I'm Broken and So Are You

An Unexpected Visitor

Today would be a long one. I could tell. I had to work from opening to closing. Hopefully Phil would come in to brighten my day. I had such an excellent time with him last night. I think I really like him, but there's a lot left to know. Why did he move out of Louisiana? Who is Dime and what do they have to do that Phil isn't doing? Maybe if Phil comes in today I'll find a discreet way to ask him.

It was a couple hours into my shift, a few customers had come and gone. I heard the bell on the door ding and a man came in. He wasn't Phil but he looked like he could run with that crowd. A razorblade on a chain hung from his neck, the shine reflecting in the lights. "Welcome in, sir. What will you have?" I asked him as he sat down. He tossed his long curly hair back, thought for a second and decided to order the exact same thing Phil orders.

"We seem to get a lot of those orders. Is there something I'm missing out on?" I laughed. The man smiled and it was strangely warm. Almost like his tough, tattooed exterior didn't match who he was. He seemed too kind. I handed him his drink and decided to ask him the question on my mind. "I don't mean to seem weird here, sir. But do you know a Phil? Maybe a friend of yours?" The man shook his head at me. "You don't?" "It's not that miss. I do know Phil, very well. He's a friend of mine. He's quite the character. What are you doing hanging with him?" He asked me, almost like it was unheard of for Phil to be seen with someone like me. "I've been seeing him, like dating. How do you know him?" I responded. Could this be the guy Phil was yelling at on the phone, Dime?

"We're in a local band together, Pantera. I don't know if you've heard of us. Probably not." "Are you Dime?" I asked him. "Yep, that's me. Dimebag's what they call me. How did you guess? Does Phil talk about me?" He laughed and then smiled brightly. "You could say that." I laughed, "He was yelling at you on the phone the other day. He was here having the exact thing you're drinking. You called him and he said he wasn't coming. Was that for band practice?" Dimebag nodded. "Yeah Phil isn't the best at showing up. He's kinda got some issues. I'd say I always expect him at practice, but when he's been drinking heavily, he's no help. But he's our frontman, we could never do without him you know?" I thought about that for a second. That's probably why he got so angry on the phone. Dime gets sick of his shit. But Phil should know, he does it out of love. Dimebag fiddled with his necklace and looked around the room. "Y'all ever get other customers?" He joked motioning toward the empty bar. I shook my head and laughed. "Yes, believe it or not. You and Phil aren't the only ones here."

Suddenly, Kiara stepped out of the back room. "Dimebag?? Dimebag Darrell Abbott! It's been so long! What are you doing in our little bar? You're not touring right now? You know my girlfriend is a big fan of your band?" Dimebag grinned, "Good to see you too, Ms. Williams. You'll have to tell your little lady I stopped by. She'd flip her shit." "Wow, I didn't know you two knew each other! You should've given me the scoop. You know Phil's been in here." I told her and she raised an eyebrow. "Phil? Phil Anselmo?" I nodded, "Yeah, he took me out to dinner last night. Never mentioned you all know each other. Is he a private person?" Kiara nodded, "He doesn't really seem like a shy type, but he kinda keeps to himself. Apparently he's got the balls to ask your pretty self out though." She winked at me. I giggled, "You know he has a motorcycle? Ever been on the back of a Harley? It's like a dream." I winked back at her. Dimebag interjected "Phil's like a brother to me you know?" I nodded, "I'd think so. I can tell you love him. It's tough love, but it's there." Dimebag nodded in agreement. "He's a good man, just be careful. He's got a mean streak, drinks a little too much, and usually gets all the ladies."

I kept that in mind as the conversation fizzled down and Kiara went back to the back room. "So will I be seeing you around, miss....?" "Emily. I'm Emily Wintergreen." Dimebag seemed to remember something and leaned closer to me. I moved back a little in response. "No, it's okay. I wouldn't do anything. I respect you and Phil. I've just got something to tell you. It's very important."

I nodded in understanding and Dimebag leaned close again to whisper "I know your dad and he's looking for you..."

I could not believe what he just told me.