The Bar

   Roger pushed open the door for Crissy. "I'll call the tow-truck," he followed her inside, "we should still get in before too late." Roger dug into his pocket for a dime as Crissy looked around the main room of the establishment. A support wall broke the room into two halves. On the left, tables filled a space where a dart game had seemingly been going on since the repeal of prohibition. On the right was a line of pool tables across from the bar which took up most of the space to the right of the door through which the couple had just entered. An old radio provided some melody to fill in the occasional gaps in chatter. Crissy smiled as she realized the tune playing was one of Minerva's newest recordings. 

   "I think I'll have a seat," Crissy told her husband, "that was a brisk little walk we had to take." Roger nodded as he dialed information. Crissy glided over to the bar and took a stool. The bartender was immediately before her.

   "What'll it be, Lady?"

   "Two martinis, please." The bartender raised an eyebrow at the double order. Crissy smiled and pointed to Roger, then held up her hand so the man could see her wedding band. Everything clear, the man nodded and set about the task of mixing the drinks. As he did so, Crissy spun around and took in the sights. What Crissy didn't take into account was that she was quite a sight herself. Her legless shorts were practical, and so was the light, short-sleeved pink sweater which hugged her torso. After walking half a mile in the Creek Bend humidity, however, the clothing was clinging even moreso to it's fleshy cargo. This was immediately noticed by a man at the pool table directly in front of her.

   Duke Spinnler was an annie, with the features of a cartoon duck. He was a big man. A man used to having his way. He had also been hitting the sauce pretty hard since he got off work at the plant. Maybe that was why he acted on his impulses when he saw Crissy. Crissy didn't mind the appreciative whistle. It was what came after that which had Crissy concentrating on keeping her cool, reminding herself that the man was drunk and wasn't in control of his senses.

   "Look at the cute little white bunny," Duke began, "sittin' here all alone. You shouldn't be alone, little girl." Duke slurred a few words as he tried to convince Crissy that she needed him as a bodyguard if she were going to hang around in bars. Crissy kept trying to put her ring finger into his field of vision, but his eyes were apparently too clouded to notice. The bartender stood by, ready to act if Crissy gave him a sign that she needed help. She nearly did when Duke reached out to tickle her chin, but she tried to keep her cool. He didn't know what he was doing, she kept reminding herself, but much beyond this and she'd take action.

   The room fell silent as Duke's forearm was seized in Roger's hand. 

   "You don't TOUCH my girl." Roger spoke calmly but firmly. Duke snapped into immediate sobriety as Roger looked him in the eye. "You don't talk that way to my wife, or to ANY lady." Duke was shaken.

   "No, Sir." Duke removed his hat and turned to Crissy. "I'm sorry," he was sincere, "I'm sorry." Roger opened his fingers and a freed Duke shuffled back to his chair near the pool table. The bartender sighed in relief as he presented the martinis to Crissy and Roger. Roger sipped his drink. Crissy eyed her man. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

   "Did you scare him?"

   "No," Roger took another sip as he looked toward Duke with sympathy, "I reminded him of just what it was we were fighting for over there."

   "You know him?"

   "Never saw him before. But you can tell when you meet another guy who saw action. You can't put it into words, there's nothing physical that you can see, but you can tell. You can tell when you meet another guy who had to take life in order to preserve life. Doesn't matter what branch, if they fought in France, Italy, Iwo Jima, doesn't matter. We all know when we meet a brother in arms."

   Crissy reached out and placed her hand gently over Roger's. Roger smiled at her, then took another sip. He eyed the glass as he swallowed. "Sometimes," Roger continued, "I guess we can forget ourselves if we let it happen. My first priority was to help you, you know that. But I figured the best way to do that was to help him." Crissy took a sip from her glass as she reflected on yet another thing she loved about her husband. Roger then told her that the tow-truck was coming to meet them in the parking lot. Crissy nodded as he paid for the drinks. The couple moved back toward the door.

   Before he could leave, Roger felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Duke.

    "Thank you," Duke told him, "and again, I'm sorry about the scene with your wife." Roger extended his hand. Roger and Duke shook hands before Roger joined his wife outside. Duke returned to his game of pool.