Our tale of the Black Cheers continues.
This story contains
interracial sex
,
bisexuality, incest
and probably few more taboos that the characters engage in that might offend the more sensitive reader
.
However, they are all over eighteen so they can do whatever they want!
*****
The next afternoon Todd was standing just outside the door of the bar waiting for the manager. Across the street was a large warehouse. A sign over the door announced that it was the South Central Food Pantry.
He smiled when he saw Annabelle coming down the street. He was not surprised to see her. After all, her father did own the bar. He watched as her smile widened when she saw him waiting. He smiled back, noting to himself this is the first time he really got a look at her.
Her cocoa skin glowed in the early afternoon sun. Her full hips and breasts filled the fashionably faded throwback denim jumpsuit. It buttoned up the front starting from just below her waist. She wore the cuffs rolled just above her ankles and sleeves rolled up to her elbows with the top three buttons undone. The deep vee created barely covered her nipples, exposing a hint of her dark areole. As she approached him, the soft roll of her hips was entrancing.
"Hi Todd. How are you this morning?"
"I'm good thank you. What about you?"
"A little sore," Anna replied devilishly. "My bus ride last night was more... active... than I am used to."
"Same here," Todd laughed. "However, I enjoyed every minute of it."
Anna walked to within a few inches of Todd. Her head was at the middle of his chest. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. Her soft breasts pressed against his lower chest. Smiling, she turned, pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked the bar.
"So did I. By the way, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am the manager."
"I was beginning to suspect that," Todd said. "Did I pass the ...uh...interview last night?"
"Why do you think you are here?"
As they talked, Todd and Anna moved into the bar. Todd's eyes flicked around quickly, taking in the scene. In the center of the floor was a pool table with a long faux Tiffany light suspended by chains above it. On the wall, starting from his right, were three red leatherette upholstered booths. Each booth had a rectangular black Formica covered table. They filled the wall to the corner. At right angles to the booths was a pool cue rack.
A small dance floor occupied the space between the pool table and the booths. To his left were three more booths. The adjacent wall held the DJ equipment. Just past there was a small hall that led to the bathrooms and a storage room. The bar itself occupied the wall opposite the entryway. It held 12 stools. The mirrored wall behind the bar supported shelves with many types of glassware. Various brands of liquor were inverted and attached to an alcohol dispensing system.
"Welcome to the Hush Money Bar."
Annabelle assayed a small bow, her arms spread. As she leaned forward, the top of the jumpsuit fell open. Todd was treated to a tantalizing down blouse of her full melons and dark chocolate raisin like nipples. Realizing she was exposing himself, Anna laughed and brought her hand to her chest. Then she stood erect. "Sorry about that! I work here this afternoon. The more cleavage I show the better the tips and the more drinks they buy."
"Tips must be pretty good," Todd laughed.
"They are when I have customers. However, business has been slow. I need to come up with some ideas to increase it."
"Hopefully I can help there. I've done a little bartending in my travels."
"Given your quick career change in Scottsdale, I'm not going to ask for references from your bartending jobs."
Todd smiled ruefully and changed the subject. "Where did the name Hush Money Bar come from?"
"That's my father's story and I'll let him tell it. He works on Amtrak as a waiter in charge. He'll be in town in a few days. Follow me and I'll show you the apartment upstairs."
Annabelle could feel Todd's eyes on her butt as she moved down the short narrow hall to the stairway leading up to the apartment. She exaggerated the motion of her hips as she unlocked the door leading up to the apartment. She had known Todd less than 24 hours but she felt safe and comfortable with him. That was unusual for her. The school of hard knocks had taught her to distrust men.
The rolling hips of this petite vixen mesmerized Todd. He guessed she was no more than 5'2" tall and somewhere between 115 and 125 pounds. She had the broad hips and bubble butt typical of African-American women. He unconsciously licked his lips as he recalled having his head buried between those full soft thighs.
At the top of the stairs was a small landing flanked by two doors. To the right was the back apartment/storage area. To the left was the front apartment.
The three room apartment was small and cramped. They entered through the postage stamp size kitchen, passing a decrepit bathroom. Just ahead was the living area that was at least twice the size of the kitchen. The windows of the living room and the adjacent bedroom looked out over the street in front of the bar. Surprisingly, the bed was queen-size and filled the room. A large mirrored chest of drawers stood at the foot of the bed. The furniture in the living room consisted of three pieces, a nondescript forest green eight-foot couch along one wall and matching wingback chair facing it across a tan coffee table.
"It's not much, but it'll give you a place to stay. For now, I just have two shifts open. Working those two shifts will pay for your rent. I have a regular customer, Gertrude Allenby, who is a manager at the Downtown Country Club. She is always looking for help and I'm sure can get you some time there."
"This will be great. It beats hell out of the SRO that I spent the night in last night."
Anna's eyes widened. "I almost forgot. Tomorrow night the ladies from Gert's country club are having their annual charity affair here."
"You mean a bunch of rich old biddies hang out in the Hush Money?"
"Not exactly. My husband is the council member for this ward. He has an annual fundraiser for the food pantry. Over the years he and Gert have got the society women involved.
Anna glanced at her watch. "Look, it's almost 2. Let's go downstairs I will open up and sit with you for your first shift."
***
The first night was quiet. Anna stayed for the first few hours. She quickly realized that Todd was an accomplished bartender.
"Look, I'm going to run home to check on one of my babies. She had the sniffles and I want to see if she is any better."
"Not a problem! I got this!"
"Good! Here are my keys. If I'm not back by closing time, just lock the door and wait for me."
Todd met some of the regulars, four guys from the Ford Assembly plant and Gertrude Allenby.
While she presented herself as a happily married woman, her childless marriage was stressed. True to her Bayou roots, she wanted a large family. Her husband was against it. The biological clock ticking in her was loud enough to drown out the guilt at the occasional affair.
At 45, Gert was at the top of her profession of service management. That was both her curse and her pride. Her pride because she was Service Manager for the top country club in the Chicago area. It was her curse because she saw herself as little more than a well paid servant to rich white people.
She drank to assuage her frustration. The Hush Money Bar was her transition from her job to her home and marriage. They both left her unfulfilled.
