Transcending Queen by SK Thomas Page A

thought as I locked my eyes onto the bar
that I hate so much.
    “Tony you bastard, get me a beer and a shot
of your best vodka!” I merrily shouted while finding a nice worn
down seat at the bar.
    He glanced at me with a strange expression,
“You sure?”
    “Of course I’m sure. Line them up; it’s going
to be a long night. We’re celebrating while I drink someone under
the table!”
    “Celebrating what?”
    “Well, let’s see now, one of two things. It’s
either for giving up on life or because my life is a train wreck.
I’ll let you decide.”
    “Oh shit.” He mumbled under his breath while
rolling his eyes.
    “Oh shit is right. Try my life on for size,
then you can cuss.”
    “C’mon, you have nothing on me.”
    “Forget it, doesn’t matter. Just give me my
drinks.”
    He slid that first beer down the bar as I
stopped it with my hand and actually had a moment of hesitation
checking out the other guys sitting nearby. I couldn’t stop now as
I seriously needed this, even if just for a couple of hours.
    “Tony, don’t slide the shots huh?”
    “Sure, no sliding anymore. Go ahead and prove
yourself, what are you waiting for?”
    With those words I drew the glass of beer up
to my mouth and tipped it back gulping as fast as I could.
    “Hey ho!” They all shouted as I downed it in
mere seconds. The shot came next, “Hey ho!” I heard again as they
cheered me on.
    “Again Tony, I said keep them coming.” I
ordered.
    Tony shook his head not believing what he
just saw, but ponied up another round. I wallowed in my sorrows
unable to see past the negativity that engulfed me in its clinches.
After several hours of blowing off steam, annoying him and all the
other patrons in the establishment, he had had enough of me.
    “Hey, it’s Tony. Your girl is down here and
she needs to leave. Come get her as soon as possible.” He insisted
talking on the bar phone.
    “I can’t, she wants her space and I am not
about to get involved. Sorry man.”
    “No, you don’t understand, she’s in a stupor
about ready to pass out. You need to help her.”
    “Find someone else. She’s not my problem
right now.” Jack insisted.
    “Who the fuck else is going to take
responsibility for her? C’mon Jack!”
    “I got to go, again I’m sorry.” Jack said as
he hung up.
    Tony felt like a deer in headlights and being
only 5pm he refused to let her kill his business all night. He
didn’t want to babysit. One of his regulars got up to leave when he
felt compelled, “Hey, take her home on your way.”
    “No, I don’t know where she’s from.” He said
with his beard swaying as he turned.
    “Look, she stays at the motel. Drop her off
in the front office and Luann will take care of it.”
    “Nope, my kids are grown.”
    Tony turned to say something when he caught a
glimpse of an overbearing shadowy figure and knew immediately who
waited out there due to his rather large stature. He came searching
for Melissa since she had missed yet another session.
    “Father Clayton, can you take her back to her
room? I can’t be responsible for her all night. I have a business
to run.” Tony explained.
    “What happened here? Why did you let this get
out of control?”
    “I don’t know, she’s determined and then one
thing lead to another.”
    “Listen Tony, if this happens again I’m going
to shut this place down. You know I have the authority.” Father
Clayton then noticed Melissa slur her words incoherently wishing he
could’ve stopped this before it had gotten this far. Wiping his
brow, he established it was going to be a long walk as he picked
her up and got her out of there.
    Upon entering his place, he propped her up on
the couch and she immediately slouched over. “Not even well enough
to stay sitting upright on her own”, Father Clayton mumbled and
once more bared her weight as he finally got her back to his bed.
She lay sprawled out so helpless and unaware. He took in her full
body that had intoxicated him from