“I will,” I said.
I watched Susan walk back to the bar. When Jim was facing the other way, ordering drinks, Susan looked back at me and smiled and waved.
When I first started working at O’Reilley’s, I used to give Susan and her friends free drinks and Jello shots whenever I was bartending. I liked Susan a lot, but after that one date I’d never called her again. I guess it was the story of my life—when I had a good thing going I always found a way to screw it up.
But now I had a second chance. I wouldn’t even have to ask her for her phone number because I still had it memorized.
Susan and Jim left around eleven—Susan touched my arm and kissed me on the cheek again on her way out—and the next time I looked at my watch it was after midnight. But there was still a pretty big crowd at the door and a lot of ID checking to do. Tonight would be a late night—last call wouldn’t be until two-thirty. I was planning to make my move for the safe at around three, when the place was empty. I was usually alone in the bar for a little while after Gary went home and I was stacking chairs and stools.
“Tommy.”
Her voice jolted me. The last person I wanted to see tonight was Janene. I was hoping she wouldn’t discover her jewelry missing for a few days—that I’d have time to think up an excuse. She was standing at the front of the line of people waiting to get into the bar.
“Hey, how’s it goin’?” I said, trying to act like I was happy to see her and nothing was wrong.
“I need to talk to you right away,” she said.
She didn’t dress up tonight. She was wearing sweatpants, a down winter coat, red earmuffs, and no makeup. Her eyes were blue again.
“All right,” I said, “but it’s gonna have to wait a few minutes. As you can see I’m checking IDs here.”
“Did you steal my jewelry?”
“What?” I said, like I had no idea what she was talking about.
People on line were staring at us.
“It was a simple question. If you have my jewelry just give it back to me now and I won’t call the police.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“Just relax, okay? Let me get these people into the bar, then I’ll be right with you.”
I checked IDs while Janene stood next to me, her arms crossed in front of her chest. I was glad to have the break—it gave me time to think about what I was going to say.
When the last person went into the bar, Janene said, “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Can I have my jewelry back please?”
“First of all, please don’t ever come here while I’m working and pull a scene like this again. It’s bad for business and I’ll lose my job.”
“Some job,” she said, rolling her eyes. I had never hit a woman before in my life, but I wanted to hit Janene, slap her right across the face. I might’ve done it too, but we were on the street and people were watching.
“Second of all,” I said, “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Jewelry? What jewelry?”
“You know what jewelry.”
“Is this because I took off last night? Because if it is, I think you got the wrong idea.”
“Look, I’m not an idiot, okay? I just want my jewelry back.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and if you won’t tell me I guess I’ll never know.”
I stared at her for a few seconds without blinking.
My acting experience was paying off. I was staying cool and relaxed and I could tell she was starting to believe me.
A couple of guys came up to the door. They looked over twenty-one so I just waved them in.
Janene said, “A necklace and my diamond studs are missing from my jewelry box.”
So she didn’t know about the bracelet. I’d have to remember not to say anything about that.
“So let me get this straight,” I said. “You think I robbed you last night?”
“Did you?”
“Jesus Christ, what kind of guy do you think I am?”
“Then where’s my jewelry?”
“How the hell should I know?”
She took a deep breath, then said, “All I know is I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone. Then I came home from work today and noticed the stuff missing.”
“So what makes you think I took it? Maybe somebody broke into your apartment this afternoon. Or maybe you were robbed a few days ago or a few months ago.”
“I just wore those earrings last week.”
“So somebody could’ve robbed you any day last week or this week. Why do you think I did it?”
This got her thinking. She looked at me closely, trying to see if I’d crack. I didn’t.
She said, “If you were me, what would you think?”
“I’d think maybe it was an inside job. I knew a girl who lived in one of those elevator buildings and people were getting robbed all the time. D’you keep a key with your super?”
“Yeah, but he’s a nice guy. He’d never rob me.”
“And what, I’m not a nice a guy? Look, call the cops, do what you want. I don’t have to take this.”
I got up off my stool and started into the bar.
“Tommy.”
I turned around slowly. I felt like I was in a play or a movie.
Janene said, “I’m sorry, all right? I just didn’t know what to think. I mean after...why did you leave anyway? How could you do something like that to me?”
She was starting to cry. I stared at her for a few seconds, then said, “You didn’t tell me about your husband. It didn’t bother me at first, but then I thought about it some more and it did. I was very hurt.”
“You were hurt?”
“Yeah. I felt like I wasn’t important to you, like you were just rebounding with me, using me to get over your marriage.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Is it?”
She stared at me. Obviously, I’d hit home.
“See?” I said. “It wasn’t gonna work out anyway with us so what difference does it make?”
I started to walk away again when she said, “Tommy.”
I stopped without turning around.
She said, “I’m sorry for everything.”
“Forget about it,” I said, walking into the bar. “It’s too late.”
The lights flashed for last call. There were a bunch of drunk guys, drinking pitchers of Bud, and I sped them along, telling them they had five minutes to finish their beer.
Gary was still behind the bar, cleaning up. Sometimes he was the last one to leave and I couldn’t let that happen tonight.
“It’s all right,” I said. “I’ll clean up for you.”
He looked at me like he was surprised that I was talking to him.
“What did you do,” he said, “take some happy pills before you came to work tonight?”
“Nah,” I said, “I’m just in a good mood. Something wrong with that?”
“No, that’s cool. I wanted to head downtown to hear this band play tonight anyway.”
“Have fun.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Forget about it,” I said.
“That’s really cool of you, man. I owe you one.”
Gary finished what he was doing, then he went to the back to get his coat. Now all I had to do was clear out all the customers and I could get to work.
“All right,” I said to the guys drinking pitchers, “it’s time to call it a night.”
“But we just got this pitcher,” one of the guys said.
“Sorry, we’re closing up right now,” I said.
The guys chugged their beer then put on their coats and left.
A few minutes later, Gary said “See ya” and he left too. I went and locked the door behind him. Kathy and the busboys had gone home already, but Frank was still somewhere in the bar, probably working on the books in his back office. There were also still some guys in the kitchen. But at least the whole front of the bar was empty and I didn’t know if I’d have a chance like this again.