Unicorn fights Bears. bas de page. France c. 1475-1525. BL
Her Two Cents
I don’t often find short stories posted on missed connections. True, there’s no shortage of lengthy rants-n-raves, TMI tales of woe, or incoherent middle of the night ramblings; but stories, like this one from Savannah, are pretty unique. Is this piece fiction or creative non-fiction? Only you can decide.
The Bear and Unicorn
Missed Connections in Savannah
The dinner rush was over and it was just another slow boring night at The Bear and Unicorn. Shonna leaned against the bar and chatted with the bartender. She had been working there for several years, definitely more than she had expected to when she started. Coworkers had become good friends (and sometimes lovers), only to move on to other things, while Shonna hadn’t felt that the time was “right” for her to leave. She had grown comfortable in this place, serving travelers till the wee hours of the morning.
She recognized him immediately when he walked in, she had seen him here many times. He was not exactly a regular, he would sometimes disappear for weeks or months, but he would always return. There were two things she remembered about him; one was his cheerful demeanor, which he seemed to be able to maintain even when he was so drunk he could hardly stand, and the other was his generosity. He was a good tipper, but would also buy drinks for the help when he ran into them off-duty. Just last week he had bought her a drink at The Grog House. There was a song he liked to sing when he was well into his cups….the only part she could remember was “so be easy and free, when you’re drinkin’ on me, I’m a man you don’t meet every day.”
He was with a new one tonight. Most of the time he came alone, but occasionally he would come in with a group, or more likely with a lady friend. He didn’t seem to have a type, there were young ones and older ones, large ones and small ones. It usually seemed innocent enough, just dinner with a friend. But he always left you wondering what else there was to the story….
This girl was definitely on the small and young range of the spectrum, and certainly not hard to look at. They cozied up to a table and Shonna was a little disappointed to see that it wasn’t hers, Brandon would be waiting on them. She could have used the tip money, and listening in on their conversation would have been the icing on the cake. When she got a chance, she pulled Brandon aside and let him know that this guy came in a lot, and if you took good care of him he’d take good care of you. He nodded and smiled.
Shonna got busy with a couple of tables and put the couple out of her mind. At least she did until there was a large crash from the direction of their table, followed by an “oh, FUCK!” from the man’s companion, followed quickly by an “I mean, darn!” As Shonna turned to look, she saw the man laughing heartily while the flustered server tried to clean up what appeared to be a small mess on the table, and the girl hid her face in her napkin. “It’s never boring with you around, is it?” the bartender interjected. The man replied with a booming laugh, “not if I can help it!”
After that Shonna would sneak a glance at the table now and then. They seemed to be having a good time, but there was no touching or rubbing like she was used to seeing between couples out late together. They seemed to be amusing each other very well. She returned from a trip to the cellar to get a bottle of wine to find them gone.
A couple of hours later, her shift was finally done. She walked out the back door and headed home. As she turned down an alley, she saw silhouettes of two figures walking ahead of her. It appeared to be the man and his companion. She moved into the shadows and walked slower, not wanting to interrupt their walk. She saw the girl grasp the man’s arm to stop him, and she slipped a hand behind his neck, pulling his face to hers to give him a kiss. After a few moments she whispered something to him and he nodded, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her off the ground, kissing her harder. As they continued their walk, the girl put her arm in his and rested her head on his shoulder. Shonna felt the first tear roll down her cheek. “Why am I crying? Am I happy for them or sad for me? Does it even matter?”
She ducked into a doorway and sobbed for a bit, then pulled herself together and made her way home.
(This chapter is dedicated to the hopeless romantics of the world)
