The Rain Check
She slid slowly from her bed, not wanting to disturb
the sleeping gentleman, slightly snoring and unfortunately
the most inexperienced of her pick ups, she went to the bathroom
peed and needed to get out and think why she kept bringing
the strays home.
She took her robe and cigarettes, opened the back door
from the kitchen and stepped out into the Chicago night
She pulled up a chair and dropped into her smoking chair
The chair she kept for thinking when she smoked outside.
In Chicago at this time of year, the days were almost hot,
and the nights were brisk. She almost needed a coat but
sucked it up with just a robe. She tapped out a cigarette
and patted the filter end, struck her lighter and inhaled.
Blowing out her first smoke, she wished she had a whiskey
right now to go with it.
She scanned the back porches and she stopped on her neighbors
porch. In the corner, she saw the lit cherry of someone else smoking
in the dark. She heard the chair move and a man, about her age
leaned over the porch rail, cigarette in his hand and a glass of
something dark in his others which he used to wave as he said
"Good evening, can't sleep or contemplating the young man in
your apartment?"
She smiled, not sure to be pissed for him noticing her date or for
being so froward as to call out what she was really out here for.
She got up and leaned over her railing. "The latter, you stalking me?"
He smiled, "No, just saw you come home and had a gentlemen,
a rather young gentlemen. I had a similar experience last night,
with a young lady of course. I did the same thing last night,
needed a smoke and a drink then, too. I'm Jake"
Jake was a very good looking man, at least she thought but she had
to turn this down. She just got done with a young man...well, she slept
with a young man that night...she wasn't done, but she wasn't going to...
fuck it.
"What are you drinking? I'm Gale. What happened to your date last night"
"Its whiskey, you want one? She was just too young. Or maybe I'm just too old to be fishing in that pond. I just moved here from Indy, but young girls are the same all over.
I don't know what it is, they don't seem to enjoy conversation."
She smiled and nodded, "I just needed to clear my head, I'll take a
rain check for that whiskey, though. The young gentleman was just a pick up.
Not a very good one at that" She paused, in haled and flicked her ash.
Jake, nodded. Knowing they both crossed that line of shifting their dating ranges.
He finished his drink and set the tumbler down and took a drag from his cigarette.
"Well, listen, if you want, I can cash that rain check tomorrow. You interested?"
Gale, brought her cigarette to her lips, inhaled and smiled, "Sure thing, save some of that whiskey - Drinks and smokes or dinner, too?"
Jake smiled, "I've been known to do alright in the kitchen. We can do whiskey or coffee after."
Gale put out her smoke and said,"Now you're talking, I guess I better get back to my gentleman caller. Nice to meet you Jake" she held out her had across the railing.
He reached over and gave a her a firm handshake, which she returned. "See you later tonight"
She smiled and walked towards the door and said, "Night"
"Night" he said as he smiled.
Gale walked in, and smiled and said, "all right then, guess the night wasn't a complete bust"