He coughed and put the empty shot glass down on the bar, blinking rapidly as the whisky burned its way into his stomach. Shaking his head, he turned and blanched as he watched her at the opposite end of the bar.
Hannah tossed her long blonde curls over a bare shoulder with a laugh, her blood-red dress making her a beacon of beauty that men just couldn't seem to resist.
Joel slumped onto a barstool as the surreal angel delicately accepted a long-stemmed wineglass from another suitor, and ordered himself a beer from the closest bartender. The young man dropped the cold bottle beside his arm and leaned over, a brow arched.
"Why don't you buy her a drink, friend? I can take it over myself."
Joel smiled and shook his head. "No need, bud," he turned to meet the cheerful brown eyes of the bartender. "That's my wife."
***
The young bartender's name was Jesse so, and became a good friend of Joel's as he and Hannah frequented the bar. He told Jesse very little about them, but the bartender came to his own conclusions as Joel drank beer and threw back shots while his wife flirted openly with dozens of men each weekend.
They never left with a man, always arriving and leaving together. No phone numbers were ever exchanged, and Jesse idly began to wonder if it was some weird kink that the couple had going on. He observed them with growing curiosity, and one night he chanced upon just the moment he was seeking.
Joel had been watching, taking more shots than normal, and Hannah was wearing a dress that revealed she wasn't wearing a bra. A taller black gentleman had been beside her for more than an hour when Joel spied a dark hand sliding between her thighs.
He groaned, dropping his head to the counter with a wave of his hand.
"I think she's finally found one," Joel said, sotto voce, answering the younger man's unasked question with a knowing smile and a double shot of whisky. Joel threw it back quickly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he coughed.
"What's the deal, Joel?" Jesse propped himself on the edge of the bar, a dark brow rising as he looked over to Hannah and the stranger, who began to kiss noisily only a few seats down the row from her husband.
Joel shrugged and patted his pockets, searching for his cigarettes to distract himself from thoughts as a dark hand slipped inside the gaping neckline of his wife's dress.
"She's got this fantasy of screwing another guy while I watch, unable to do anything." He lit his smoke with a shaking hand as Hannah giggled sexily in response to the man's overt flirtations. "I agreed she could have it. I just told her I had to watch her pick the guy."
Jesse nodded, and sat another double on the bar. He shook his head when Joel reached for his wallet. "This one's on me, amigo. It can't be easy, watching your wife find a new dick to play with."
His candor drew a laugh from Joel, who raised the glass in silent toast before tossing it back.
"You got that right!" Joel slumped back into his barstool, trying not to be too obvious about watching his wife being pawed in public. He blinked as he felt his cock stir in his pants, watching the imposing black guy practically finger his wife in the crowded bar.
The man pulled her to her feet, and she hastily shoved the material of her skirt back down over her thighs before she was whisked away into the crowd.
Joel straightened, rising in his seat, and watched as the two started to dance. 'Sure, if that's what you call grinding on the dance floor these days,' he thought, and he asked Jesse for a water.
His head was buzzing pleasantly after several double shots and a few beers, but getting drunk wasn't his goal tonight. Realizing that Hannah had possibly made her choice was driving him close to the edge, and he was nervous at the prospect of watching the big man ravage his wife.
He turned around, sipping at the water while tapping the ashes off of his cigarette, and lifted his gaze to the TV up in the corner behind the bar. There was never anything good on in a bar, but apparently this one was different, and Joel watched a few minutes of what looked like a televised tattooing competition as he finished his smoke.
An alarm went off on his phone, which he pulled from his breast pocket. Eyes widening, he blinked at the glowing display that said it was almost two in the morning. 'Jesus!' he thought, shaking his head. 'Tonight flew by!'
Someone cried out behind him, and Joel spun around on the barstool as Jesse came over the counter with a baseball bat in hand.
A man growled menacingly, and the people on the dance floor parted quickly at the bartender's approach. Joel paled when he saw his wife struggling against the black man, her cheeks pink with anger, her upper arm trapped within his firm grip.
"We don't tolerate violence in the bar, man." Jesse's voice was stern, and audible even over the music that poured from the speakers around the room. "You're being rough with a lady who doesn't appear willing, so that means you're out for the night."
"This little trick?" said the black man, motioning to Hannah, his anger clearly evident. "You don't even know what this bitch sai-" he continued, only to double over with a sudden grunt as the rounded end of the bat was punched into his stomach.
"I don't give a shit. There's no reason to touch a woman in anger, and calling her names might be detrimental to your health." Jesse practically spit as he swung the bat lazily beside his leg. "Now, I suggest you straighten your sorry ass up, and get it out of my bar."
Returning to his feet, the stranger glared at Jesse and slowly made his way to the exit while rubbing his stomach. The patrons cheered, many flipping him off as he shoved his way out the door.
"Sorry about the drama, folks!" Jesse raised his voice and waved as lights flickered on throughout the big room. "It's last call, so get a drink while you can. We close in thirty minutes!"
He leaned down, offering a hand to Hannah, who shakily accepted it before standing and walking over to Joel. She buried her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, murmuring soothing words into her soft hair.
A couple of drinks were set beside them as Jesse and the two other bartenders worked behind the bar to fill the rush of orders thrown at them. Hannah lifted the glass of red and orange liquid, raising a brow at the young woman who'd placed it before her.
