Member-only story
The After Work Special
How did Hakeem end up in the same bar as his superior Syd?
Syd.
How did we end up in the same bar after work? I cling to my rum and coke. She winks at me as her lips wrap around her glass. My heart skips a beat.
I slide down to her end of the bar. Her skin-tight black dress shows every curve I don’t get to see in the office. The bar’s dim lights illuminate her ebony skin perfectly.
“What’re you doing on this side of town?” I ask. Her fade has been lined up fairly recently. I could still see the neat lines.
She scrunches her eyes up at me. “What do you mean? I come here often, don’t I, Ray?” Ray’s dark chocolate skin glows under the bar’s lights. He’s an older man with more of a kind grandfather vibe, and he’s always got a great smile to share with everyone.
We both look at the bartender. Ray dips his head, showing off his black, red-feathered fedora. “Good evening, Ms. Moore. Mr. Powell.”
“I never see you here,” I tell her.
She gives me a playful eye roll. “I never see you here,” she repeats.
I take another sip of my rum and coke. She gives me a smile that makes me forget my name.
