1. Roll the Die


    Date: 8/17/2016, Categories: Love Stories, Author: Delphi, Rating: 7, Source: LushStories

    The girl was gone. Rolling the plastic die in the crook of his hand, Jesse’s gaze rested on the cocoa skinned beauty tending bar in Roxanne’s absence. Her deltoids flexed as she shook the ice and liquid in the shaker. She uncapped it to pour the watermelon colored liquid in a dainty martini glass and glanced across the bar at him. Jesse focused on his book. A discussion of poetry and prose. Always the English teacher. It was a beautiful book, one his fingers had tattered the edges of over the years. Roxanne would love it. “She off today.” The bartender stood above him, her fist propped on her hip. He looked up, trying to ignore the sweeping hourglass figure outlined in her black shorts and tank top. “Thanks.” The woman blew out a sigh and slid into the booth across from him. She hooked her fingers around his sweating water glass and slid it to her side of the table. It rumbled over the tile table in protest until her full lips closed around the straw and sucked half the liquid down. Freeing the plastic tube from her pillowy mouth, her throat rippled as she swallowed. “You too old for her. She’s twenty-four.” He took a deep breath. Put a placeholder in the book and slid it into his shoulder bag. Cupping the breast of his wine glass, he lifted it to his mouth. Sipped. Glanced up to see her watching him. “All right, look. You seem nice.” She sat back, crossing her arms. “But she been through a lot and is still goin’ through it. Don’t waste your time.” Jesse swallowed, his ...
    teeth grinding as he focused on being calm. The glass managed to rest on the tabletop without clattering. “Wasting my time.” Her dark eyes seemed to try to drill into him. “I’ll come back later.” “Drop her, man. I am serious. She gotta get her shit together before she’ll be good for anyone. I am not just sayin’ this, you hear me?” “We all have our problems.” The bartender rolled her eyes, her ‘fro shaking with her head. The noise level of the restaurant seemed to escalate with her silence as she surveyed the place. “Thank you for your service. It was wonderful as always.” Jesse took out his wallet, slapping a few bills on the table. She looked at them. “Don’t take it like that.” “I have to work tomorrow.” “You a teacher, right? Roxie said that. That girl is obsessed with books. You should see how many she goes through. Got a new one every day. You just don’t even know.” He felt his lips curl through the stress of his face and turned his attention to his shoulder bag. “Maybe you do know. That what you two talk about? Books?” “It was nice to speak with you.” She lurched across the table, slapping her palm down against the back of his hand. “Roxie married. You seen her ring? Come on, I know you have.” The memory of the thin, tarnished silver band on her slender fingers haunted him. She’d never seemed attached to it, never seemed attached to anyone. Said she was divorced. “I heard she told you she wasn’t married. Why do you think she still wears that ring?” “She hasn’t worn it in a ...
«12345»