Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 8.1: 1967, George

Chapter 8.1: 1967, George

 

"Here," Paulie grinned, offering me his pinkie finger, "it will make you feel good. Just a little. You're so stressed out today. That guy was giving you such a hard time."

A flare of anger caught in my throat, and I pressed my lips together tightly, daring not to breathe anywhere near Paulie's pinkie. I shook my head violently and kept it turned as far away as I could towards the bar.

"Come on, George, its only Brufen."

I gave him a final head shake 'no'.

"Suit yourself," Paulie said cheerily, putting his pinkie under his nostril and snorting himself. He blinked several times and shook his own head.

Beside us on a cocktail napkin on the bar, Paulie's boyfriend, Avi, was crushing another pill with the side of his pocket knife. "It pretty weak stuff, George," he told me in his German accent. "It not hurting you. You take pain pill for headache?"

Paulie put his gloved hand on Avi's shoulder and Avi looked at him with a curious expression. Paulie made a sucking sound with his teeth to signal Avi to cut it out, that I didn't want any. Avi nodded and continued what he was doing. 

Carl came back with our shots. He set one down in front of me that had whipped cream on top, but then he jumped when he saw what Avi was doing.

"What the fuck is that on my bar, you kike?" Carl barked. "Get that shit off my bar right now."

"Oh! Don't call my boyfriend a 'kike', you fucking ni-!" Paulie began, but Avi pressed the back of his hand to Paulie's chest and Paulie automatically silenced.

"That's the man's bar, he say what goes," Avi said, surrendered, scooping the crushed pill on the napkin, then folding it up and putting it in the interior pocket of his suit jacket.

"Sorry, but I don't want that shit on my bar. Its bad enough what goes on in those back rooms, don't need that shit out in the open," Carl said, offering Avi a shot in brotherhood. Avi took it and threw it back in his throat in acceptance. 

"I wish you wouldn't do that shit," I sighed to Paulie. 

"What's life if you don't challenge it," Paulie sighed, closing his eyes and smiling like in a Tex Avery cartoon.

Suddenly a weight was around my shoulders and I jumped a little bit. But as I did, familiar warm lips were kissing my ear. Beautiful breath accompanied this, and I completely relaxed.

"You need a hotel room or something?" Carl asked Frankie, chuckling.

Frankie smiled then kissed me on the lips. I took his hand and squeezed it as he sat next to me on a bar stool. Carl poured him a simple shot of vodka and offered it to him.

"Thanks," Frankie said shyly, reaching out to grab it, but Carl whipped it back to himself.

"Whoa, whoa, who is this kid at my bar? You old enough to drink?" Carl joked. 

Everyone started laughing and Frankie started blushing like a tomato. 

"Just jokin', here you go, Boss," Carl laughed and handed it to him finally. Frankie accepted it nervously and then sipped it. Sipped.  "What you sippin' that for, boy?" Carl boomed in laughter. 

"Yeah, you throw back," Avi grinned. "Do you need demonstration?"

Frankie impossibly went even redder. "What?" he asked, so embarrassed the liquid near the top of his shot glass was shaking.