s close too as she tells him to pull out and finish on her. He again does as he’s told and he finishes on her. She smiles, and he returns the smile and puts her hands around his neck and kisses him deeply.

“You know something? You’re the first guy I’ve had sex with that not only didn’t finish fast but actually appreciated me and what he was doing. Most guys would just have got it in, and a minute later they’re done, but you took your time.” Shonna says.

“Well, to be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve had sex, so between that and me liking to take my time when I’m with a woman, that’s why. Also, you're beautiful, Shonna; what man wouldn’t want to savor every moment with you, especially being inside you.”

“Aww, God, you’re too cute! I can’t! You really are one of the good ones, Chris.” She kisses him again as she starts getting dressed.

Chris himself starts getting dressed and takes out his wallet as Shonna sees it and stops him.

“No, no. This was not a transaction. This was what we both needed and wanted.”

“But I thought-

“Chris, like I just said, you’re a nice guy, and that sex was fucking incredible. Last night was on the house and tonight was your gift back to me.” Shonna says.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind giving you-

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Chris puts his wallet back into his back pocket as they both leave the stall and go to the sink. They look at one another and smile.

“Chris, thank you for treating me like a human being and not just like a sex object. You don’t know what that means to me.”

“Of course, Shonna, it's my pleasure. You’re a lovely woman, and I enjoy your company.”

She smiles at him again and heads for the door. She leaves as Chris finishes washing his hands, and he makes his way out and back into the bar. He sees Shonna leave out the front door, and he smiles as he sits back at his seat and takes a sip from his beer. He notices a few more people have come in and are over by the chairs and tables. Al is over there talking with them. Chris eventually finishes his beer as Al is now behind the counter. Chris pays him and thanks him again. Just as Chris is heading for the door, Lou walks in.

“Hey, how we doing, kid?”

“Hey,” Chris replies, wondering if he remembers him from yesterday or that’s just how he greets people.

“Al, you crazy bastard!”

“Lou, you son of a bitch!”

Chris just laughs before heading out the door. He walks through the alley like he did yesterday. As he walks home, he remembers he didn’t even ask Shonna if he’d see her again. He did remember her saying she was always there, so naturally he could just go back tomorrow or whenever to see her. When Chris got home, he decided to shower before heading to bed. He figured there was nothing good on at this hour, and besides, he had to be in at work early in the morning. After his shower, he got dressed, brushed his teeth, and got into bed. He thought about whether or not he should go back to Al’s tomorrow or wait a day. He decided to sleep on it.

The next day, Chris woke up and got out of bed. His thoughts immediately went to Shonna from the night before. It was then that he decided that he’d go to Al’s after work. Suddenly, Chris realized he now had a cool place to hang out, and some interesting people to talk to and listen to. He’d become a regular at a bar. He laughed at the thought. As he walked into the living room, he looked over and noticed he had a message on his answering machine. He walked over and hit play to listen to it. It

was a voice he hadn’t heard in a while and immediately changed his mood. Hey Chris, it’s Felicity. So I’m at a pay phone right now cause I just got out of the club. I’m pretty wasted, and I fought with my parents, and the girls are all busy or out of town. I was wondering if I could come by and stay with you for the night? Call me back at my place; I have to go there to get my things anyway. Let me know, please. Miss you. 

Chris was in shock but also pissed. The audacity of this girl to call him out of the blue after two months of not hearing from her after she broke up with him. Chris deleted the message and then wondered what she ended up doing. If it were an emergency, she’d have left multiple messages, but it was just the one. He shrugged it off and went to shower. When he got out, he thought for a brief moment about calling her but decided against it. No, no more. He was over her and wasn’t going to give in. Chris left for work and began his day. After a long eight-hour shift, he got home and relaxed for a bit. He made himself dinner, and then at around eight he decided to leave to go to Al’s. He changed out of his work clothes, and when he was ready, he headed out. Once again, for the third time, he walked through the alley and stood outside of Al Keno’s Lounge. He looked at the neon sign that was starting to flicker.

“It still looks out of place,” he thought before walking in.

He looked around like he usually did, and it was quiet in there, as not a single soul was there. He smiled and had a seat at his usual stool. Al came over to him.

“What’ll it be?”

“A beer.”

“Coming right up.”

Al got the mug, poured the beer, turned back around, and served it to him. He stops and stares at Chris for a moment.

“Say, you look familiar. Have I seen you before?”

“Talk about Deja vu. Yeah, I’m Chris. I was in here yesterday and the day before talking with Shonna.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Sorry about that, my memory-

“Ain’t what it used to be?” Chris says, finishing the sentence for him.

“Yeah, thanks! Fuck! Chris, yeah, you were in here the last two nights. You come in here a little bit more, and I’ll remember. Heck, you’ll be a new regular.”

“Then you won’t forget.”’

“Exactly.”

“Is Shonna supposed to be here tonight?” Chris asks.

“Yeah, she should be, although I haven’t seen her since the other night when you two met and talked.”

“You mean last night”

“No, I mean the other night. She wasn’t in here last night.” Al says.

“Yes, she was. I came in and ordered a beer and saw her in the bathroom.”

“Shonna? Couldn’t have been. I definitely would have remembered if she was in here last night. My memory ain’t that bad.”

“Apparently it is because she was in here,” Chris says sternly before taking a sip of his drink.

Al’s expression goes cold, and a sudden silence fills the air before Al speaks.

“What are you trying to say? That my memory is worse than I think it is? That I don’t know when one of my regulars comes in?”

“I mean, you did forget my face, and I’ve been in here the last two nights, and again, Shonna was in here last night.”

“You got some nerve, you know that?” Al says.

Chris suddenly realizes he’s pissed Al off and doesn’t want to see what that’s like, so he thinks fast to get out of the situation.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? It’s like you said, you just gotta get used to my face, that’s all. And I guess I got my days mixed up, my bad.”

Al seems to relax and lets down his angry expression.

“Yeah, alright. It’s okay, I’m sorry I shouted at you like that. I just thought you were calling me out in my own bar.”

“No, nothing of the sort. It’s my mistake.” Chris says, knowing he’s just saying this because he doesn’t want to tell Al about the incredible sex with Shonna last night.

Al goes back to doing things behind the bar as Chris keeps drinking his beer. He suddenly felt the beer was already kicking in, as he had to use the bathroom. Chris got up from the stool and walked over to the bathroom. As he pushed open the door, he got a stench of a bad odor.

“Oh my god!” he said.

Al noticed from across the room and walked over to the other end of the bar.

“What is it?”

“It smells like someone died in there!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s my bad. I don’t usually get around to cleaning up in there every day, although if people just learned to flush.”

Chris goes to open the door again, but the smell gets worse as he opens it further. He covers his face and moves away as Al sees him and walks around behind the counter to go over to him.

“Is it really that bad?”

“Yeah, it really is.”

“I don’t remember the last person who used it. I know it wasn’t Lou last night, and I didn’t have any other customers come in after he did.” Al says.

Al opens the door, and he too is hit with the stench.

“Oh, dear god!”

Al uses his shirt to cover his nose and mouth as he opens the door, with Chris doing the same, following behind him. They both notice the middle stall is closed. Al calls out to whoever is in there.

“Hello?”

He gets no response.

“Hello? Who’s in there? Are you alright?”

Still no response. Al bends down a bit to see if he can see feet under the door but doesn’t see any.

“That’s odd. How can the door be locked if there’s no one in there?” He asks Chris with his shirt still covering his nose and face.

Al knocks on the door and still gets no response. He then turns to Chris.

“I’m gonna go under there and see what the hell is going on.”

“Okay, be careful.”

Al removes his shirt from his nose and mouth and takes a deep breath as he uses the neck part of his shirt to cover his nose and mouth. He then bends down and gets on the floor and scoots himself into the closed stall. From the way Al got in, he’s still facing the floor. He slowly uses his hands to get up off the floor. As he stands, he looks over at the toilet, and his shirt immediately goes down from his nose and mouth as he screams.

“Oh my god! Holy shit! Oh god!”

Al bangs on the door as they then go to the switch to turn the lock off. At first, he can’t do it because his hands are shaking, but eventually he turns the lock and bursts out of the door and into the arms of Chris as Al, with a look of terror, looks at Chris.

“That’s why it reeks in here!”

Chris looks into the stall and sees Shonna dead on the toilet seat. She's completely naked with her mouth open, and her legs are sprawled out at each end of the stall wall. He immediately looks away as Al rushes to the sink and vomits. Chris starts dry heaving and hyperventilating at the sight. Both men leave the bathroom and try to compose themselves. Before Al finally speaks.

“Oh dear god, Shonna. How the hell could this have happened? Who could have done something like this?”

Chris says he doesn’t know and is in disbelief. A woman he had a great time with two nights in a row was now suddenly dead. Chris thinks about last night and realizes that it doesn’t make sense. He saw her leave. Al’s memory must be bad, and she must’ve come in today. Al walks over behind the counter and calls 911 as Chris stands there thinking. He looks over at Al on the phone talking, and then a chilling thought comes to his mind. Al ends the phone call and looks at Chris, who stares at him in fear. Al walks around the counter and walks over to Chris, who begins backing up.

“Chris, what’s wrong?”

Chris says nothing.

“Chris, what is it? Tell me. I just called the police; they’ll be here soon.”

“Your memory. You said your memory isn’t what it used to be. What if-

Al doesn’t let him finish the sentence as he becomes shocked and angry.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Do you really think I did this? You fucking prick! My memory is just bad because I’m not good with faces, that’s all. I don’t have amnesia or some shit like that! I loved Shonna! She was one of my regulars. Yeah, she was a fucking hooker, but I didn’t care; I don’t judge people. But you! You stupid no good mother fucker! You have the gall to come into my fucking bar and accuse me of killing one of my favorite customers? Where do you get off, pal?!”

Chris feels sick and awful for even thinking the idea could be true when it entered his brain. Chris is now backed against the wall, shaking. Al keeps his eyes on him as Chris looks back, but instead of fear, it's remorse at his comment.

“I’m sorry. I- I just I’m as confused and upset over this as you are. I didn’t mean to- oh God, Al, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please, please forgive me.”

“Look, I’m not gonna kick you out of here because you need to be here when the cops come, but after they’re done, I don’t want to see you in here ever again. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. You seem like a stand-up fella, Chris, but that was a really shitty thing to say to someone you just met a few days ago.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.”

“Just calm down, okay? The cops will be here soon. Look, I’m sorry; this is all overwhelming. After this is all over, you may not have to leave forever, okay? I’m just as out of sorts and angry as you. Let’s just tell the police our stories and go from there, okay?”

Chris nods vigorously. Soon two police officers, a coroner, and two medics arrive at the bar. They all go in wearing masks and look at the body before looking away. The door closes as they begin their investigation, and one of the cops comes out to stay with Al and Chris. After a while, the rest of the investigation team comes out as the coroner speaks to the cops. They take Al aside and ask him to tell them what happened. When they’re done talking with Al, they walk over to Chris to talk to him. The medics leave with Shonna’s body in a body bag and take her out of the bar.

“Hello, Mr. Whitley. How are you?” the officer asks.

“I’m okay, I guess. Still in shock.”

“Yeah, I imagine so. So, we just heard from Al about what he remembers from the last two nights. He says you were also in here and you had become close with the victim. Can you please tell us what you remember?”

“Yeah, sure. So I came in here the other night, and it was my first night here. Never been here before. I sat down and ordered a drink. Al introduced himself, and then Shonna did. She was really nice to me, and we started talking, and Al became busy talking to Harmon, another regular. Well, I opened up to Shonna about how I was dumped two months ago and how I’ve been sad about it and never left the house. She was a great listener, and that’s when she offered to help me in another way.”

He pauses as the police officers and coroner wait for him to continue.

“She, um, offered to help me-

“Mr. Whitley, we are aware that Shonna was a prostitute, so if that helps you,” an officer says.

“Okay, so yeah, I um, I don’t normally do that sort of thing, and Shonna could tell, but she offered to go into the bathroom with me, and we did. She gave me a blowjob. After that, we talked a little bit more and walked out to the bar, and she left, and I finished my drink, and then I left maybe ten minutes after she did.”

The officers look at him.

“Okay, now tell us about last night.”

“I got here a little before 8:30, and there was nobody in here. I sat down and ordered a beer, and Al said I looked familiar. I told him I was in here the night before, and he said he had a bad memory, and I said it was fine. Anyway, he served me my beer, and that’s when a guy named Richie came in. He and Al started talking, and when I looked over at the bathroom, I saw Shonna in the doorway, and she was waving me over to come in. I took a sip of my beer and went into the bathroom, and she started kissing me and pulled me into the middle stall, and we, uh, we had sex.”

The police officers look at him strangely and then look at the coroner, who also gives Chris a weird look.

“Mr. Whitley, are you certain that the woman you had sex with was Shonna?” one of the officers asks.

“Yeah, of course I’m sure. Why?”

“Because there are two things that make that story not make sense. One, Al said Shonna never came in last night.”

“I know he told me that too, but I said he was mistaken, and he assured me she wasn’t, but obviously I was with her last night. What’s the second thing?”

The coroner speaks for the first time.

“Mr. Whitley, you couldn’t have had sex with Shonna because she’s been dead for approximately two days.”

“That’s impossible! I was with her in that bathroom last night. We had sex!” Chris says loudly so that Al can hear him.

Al walks over.

“Chris, Shonna never came in last night! Come to think of it, I never even remember seeing her leave the other night.”

“That’s because you were talking to Harmon. She didn’t want to bother you.” Chris says.

“Didn’t want to bother me? She always says goodbye, and even if I was talking to Harmon, that wouldn’t have stopped her. I never saw her leave here, so-

He doesn’t finish his thought as the officers and the coroner all look at Chris and back away as the officers get out their guns and point them at him.

“Put your hands up now!”

“What are you talking about? What did I do?” Chris asks.

“Put your hands up now, Mr. Whitley!”

Chris puts his hands up as Al finishes what he was going to say.

“The reason Shonna wasn’t here last night was that she never left that bathroom. You took her in there, and you killed her, you son of a bitch!”

The officers rush to Chris’s side and immediately put his hands behind his back and handcuff him as one of them reads him his Miranda Rights.

“I didn’t kill her! I just told you she was here last night! We had sex! I didn’t imagine that!”

The coroner speaks.

“Mr. Whitley, I can confirm that Shonna died exactly two days ago. And according to Mr. Keno’s statement, she never left that bathroom and was not here yesterday. You were the last person to see her alive.”

“Then how do you explain yesterday?! I had sex with her! Did I imagine that?!”

The officers grip Chris tighter as Al shouts something before the coroner speaks.

“You fucked a corpse, you sick bastard! That’s what happened! You fucked her corpse!”

The coroner looks at Chris and gives him a sad look before giving a confirming nod in agreement with Al’s comment.

“No! There’s no way! I would remember that! I’d remember if I did something so disgusting!” Chris says as he starts moving around as the officers try to subdue him.

“You're no good son of a bitch! You tried to say my memory was bad when you’re the one with fucking amnesia! What kind of twisted fuck are you?!” Al shouts as the two other officers come in and take Al away from them until Chris is out.

“I didn’t do it, did I?”

The officers walk with Chris to the door of Al Keno’s Lounge. He looks over at Al, who gives him an angry look of hate. The officers put Chris in the back of the car and shut the door. They both get in the front and drive away. Chris is left with nothing but his thoughts that suddenly come back to him in a rush. He remembers it; he remembers it all. Going into Al’s two nights ago and meeting Shonna. Them going into the bathroom where she sucked him off. He then remembered that they didn’t leave right away and that he grabbed her neck and choked her until she stopped breathing. He positioned her body with her sitting on the toilet and her legs spread, resting on each side of the stall wall. He locked the door and then got on the floor and ducked down under. He washed his hands and went out to the bar. He finished his drink and then left.

The next night he went back and ordered a drink. He imagined seeing Shonna wave over to him. When he got to the bathroom, he saw the door was still locked. He ducked under it to go in. There he saw Shonna’s body as he left it the night before. Chris then remembered undoing his pants and committing the unspeakable act with Shonna. Afterwards, he did the same thing from the night before, including washing his hands. He imagined making out with Shonna before leaving. He remembered it all.

“Hey guys, I remember what happened.”

“Oh, is that so? It all came flooding back to you, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“So, why the hell did you do it, Mr. Whitley?”

Instead of answering them, he defers the conversation.

“Are we going to the police station?”

“Yeah, obviously, so we can lock you up.”

“Well, can we stop at my place first? There’s something else you’re gonna wanna see.”

The police officer driving pulls over on the side of the road. They both look back at him in the back seat.

“What are we going to want to see, Mr. Whitley?”

“You remember when I told you I got dumped two months ago? Well, my bitch of an ex-girlfriend called me last night needing a place to stay. She showed up at my place at around 1 am. I let her in. She thanked me and gave me some bullshit about how her parents are mad at her and her friends are all busy. Then she said she wanted to talk about us. So you know what I said? I said I haven’t seen or heard from you in two months, and now you wanna talk? Okay, I said, let’s talk. Then I went up to her and choked the life out of her too.” Chris says coldly.

The officers don’t take their eyes off him as he continues to speak.

“Oh, and I fucked her corpse too. She said I was a nice guy. She and Shonna both said the same thing about me; can you believe it? They both said I was a nice guy.” Chris says as he laughs maniacally in the back seat of the police car.

*This story was thought to have been lost in a fire in 2022; yet you just read it...

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