05:10 Jul 23 2021
Times Read: 189
A well dressed man in a black suit and black hat walks up to the outside of a Chicago bar and looks up at the sign labeled “Green Mill Lounge”, the green neon sign lighted the darkness outside on the street blending in with the other local bars along this neighborhood which were located at the corner of Lawrence & Broadway. He walks in the smell and scent of the old place brought back memories of the time he was here assisting Al Capone and the smuggling of alcohol during the prohibition days. He looks around at the place. Everything seemed as it was before, but with a more modern tone to it. It was good to know that the current owner had kept the history of the place intact and not redo it like some of the other places within Chicago that had been torn down. In here they kept the authenticity of the art deco/art nouveau decor in the light fixtures and artwork.
He takes a seat at the bar. The bartender who looked to be in his early twenties walks over to him wiping his hand on the apron he wore after doing some dishes. “What will you have?”, the bartender asks.
“Scotch on the rocks and keep them coming.” He hands him two hundred dollars and takes his hat off nodding to the bartender letting him know who he was. John knew that this was no ordinary night club and that things were a little more expensive.
“As you wish John. Anything else I can get for you?”
“Who’s playing tonight, Dave?”
“Big Bad Bones will be playing tonight.”
“Thank you, Dave.” John turns his seat around and listens to the current jazz of Andy Brown playing on his guitar on the stage. He closed his eyes listening more to the music taking him back to when this place was a hit, of when he was hired by Al Capone’s gang as a soldier and the famous booth where he and his henchmen could keep a cautious eye on the doors into the lounge. John is quickly brought back from reminiscing when Dave returns with his drink.
“Here you go John.” John turns around as Dave slides the glass of scotch down to him. John catches it in his hand and downs it.
“Just like old times eh Johnny?” John nodded his head.
Dave knew what John was. He has seen John shot multiple times outside the club during a jealousy dispute and thought him for dead, the mistake that John made was awakening before paramedics got there and Dave happened to be present when it happened. Dave was frightened at the sight thinking him to be a demon and John had to explain his story and about his curse and that the only way he could die was if his head was removed from his body.
Dave poured him another glass. “What brings you here tonight Johnny?”
“Nothing much really, I’m here on business as usual Dave. But tonight, I am just here to relax and enjoy the finer things in life, perhaps even get laid.” They both chuckle.
“Didn’t you learn the last time you were with a broad Johnny?”
“I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment Dave.” He downs the second drink and Dave pours him another.
“Let’s hope that things turn out better.” He walks away to attend to other customers walking in.
John took a straw close by to him and placed it in his drink, stirring the ice around. His mind wandered to when he was running moonshine from Detroit to Chicago and then down into the south. He was no Clyde but he did the best he could do running from the cops in his 1940 Ford Coupe to which he had souped up himself. Bullets rushing by him while the rest of the members shot back. This was how he worked himself into the mobster life. Running was one of his best qualities, but he was always running from the life he once was. The mobster life was the only way he could deal with the curse he had.
His thoughts are brought back to the bar and the jazz playing when a woman sits down next to him looking at him strangely lost in his thoughts and had decided to speak to him.
“Lost in thought are we darling?” She says to him in an American-Russian accent.
He looks up from his glass and turns his head to her. Before him sat a beautiful woman, long blond hair, hazel colored eyes staring at him, dressed in twenties type attire. He thought he was dreaming at first as she reminded him of a girlfriend he had when he ran with Al Capone.
“Oh, the clothes; I just got done with a play just down the street from here and decided to come and get me a drink before heading home”. She places her hand out to shake. “My name is Haley, and you are?”
“It is indeed a pleasure to meet you miss Haley.” He takes her hand and kisses it. “My name is John.”
“Aren’t you quite the gentleman.” Her eyes fixated on his. “I can’t help but think I know you from somewhere but I can’t place it. Have you ever gone to the Cadillac Palace Theatre?” John shook his head.
“I’m not much into the theater scene, but I am sure I could learn more about it. No this is my life, I like listening to Jazz. Have you ever been to New Orleans? Perhaps we may have met there.” He smiles at her.
“Maybe.” She pauses. “Maybe it was at a jazz event I went to a few years ago during Marti Gras.”
Dave comes over and winks at John. “What will you have miss.”
“I’ll take a cosmopolitan please.”
“Right away miss.”
“You can put her drink on my tab Dave.” Dave just nods and turns around to prepare her drink.
“So, what brings you to Chicago?” They both began to ask each other.
“You first.” John moves his hand in a friendly gesture to Haley.
“Well, my career brings me to Chicago. I’m a Broadway singer that really enjoys the twenties era as you can see. The show I am doing is “The Great Gatsby”, I play Catherine.”
“Wasn’t that a movie?” He asks.
She giggles at him. “Of course, it was, but there’s a musical as well.”
Dave comes over with her drink, “Here you go miss….?”
“Haley.” She politely says and takes a drink. Dave leaves to finish attending to other customers that came over to the bar. “So why are you here in Chicago John?”
“Business brings me here. I work for a very big private organization in New York and I am here to meet with some individuals.”
“Oh, that sounds quite interesting. So, what does your organization do?”
John had to think for a moment, he couldn’t just tell her that he worked for the mafia running an underground black market for guns. That would scare her off and like her to him, he felt a keen sense that he knew her.
“I work for a top seller and maker of various weapons. And I go to shows for my employer and buy exotic things.” He takes a drink of scotch.
“I bet you have been all over the world and seen things?” She finishes her drink at looking at him with intrigue.
“If you only knew my dear. Now, how about I walk you home, just to ensure you make it home safe. You never know who or what is out on the streets these days.”
COMMENTS
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xTLuv1x
01:03 Sep 20 2021
Wow, That was awesome. I can't wait for part 2 :)