Back alley bar

 He sat alone in a smoke-filled back alley bar far from the bustle of the big city. The lighting was dim, as most here wanted to avoid being seen. He sipped on a drink made from god knows what, but he imagined it was made in a bathtub. A lone guitar and raspy voice were stuffed into a far corner and eventually couldn't be heard at all. His eyes bounced from one face to another, wondering the stories they could tell, but most would only plead the fifth.

Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, his heart stopped as her beauty engulfed him like a three-alarm fire. She must have felt the heat, too, as she quickly looked away and gave her full attention to her date. She wasn't the only beautiful woman in here, but to him, she was all that the word itself could mean as he got up and slowly approached her. Was he crazy? He asked himself. Probably, but he couldn't let this go, disregarding his own well-being.

She must have sensed someone near her as she turned around to see him standing inches apart, close enough for him to smell her perfume. He smiled his best smile, and she returned hers when her date took notice and spoke up. "Dance with her, will you?" he said, smiling. I'm sure my sister would love to.

They came to this place for many years, and it never changed except for the people. Soon, booze was legal, and the music could be heard over quiet conversations on the dance floor where they would dance the nights away, falling in love over again and again.

She's gone now and took a part of him with her, leaving only the memories of a small out of the way smoke-filled bar where lovers came together on a crowded dance floor, never wanting the nights to end.

Mike 2024