Jack loved this chair. They called it "The Emperor's Chair" here at the Goblet. It was one of those deep, high and bow-backed chairs that's not quite overstuffed, with sturdy legs and a particular smell that remind one of aftershave, cigarette smoke, and creepy, long jazz tunes that swirl around like a haze. It was tucked away in a nice, dark corner from where someone could see the whole bar. They called it "The Emperor's Chair" because it enshrouded the sitter like a king or queen. The chair also reminded the bar manager of the chair the Emperor sat in during Return of the Jedi.
It had been one of those days that had seemed to last a whole week. Furthermore, it was a Friday. Jack hated long Fridays, when it seemed like work would never end. All he wanted to do all day was go home, take a nap, and then head to the Goblet for their late night jazz. He had to pull himself through a ten hour workday before he could do any of it, and he didn't get the nap.
He did finally get to the Goblet, however. He loved the place. It was a small jazz bar on the east side of downtown. The Goblet looked and felt like someone's den. It had a small stage marked off only by its slight elevation and the wrought-iron rail before it. Books that no one had ever heard of lined several of the walls and there were two small televisions that never had any volume whatsoever and usually broadcasted the Weather Channel or some ball game. There was one pool table, and it never cost a dime and never seemed to be constantly played. All of the furniture was stuff straight out of someone's aunt's house. It was all hardwood coffee tables and couches and divans and overstuffed chairs. There were two ceiling fans which did little but re-circulate the smoke and the scent of freshly popped popcorn. The bar wasn't very big, but seemed to have everything you could ever want. The music was never so loud that you couldn't hold a conversation, and there were plenty of nooks and crannies to cuddle up in with someone.
Bill Jackson and Friends were playing. Bill's saxophone sounds seemed to massage Jack's spine as he finished his rather timid ginger ale and got up to get another.
As he stepped up to the bar and began to order, he was halted by the smell of perfume. He couldn't place it, but it was intoxicating. It was the woman next to him at the bar. Her back was to him. She was talking to some giddy faced man holding a gin and tonic. She was in an olive business suit and had short brown hair cut in a style that made her look strong, but not butch. She was drinking something dark and was bored with the man's talk about golf. Jack could tell by her posture. It was too straight, almost flattening out the curves in her hips and legs.
"Can I get you something, Jack?" Bobbi, the always attractive bartender, asked him.
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, still enthralled with the woman's perfume. "Just another ginger ale."
"Okay." Bobbi smiled and went off to make his drink. He was unable to keep his eyes off her for very long. He wanted to say something to her, but she was now talking a little bit with the man about landscaping. Jack decided not to interrupt her and try his chances later. Bobbi handed him his drink with a sly smile, and he headed back to the Emperor's Chair.
He discovered that the Emperor's Chair was taken by a rather stiff newcomer and moved to his second favorite place, a dark corner lit by one small lamp. It had a very dark divan that blended right into the shadows. He would often sit there all night and watch people walk by him without noticing he was there.
He took a sip of the ginger ale and leaned his head back onto the divan. He closed his eyes and let the saxophone sound drift across him like a cool breeze. The back of his head seemed to become heavy. He could feel his eyes start to roll up into his head. He was unable to stop them. He was finally going to get his nap.
"Excuse me."
His eyes popped open, and he quickly sat forward into the light of the small lamp. He ran a quick hand across his eyes and tried not to look like he had almost dozed off.
"Yes?" He quickly asked.