Page 8 of Dark Alleys

“Should you mix beer with your pills?”

“Yeah, I should.”

“I’ll get you one. Don’t get up.”

Her townhouse was upscale. Clean and good furniture. She was more than a bartender, but I didn’t need to know it all today.

She handed me a glass and sat in the chair at the end of the sofa. “I take responsibility for your injury, blondie. My bar and you got hurt on my property. Inherited Mahaffey’s from my uncle but the location…”

“Yeah, Montopolis can be trouble. You have decent bouncers working for you?”

“Usually one on every night.”

“You need two if you can afford them.”

“Not sure I can. I’m trying to get the place back on a paying basis.”

“Uh huh.”

“You got a real name? I think you mumbled something when I called you, but I didn’t catch it. Or I could keep calling youblondie.”

“Don’t matter. You can call meLukas.”

“I figured you for a cop. You were waiting for that gang to show up at my bar. How did you know about that?”

I shrugged. “You hear things.”

“In your world.” She laughed. “I never hear things like that in mine.”

A timer rang and she got up and went to the kitchen. Watching her walk away was almost as good as seeing her smile.

Wasn’t long, she was back waving me to follow her. “I don’t know what you like to eat, so I figured not too many men hate steak.”

I laughed. “Good figuring.”

We ate in her nice dining room. Comfortable, but not showy. Just like she was. I was never comfortable with women, but this was different.

It’s like I’ve known her for a long time.

“In case it crossed your mind, I don’t call men up and ask them over for dinner. You’re my first.”

“I’m honored. Why’d you do it?”

“I couldn’t let you go.”

“If you hadn’t called, I would’ve come back to your bar. I couldn’t let you go either.”

“You’re a cop.”

“Sometimes.”

She laughed. “Not all the time?”

“Not right now.”

“Austin PD?”

“Nope. Go higher.”

---