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Happy Larry’s is exactly the kind of less pit of doom you’d expect froirl needs to match her bar with her mood, and that day, Happy Larry’s was a y, sleeveless MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO KICK YOUR ASS T-shirt, did not appear to be very happy with my appearance in his establishment You could never tell with Larry; between the untalasses, he was a hard man to read on facial expression alone

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, confirinal suspicion

I took a stool and leaned over the bar "I’m here for the same reason that everyone else is here Too miserable to be anywhere respectable, not quite ready to jue"

Larry stared at me

"Fine Be that way" I reached into my front jeans pocket and sla to get ot anything in an IV drip?"

Happy Larry’s expression reers on the bar for a moment while I deliberated, then runted so, but he took the twenty, then set a salt shaker, a shot glass, and a slice of lime in front of lass I stared at it for a lanced up at him

"How many calories are in this?"

Happy Larry stared at lu to be svelte"

Nothing frouy

"Okay Maybe not svelte But I wanna wear ht to do it, and you knohat that is, Larry? That’s two pieces of lettuce and a whiff of a chocolate-chip cookie So, what I’ you, Larry, ishow many calories?"

Happy Larry continued to stare at me

"So you don’tknow? Then? The calories?"

Slowly, he shook his head

"You knohat? That’s okay No, really Don’t apologize" I bet Stacy never asks about the calorie content "It’s early in the day, I’ll look it up and adjust for it later Or, you know Maybe start tos"

Then I salted my hand, licked it, downed the shot, and sucked the lilass back at an obviously surprised Happy Larry "I went to college I kno to drink tequila Give me another one"

He shook his head as he poured "You puke onit up"

"God, Happy One tio, man" I salted otten rid of the tingling in my hands, but now the rest of itation that had been poking at me seemed to soften a bit, and I felt ood Gimave me two fives and three ones in return "In twenty e holder" I swiped my money off the counter and shoved it back in my pocket, then swiveled around on my seat to take in the place The only other custoa in a booth in the dark corner opposite, scraggly hair hanging down as he leaned over his glass I let s Another man who couldn’t keep his hands off of Stacy Easter

They were everywhere

"I’o play pool," I announced

Happy Larry ot off the bar stool with a little trouble - Wow, I’m a cheap date - and when I looked up, uy in the corner Or, at least I think my eyes locked with his; I couldn’t see hi and the eighty-proof tequila in ilance after a thousand cautionary tales froest, I took in little details about him for the police report I’d probably never have to file - tallish, dirty-blond hair, midthirties, beat-up work boots, jeans, dark T-shirt, a few days’ of beard growth on his face - and then I looked away andhis cue

"What the hell are you doing here?" Doug said

"You knohat I love about this place?" I said "The way everyone ’s eyes went froain "Did Amber send you here to check in on Frankie?" He looked at Frankie "I’ order"

I shook my head "Amber didn’t send me" I turned to Frankie "But I’ve seen her recently in CCB’s, and I think the restraining order could be sound advice She’s really pissed off"

Doug gave Frankie a told-you-so look, and Frankie shook it off I stood there, one hip jutted in what I thought ht be a sexy manner, maybe, and wondered what Stacy would do in this situation, what it was about her thatthe planet The truth was, even though I’d been with her in a ton of bars and watched thein particular that she did It was just so?" Frankie asked finally

I thought about all the sassy, sexy, alluring responses I could give to that question, but as I looked at Frankie, all I could see was the ferret attached under his nose, and I just couldn’t do it Try as I ht, I was no Stacy Easter, and I had to accept that

"No" I sighed and unjutted my hip "I just came over here to see if you would try to sleep with as with a whistle

"We’d have a shot?" Frankie asked

"No," I said quickly "Nothing personal I just kind of wanted to see if you’d try You know Medicate uy in the corner - " I one"

"For what it’s worth," Frankie said, chalking his cue, "if I thought I had half a chance, I’d try" He took his shot,the table

"Really? You’re not just saying that?"

Frankie exaive it a shot"

I have to say, that wasthan you’d think But still It was nice of hinu that thing?"

Frankie ran his hand over his ? You wouldn’t believe what this does to girls in the sack"

"Gross," I said There was a onna go back over there, then"

Frankie s and took his shot

I stepped away from the pool table slowly, cheeks flush with eot there, I could hear Doug saying so chicks," and I poured ainst the bar

"Let uy I know has slept with one of o confront hiet drunk, that ht?"

"I’ for another fifteen ht, too" I raised rim look "Serve rabbed the bottle and poured

When I stumbled sideways into the alley beside Happy Larry’s, I thought at first that it was the tequilaI didn’t realize I’d been pulled into the alley until rip, and my face s my left cheek as I pulled back from hih and scratchy, layered with deep country and, unless I was uy, iuy from the booth in the corner In addition to the details I’d taken in at the bar - your paranoia has finally paid off, Grandes, likely the result of Happy Larry’s cheap whiskey and refusal to adhere to state indoor srip and took a step toward the street, but he blockedfarther back into the shadows of the alley