Red Light District 9

I know Joseph well. I know all his favourite positions in bed. How he only likes to take a shower before doing anything in the morning. How he likes his grilled cheese slightly grilled and with plenty of ketchup. I know that if life had turned out differently for him, he could have been a doctor or a college professor, like he always wanted to. I know him well enough to know that he would be at Paradise Gay Bar right now. Thats why I went a little farther away to the straight Heinz Bar. I figured I would have a few drinks and hustle a little pool (or the other way around) and go back home. The first guy I ran into at the pool table was perfect bait. He had that macho attitude and completely fell for my innocent act. I scored fifty dollars out of it. You have to give the bar an hour or two before trying to con someone else out of their money so I sat at the bar. "What can I get for ya, suga?" Asked the slutty waitress. Her tight Daisy Duke shorts should never have been on that milkshake of an ass. "Miller lite." "Drinkin lite?" She asked with scepticism. I really could care less that young people tend to drink a lot stronger stuff than a beer. I couldn't be hung over in the morning without Joseph knowing about it. She brought back the beer and sat it in front of me. I took a few hits from it. I spun around in my stool and started to study the people as the naturally went about the bar. A fat guy was working up the courage to ask out a preppy girl, dolled up in pink. He wasnt having much luck. There was a couple making out in a booth. Around the bar, there were a few college guys out to have a good time. Next to me sat another guy that just walked in. He was dressed in a raggedy sweater and a ball cap. His eyes were hazel. They were dull, as if he had been drinking all day. He didnt look that much older than Joseph. His eyes made contact with mine. I was probably staring at him for too long. "Joseph?" I was taken aback. Why the hell is this guy calling me Joseph? "No..." I stopped taking. This was that pig I saw at the liquor store the other day. Shit, Im screwed. I just need to act cool and then sneak out of here asap. "It's Joe." I played off. "Sorry." He commented. "Funny running into you here." "Yeah... funny." This was just uncomfortable. "Miss! I'll take whatever he's having!" He yelled acrossed the bar. I was hoping he might just drink his beer and leave, but of coarse thats not the way these things go. "It's Kevin by the way." I wasn't paying attention so he repeated himself. "Kevin, not Officer Tell." "Oh." I responded. "What's your name?" "Nick." I gasped. I didnt mean to say that! Kevin started to laugh deeply. "Old police trick. So how old are you really Nick?" "Twenty-four and it's Joe." I was in for it now. I couldn't lie my way out of this. "Come on. Does it look like I'm going into work any time soon. I'm just curious." Kevin had a light-hearted smile upon his face. "I'm eighteen." I lied. It was close enough for the cop to know about. "So why are you here?" He looked around. "Alone? On a Friday night? Shouldn't you be going out to wild parties and banging every chick there?" This made me laugh slightly. Banging a chick? "Naw. I guess Im not the wild partying type." "Then the serious student that is just taking a brake from the books for a moment?" Kevin was intent on finding the answer. "Not that one either. Just relaxing." "That's cool." Kevin and I had already finished our first beers. Kevin ordered us two more. I dont know how it happened, but the hours seemed to slip by in that bar. Kevin and I were lost in our discussion. We took a bet on whether or not the chubby guy would hit on the blonde. We talked about the Yankees and how we were both huge fans. He never brought up who Joe was or what I was doing since high school. I hadnt bothered to ask anything about his job and why he was here. Those things were better left unsaid. I had only started to talk to him that night, but we already seemed like we had been best friends our whole lives. Kevin told me that he had to put the pool game we were playing on hold to use the bathroom. I was alone at the bar when my eyes wandered to the clock. Uh oh! Its three in the morning! Im going to be in so much trouble when I get home. I left the bar immediately, leaving Kevin unaware of my abscond. I couldnt help it. I need to be home. I felt horrible.