Abraham Jennings entered the bar just as two pool players got into a scuffle over whether one had called his shot before sinking the eight ball in the side pocket. That was the reason neither Hilly or Noreen saw him enter, but he saw them and took their measure, ignoring the two men who had begun throwing wild punches at one another and took a seat at a corner table.
A couple of friends broke up the skirmish quickly enough and order was restored. The patrons resumed their various conversations; some talking football and others trying to charm the lady next to them out of her pants.
Hilly Jorgenson blew a strand of curly blonde hair off her forehead and sidled behind the bar. She didn't have an order to fill, but Noreen was tending bar tonight and that was all the excuse she needed. She watched the tall, dark-haired girl fill a pitcher with Bud and tried to look nonchalant. "They almost did some major damage," she said.
"There's nothing in this place they could possibly damage," Noreen answered without looking up at her.
The two girls wore the same informal uniform-white oxford shirt, blue rep tie, black miniskirt, and black flats. They were both very pretty, so pretty they had to constantly rebuff the drunken advances of their customers, but they were, in appearance, total opposites.
Hilly was a petite blonde with pale blue eyes, smallish breasts and a peaches-and-cream complexion. Noreen on the other hand was a tall, tan brunette with well formed breasts and long, long legs.
But they had much more in common than good looks, Hilly thought, barely concealing a giddy smile. Thinking no one was looking, she stepped close behind Noreen, pretended to reach for an empty pitcher, and put her hand on Noreen's ass. She gave the warm, firm flesh a squeeze.
"Coming over to my place tonight?"
Noreen didn't answer for a long second, but then turned and smiled, her white teeth brilliant in the low light. "Of course, sexy."
Hilly floated back to the restaurant side, walking on air, happier that she knew was possible. They had been secret lovers for three weeks now, more than atoning for each other's disappointing love lives.
Hilly was only 21 but she'd been with quite a few boys, and quite a few men, and hated herself for giving her body away so easily. She'd told Noreen this and her friend said, "You need to find someone who appreciates how special you are."
There was an awkward silence; Hilly filled her wineglass, and set the bottle on the coffee table, hoping Noreen would say something to ease the tension, but when she turned Noreen's face was right there; inches away, her lips so close Hilly couldn't help but lean forward and touch them with her own.
They made love all night long, Noreen taking the lead, obviously not the first time she'd been with a woman. She was only five years older than Hilly, but was more mature, and more sophisticated than the younger Hilly.
Now, Noreen was not just a dyke; she was a man killer, dating boys by the dozen, breaking their hearts with a toss of her long brunette hair. Hilly thought she could never be so strong, so confident as her new lover. She had no idea what it was to kiss another woman until they kissed that night. The truth of the matter was that Hilly fell in love with Noreen with that first kiss.
Hilly's nipples tingled as she remembered how it felt when Noreen's lipsticked lips closed around them, suckled them into stiff knots, and then how she kissed and licked her way down Hilly's curvy body until she buried her tongue between Hilly's legs and made her moan and writhe and beg for mercy.
After Hilly had come a third time Noreen lifted her head from Hilly's pussy and said, "I love licking you, lollipop." That was Hilly's nickname now, and she loved it.
"Who needs boys?" was their inside joke, the one they told after they made love. Who needs boys who think shouting "Boo-ya!" during a basketball game counts as witty conversation, who think wearing a baseball back backwards qualifies as high fashion, and who think sticking you a dozen times with their stubby cocks passed for lovemaking?
Hilly gave Noreen's flank another tender touch then sashayed around the low wooden partition that separated the bar and restaurant and spied Jennings beckoning to her from the high-backed wooden chair at Table 7.
She stopped in her tracks. Jennings was by any measurement a man of distinction. Ruggedly good looking, he was tall, six-foot-four at least, with the girth of an NFL nose tackle. Long, blonde hair cascaded down over his broad shoulders, and his deep blue eyes and angled eyebrows gave his face an expression of intense concentration. His lips were full and sensuous, and pursed gently as he waited patiently for Hilly to approach him to take his order.
Hilly edged around to the side, to get a look at him in profile. He wore sandals, loose black trousers, and a black linen button-down shirt. He was huge but the casual clothes hung on him as though they were tailor-made. Her first thought was that he appeared to be incredibly strong. Her second was as to his age, which she guessed to be about forty.
She set a menu down before him and noted his large hands then forced herself to say: "Hello, welcome to the Cup's Half Full. Can I get you something to drink?"
Jennings blue eyes casually roamed up her body, seeming to memorize her figure before they finally fixed on her eyes with a penetrating gaze. "Darling, would you have a cold bottle of Bud?"
She swallowed and nodded, their eyes still locked. "Sure do."
"Wonderful, please bring me two bottles."
"Oh, do you have someone else joining you?"
"No, they're both for me. I'm a thirsty man."
Hilly backed up, unable to look away, until she knocked over a chair and broke the spell with the crash. She straightened the chair with shaking hands. She thought she felt his eyes on her, his gaze burning into her back, but when she tucked her chin against her shoulder and snuck a peek back at him she saw him placidly perusing the menu. She went to the half-counter where waitresses on the restaurant side placed their drink orders and Noreen said, "What's wrong, Lollipop?"
"Nothing. Just... see that man over there, at table 7?"
Noreen looked over Hilly's shoulder, and her dark brows rose. "Wow. Did he say something to you?"
"No, it was just the way he looked at me. It wasn't scary, just... really intense."
Noreen was staring at Jennings now, the big man oblivious to the two girls brazenly scoping him out. "He's... compelling," Noreen said, continuing to stare.
Hilly felt the first tingling of jealousy stirring within her. But she wasn't sure if she was jealous toward Noreen or her mysterious customer. She was confused. For the past three weeks she was convinced she was a lesbian, thrilled that she at last understood her sexuality. But this man disturbed her. He was so big and had all that blonde hair and each time she glanced his way she got butterflies in her stomach.
"I need two bottles of Bud," she reminded Noreen.
"Oh, sure." Noreen grabbed two bottles by the neck and handed them to Hilly without looking at her. She only had eyes for the man at table 7.
Hilly brought the beers to Jennings and set them down in front of him. He picked a bottle up and drank. "Great," he sighed after a long drink. "Thank you. And what might your name be?"
A flight of bumblebees took wing inside her tummy. Her face flushed red-hot, "Hilly," she said after a moment.
"How's the steak here? Or am I better off ordering a chop steak?"
"Don't tell the boss, but I recommend the Chop."
