#10
Claude sat behind the two way mirror watching his empty roadhouse. A dark, scowling expression sat permanently on his face. The only patron was Hobart sitting on the last stool, drooling over Betty as she wiped the pristine bar top. The weather had effectively shut down his trade for the evening.
Claude's foul mood had already sent Sarah slinking away, after he barked harshly at her. Boy, she couldn't figure out what was eating at him. He had been so damm moody the last several days that she had a mind to take over Betty's bar job just to have something constructive to do.
Joining Betty behind the bar, Sarah pretended to inspect the liquor supply for restocking. "He's sure in a snit," she remarked to Betty. "He's acting like his tighties are pinching."
Betty chuckled lightly as she turned around to lean her elbows on the polished mahogany bar behind her. "It's Inga," Betty said as if that explained everything.
"Who is Inga?" Sarah wanted to know.
"Well lets see, she's Evie's daughter and Evie is your sister in law, soooo, I guess that would make her your niece," Betty patiently explained the relationship. "You claim to be set in so close with Evie, yet you didn't even know her kids; com'on you can't be so dense as to think we believe all you say."
"Well," Sarah flounced away, "Ron didn't want to have anything to do with his sister. She was so,..so common and rural."
"Rural!" Betty hooted, making Hobart look at her with puppy dog eyes. "Rural, that's a rich way to put it. That old woman was born 150 years too late the way she clings to the old ways." The lights went out, and Betty muttering under her breath felt along underneath the bar for the flashlight.
"Blast it, Sarah; did you move the flashlight again. If you don't leave it in the same place, we can't find it," Betty was provoked beyond reason.
"Oh, it's here somewhere," Sarah blithely replied right before she crashed into Betty; who was coming from the opposite direction.
"Listen you twit, can't you do anything right," Betty all but screamed, Sarah's elbow had landed on the side of her neck and it hurt.
"Me a twit, why you wrinkled old hag, don't you speak to me in that tone." Sarah's cold, frosty enunciation was carefully spaced to get her point across.
"Uhh, Betty, I have a flashlight," Hobie spoke into the darkness, offering anything he had to his infatuation.
"Well turn the stink'in thing on, are you daft!" Betty said caustically, trying to get to her feet amid the tangle of her and Sarah arms and legs.
The weak yellow beam shot down the bar to strike both women in the eyes. "Not in my eyes you idiot," Sarah screamed in Betty's ear. Shaking her head at the loud sound, Betty banged her head into Sarah's nose.
"Ohhh, you hurt me!" Sarah screamed again, "You gave me a bloody nose." muffled word's as Sarah held the hem of her fancy black sequin shirt to her nose. "That's worthless as a towel," Betty sneered as she thrust one of the bar mops towards Sarah,"Here use this." The hand connected to the white towel connected firmly with Sara's hand covering her nose, pushing Sarah's own hand into her nose with considerable force.
"You get away from me, your vicious, you animal!" Sarah used her most stinging insult against Betty, as she scrambled to get away.
"Betty, honey are you ok?" Hobart leaned over the bar to find his love interest.
Betty decided she like the solicitous care she could hear in Hobart's voice. It was about time someone recognized her worth as a woman. "I'm here," she purred in her best sexy voice. "Put your arm over the bar and help me up Hobie." and she pulled on his arm to follow her down the length of the bar toward her room.
"Hobart, did you pay for your beer," Claude thundered as he thumped through the door. "If you did, get on home, we're closing."
Hobie sighed. If Claude was around, his walk with Betty was going to cost him money, and he had none to spare. He squeezed Betty's hand and took his flashlight with him out the door.
"Thanks for rescuing me," Sarah used her best sultry voice on Claude, only to get a 'humph," in return.
"I'll lock the doors," Claude dismissed both women. "I'll be in the office and don't want to be disturbed." and he turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness surrounding the entryway.