Forward Passes
Saturday late afternoon Dad drives me back into the city after services, and we grab dinner at Pig Heaven, not exactly your traditional Rosh Hashana meal. 
It's probably the right time on a Saturday evening when we're finishing up, but I resist suggesting we trek the several blocks to Cold Stone Creamery for dessert, figuring it's not worth the trouble of explaining why. We have dessert at the restaurant instead. Then Dad drops me off at the Bar for my shift, and heads back home.
I breeze behind the bar just in time for Maya to cash out and join a friend of hers who's been drinking at the bar, and I check in with Amy. She says, "Hey, Debra, that guy was in here again last night looking for you."
I can't help smiling. "Did you find out who he was this time? Did you tell him I'd be on tonight? What was he drinking?"
"Slow down, girl! He left you a note." She reaches into her pocket and hands me a folded piece of paper with writing on both sides. When unfurled, it turns out to be MasterCard notepaper with "From the Desk of Warren _______" at the top. It was him after all.
Debra,
I thought perhaps you were running for some secret back exit in fear for your job anytime you saw me coming, but your colleague tells me my timing thus far has simply been unfortunate. She also told me it was bar policy not to disclose shift schedules to patrons, which I understand.
I flip the note over.
But I have been in need of a Weihenstephaner since my return from Hawaii, so I will simply continue to try my luck. Until then,
Warren
Okay, so I still haven't gotten to see him again (and it's been nearly a month), but at least now I know he got my e-mail and he's interested - if not in me, then at least in a free Weihenstephaner, and maybe some good commercial transaction debate. Either way, it's enough to keep making me smile most of the night.
When I go to check on their drinks, Maya introduces me to her friend Samantha, who went to high school with her. Samantha says she's an athletic trainer at a physical therapy place in midtown, and lives in Astoria. I've barely gotten two sentences out before I've learned half the history of Ohio State University (excuse me, The Ohio State University) and its varsity sports programs; apparently Samantha's a fifth-generation "Buckeye," and she goes back to Ohio to visit her family and go to home football games a few times each fall. She's pretty well in her cups, and when she gets up to go to the ladies' room, I notice something interesting.
"Maya, I think your friend has the longest torso I've ever seen."
She laughs. "I know. We called her 'Stretch' in high school."
"She's not even that tall."
"Yeah, her legs are kind of... well, stubby. I mean, only compared to the rest of her."
I go back to serving drinks, as it's a fairly busy Saturday night, and soon enough the Bar is full. Sometime after 10 o'clock, Will walks in - for new readers, Will is a regular who played football in college, and still has the physique (and some pretty damn good looks to boot). He makes his way to the bar and greets some friends. He's right in front of me, but since I'm pouring a few glasses of wine, Amy hands him his usual Anchor Steam beer before he has a chance to order it.
After I deliver the wine to the folks down at the other end of the bar, I start to make my way back, and I notice Samantha heading in the same direction, a little unsteadily. She gently pushes her way through a few of Will's friends.
"Corner?"
Will turns to look at her, and smiles. "Hey, gorgeous. What did you call me?"
"I asked if you played corner for your defense."
"No, strong safety. How did you know I played?"
"I know my players." She sways a little, and steadies herself on Will, who helps her out. I go back to taking orders and serving drinks while they continue to chat.
Maya goes off to the back room, and comes back with her bag a minute later to say goodbye to Amy and me. "Maya, you don't want to stick around and make sure Samantha's okay?"
"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine."
"She seems pretty drunk."
"Debra, believe me, she knows exactly what she's doing. I'll check in with her tomorrow like I always do." I shrug, and Maya takes off.
For a while, Will and Samantha are just trading football stories and lightly pawing each other while he buys the drinks. But by midnight, they're making out right there at the bar, and Will's friends are trying to ignore them and talk amongst themselves. Soon enough, Samantha makes another trip to the ladies' room, and Will flags Amy down to clear his tab. When Samantha returns, she and Will leave together.
She makes it look so damn easy.
It's probably the right time on a Saturday evening when we're finishing up, but I resist suggesting we trek the several blocks to Cold Stone Creamery for dessert, figuring it's not worth the trouble of explaining why. We have dessert at the restaurant instead. Then Dad drops me off at the Bar for my shift, and heads back home.
I breeze behind the bar just in time for Maya to cash out and join a friend of hers who's been drinking at the bar, and I check in with Amy. She says, "Hey, Debra, that guy was in here again last night looking for you."
I can't help smiling. "Did you find out who he was this time? Did you tell him I'd be on tonight? What was he drinking?"
"Slow down, girl! He left you a note." She reaches into her pocket and hands me a folded piece of paper with writing on both sides. When unfurled, it turns out to be MasterCard notepaper with "From the Desk of Warren _______" at the top. It was him after all.
Debra,
I thought perhaps you were running for some secret back exit in fear for your job anytime you saw me coming, but your colleague tells me my timing thus far has simply been unfortunate. She also told me it was bar policy not to disclose shift schedules to patrons, which I understand.
I flip the note over.
But I have been in need of a Weihenstephaner since my return from Hawaii, so I will simply continue to try my luck. Until then,
Warren
Okay, so I still haven't gotten to see him again (and it's been nearly a month), but at least now I know he got my e-mail and he's interested - if not in me, then at least in a free Weihenstephaner, and maybe some good commercial transaction debate. Either way, it's enough to keep making me smile most of the night.
When I go to check on their drinks, Maya introduces me to her friend Samantha, who went to high school with her. Samantha says she's an athletic trainer at a physical therapy place in midtown, and lives in Astoria. I've barely gotten two sentences out before I've learned half the history of Ohio State University (excuse me, The Ohio State University) and its varsity sports programs; apparently Samantha's a fifth-generation "Buckeye," and she goes back to Ohio to visit her family and go to home football games a few times each fall. She's pretty well in her cups, and when she gets up to go to the ladies' room, I notice something interesting.
"Maya, I think your friend has the longest torso I've ever seen."
She laughs. "I know. We called her 'Stretch' in high school."
"She's not even that tall."
"Yeah, her legs are kind of... well, stubby. I mean, only compared to the rest of her."
I go back to serving drinks, as it's a fairly busy Saturday night, and soon enough the Bar is full. Sometime after 10 o'clock, Will walks in - for new readers, Will is a regular who played football in college, and still has the physique (and some pretty damn good looks to boot). He makes his way to the bar and greets some friends. He's right in front of me, but since I'm pouring a few glasses of wine, Amy hands him his usual Anchor Steam beer before he has a chance to order it.
After I deliver the wine to the folks down at the other end of the bar, I start to make my way back, and I notice Samantha heading in the same direction, a little unsteadily. She gently pushes her way through a few of Will's friends.
"Corner?"
Will turns to look at her, and smiles. "Hey, gorgeous. What did you call me?"
"I asked if you played corner for your defense."
"No, strong safety. How did you know I played?"
"I know my players." She sways a little, and steadies herself on Will, who helps her out. I go back to taking orders and serving drinks while they continue to chat.
Maya goes off to the back room, and comes back with her bag a minute later to say goodbye to Amy and me. "Maya, you don't want to stick around and make sure Samantha's okay?"
"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine."
"She seems pretty drunk."
"Debra, believe me, she knows exactly what she's doing. I'll check in with her tomorrow like I always do." I shrug, and Maya takes off.
For a while, Will and Samantha are just trading football stories and lightly pawing each other while he buys the drinks. But by midnight, they're making out right there at the bar, and Will's friends are trying to ignore them and talk amongst themselves. Soon enough, Samantha makes another trip to the ladies' room, and Will flags Amy down to clear his tab. When Samantha returns, she and Will leave together.
She makes it look so damn easy.