The rain came down hard outside, but not as hard as it had been fifteen minutes ago. Sam wasn’t really paying attention to the rain as much as he was to the total number of points being scored in the college football game he was watching as he normally did on Thursday nights in his local watering hole.
He stirred his black Beam and Coke while enjoying the game and conversation with the attractive but engaged bartender, Tori, and other regulars. He noticed a light umbrella and familiar raincoat walk past the front windows of the bar, but didn’t turn to see who walked in when he heard the front door open to his left.
“Here comes your friend.” Tori urged him to finish his drink so she could give him another.
“No friend of mine,” he scoffed. He took a large, last sip and directed his gaze to one of the large screens above the bar.
Sam felt the presence of someone in a raincoat next to him. Don’t acknowledge her. Don’t! he thought.He focused on the game and ignored the feeling of the hand that ran up his left thigh after whoever was next to him leaned an umbrella between them.
“Tori, double Black Jack, please,” the female next to him requested.
“Sure, Charlie,” the bartender replied and set a rocks glass on the bar.
“Give him a shot, too.”
Sam continued to look at the screen. “I’m good. I just got a fresh drink.”
“Give him a shot,” Charlie insisted.
Sam turned to the woman as Tori poured him a large shot and one for herself. “Rough one tonight?”
“Aren’t they all?” Charlie raised her glass with the other two.
They drank them down. “I thought you were used to it by now.” Sam looked at the TV. “Run, motherfucker! Run!”
“I see you still bet the over of the ACC every Thursday,” Charlie observed. She took a small sip of her new drink. “Do you ever really get used to it?”
Sam turned to her and replied, “You never seemed to have a problem with it before. Certainly not with me,” he scoffed. “I have a scar to prove it.”
“So do I, you son of a bitch. More than one, actually.” She grabbed Sam’s arm.
Sam turned to face her and took her by the shoulders. “Listen, Charlie. I’m not the guy that cares anymore. Why don’t you go hang out with what’s his name?”
“Where do you think I was?” She took another long sip. “That’s why I’m here now.”
“Wow, that was quick!” Sam looked surprised.
“You do what you gotta do.”
“Maybe that’s what makes us different. I don’t have the physical aspect in mine,” Sam commented as if he understood.
“It’s not because they aren’t attracted to you,” Charlie chuckled. “You always have been an attractive man to both sexes.”
“Fuck you, Charlie.”
“Fuck you, too, Sam. I know of at least two you actually got close to before you did them.” She looked away, regret evident in her expression. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Sam took a drink. “It’s ok.” He glanced at the TV and saw that another team had scored.
“Sam, can we go back to your place? I see the game just went over and I need to be with someone. We were always good at that part of it.” Charlie put her arm around him.
“So that’s why you are here? To wash yourself clean and occupy some time with someone familiar?”
“I’m here because I knew odds were good that you were going to be here and I didn’t want to be with anyone else.”
“Alright. The score just went over, anyways.” He scoffed, “You’re right. We were always good at that aspect. Tori, what do I owe you?”
Charlie put her hand on his arm as he reached for his money. “I got this. I had the over, too.” They both laughed.
“Thanks, Tori. See you tomorrow.” Sam put his arm around Charlie’s shoulders. “You always said if you ever wanted to kill me, you would know where to find me.” They both nervously chuckled.
They walked north, holding hands in the rain. They’d only made it about half a block when Sam squeezed her hand and said, “Yes, I noticed you left your umbrella. Nice touch.”
She smirked up at him and squeezed back. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I know you never use an umbrella and I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
They walked a few blocks north and joked back and forth with each other about different spots along the way where they had stopped for little interactions…that time in the playground, that one time in that alley, the cemetery, the steps of the church up the street….”
As they turned the corner to go east toward his place, Sam said, “You always liked the back entrance to my building.”
Charlie chuckled and gripped his arm. “Not tonight. Can we just go up to your place and do it like normal people?”
“I don’t think we’ve ever done it like normal people,” Sam said as he worked the key in the front door of his building.
“You know what I mean, Sam. Just, you know…do it and then fall asleep together, holding one another.” She pulled him onto the elevator.
The ride to the third floor was in silence. Sam thought, This is weird. Something is wrong with her. Should I be nervous?
Charlie was with him, but also lost in her own thoughts. That was a little weird. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I hope he doesn’t sense anything.
The elevator door opened and they got off. Sam unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Is everything alright, Charlie?”
She stopped and looked up at him. “Yeah. What do you mean?”
“I mean, you almost said ‘make love’ a minute ago,” Sam elucidated with a confused and concerned tone.
“You’re crazy! I said ‘do it’.” Charlie let out a derisive laugh. “I know you would never want that.”
“Not now, but in the past. You know, before the thing with the guy and then what’s his name.” Sam evaded as well as he could.
“I told you; we don’t have to worry about what’s his name anymore.” She dropped her gaze, feeling ashamed.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He led her into his loft. “ You obviously know where everything is. Can I get you a drink? Any requests for music?”
Charlie walked toward the master bedroom and examined some art she had not seen on previous visits. “No drink. I’m good. Those few at the bar hit me a bit. As far as music is concerned, Mozart would be great. I always loved it when you played that Neville Marriner collection. We could stay in bed for hours makin…fucking.” Charlie chuckled to cover. “We spent that stormy weekend at the beach with Sir Neville.
“Wolfie it is.” Sam ignored what he’d heard as he removed his accessories, placing one in the safe and the other in its normal drawer behind the bar. He made himself a small glass of gin. “Wow.” He nearly choked on a sip as she approached him wearing what looked like one of his tailored dress shirts.
She walked slowly to him. “I always liked wearing your shirts after you’d spent the day in them and we’d been together. Funny that you wore a blue one today. That was always my favorite.”
“You always looked better in them than me.” Sam offered a nervous laugh. “Much better than this old LIG shirt.
Charlie opened the French doors to the deck, turned and said, “Sam, let’s get you out of those wet clothes, forget life, make love all over your house until we pass out, then do it again.” She eased her way to him, a playful smirk on her lips. “Yes, I know I said it. I meant it, and I won’t apologize for it.”
They met in a passionate embrace and kiss. The sound of thunder, rain, and Mozart melded the way their bodies did. They were soon naked and falling into an old and cherished dance they had shared hundreds of times previously.
They made love, fucked, and took each other with passion, heat, and emotion. Time disappeared and they found themselves worn out, curled together in a blanket on his comfy leather couch. The couple had many sessions throughout the night and into the next day.
Just before eleven the next morning, Charlie made two more cups of coffee for them. She returned to Sam’s bedroom. “I noticed things haven’t changed in the food department around here and I don’t feel like your leftover Italian from Monday.”
“I guess I should change up my routine. Fuck that. I like my routine,” Sam responded in his own defense.
“Like you said, If anyone ever wanted to kill you…just saying.” Charlie snickered as she took a sip of the hot coffee. “Where are you taking me to lunch?”
“Why should I take you to lunch? I gave you a place to stay last night,” Sam questioned.
“Because you never let anyone else pay, and I bought your drinks last night,” She laughed. “Besides, you knew I was going to be here this morning as soon as you heard me walk in last night.”
“You hoped,” he scoffed. “Why don’t we just go back there? You need to pick up your brolly, don’t you?”
“Brolly? When did you become so proper?” Charlie laughed as she pulled one of his clean, long sleeved T-shirts from his drawer.
“It must be all of that Sir Neville. Did I say you could wear my clothes?”
“You didn’t have to.” She walked to the corner of his walk-in closet. “You had better not have given away my drawer.” She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans that fit her perfectly.
They walked the few blocks to the bar. The staff had just begun to set up the outside seating. Sam poked his head in the front door to check things out.
He waved at a young girl behind the bar. “Hey, is Tori working today?”
The waitress responded, “Hey Sam. No, she’s off today, but I’m sure she’ll be down later. Is that Charlie?”
“Thanks. Yes. I think we’re going to sit outside, if that’s ok?”
“Of course! I thought you two…whatever. None of my business. Beam and Coke and Jack and Diet?”
“Yeah. Actually, no. Two ice picks, please.” Sam changed his mind and took a seat with Charlie outside. He snuck in a kiss on the top of her head before he took his seat.
Charlie asked with surprise, “Ice picks? That’s odd.”
“It just seemed fitting.”
“Hey, I was hoping to see you two today! I wasn’t really expecting you this early,” Tori said as she walked out of the entrance to the bar. She conveniently lived upstairs.
“Hello, Tori.” Charlie turned. “Did I….”
“Yes, I have your umbrella. I saw that you’d left it.” Tori said as she turned to walk into the bar. She returned with the umbrella and offered it to her. “Oh, Sam…two of Chicago’s finest stopped by late last night asking about you. Actually, asking about both of you.”
“And you told them that I was drinking with you and the other guys all night, I assume?”
“Of course. I told them that you were both drinking together until it looked like you might be thinking about going to fuck the shit out of each other and left.” She laughed, “I mean, that is what happened. Right?”
Charlie innocently looked up at Tori. “Exactly. Well, except for the fucking part. We don’t do that.”
Tori laughed and walked into the bar. “Oh, I’m sorry. You make love. Ha.”
Sam and Charlie locked fingers across that table and shared a quiet smile.
