"But I have to pee."
"I'll be here. You want another?"
"Sure, why not. One for the road."
Alec got off the barstool. His legs were stiff from being immobile for so long. Another patron
edged immediately toward his seat—jeans, boots, button-down, high and tight. Demarco intercepted,
stretching his long leg out and saving Alec's stool. The man raised his glass toward the bartender as if just placing an order.
Alec weaved his way through the crowded floor. Something was odd. B.J.'s was not usually this
stuffed after the show-tunes stopped. Then it occurred to him—Veteran's Day was tomorrow. That
explained it. It also explained why the Carolina governor was there, the mailman, and other suits.
Federal holiday. Gotta love DC.
He squeezed through the thick crowd, trying to maneuver like a hero in a tedious video game.
Back in the day, brushing up against so many hot, sweaty men would have been a thrill, now it was an annoyance. He turned to shift sideways and came face to face with the burly mailman, his sweaty
arms, lifting a Budweiser high, his stubbly mug, inches away from Alec's.
"Hi," he said with a grin. "I need to ask you something. Are—"
Great,Alec thought.Here we go.
"It's going to have to wait. I gotta pee," said Alec, severing the guy's pickup line before he could complete it.
The man mouthed a silentSure,nodding, and gestured with his furry arm, shoving a few folks away for Alec to inch further.
Alec mouthedThank youto the man. He smiled, thumbs up.
He had moved a few feet more when the music changed. Deborah Cox,Nobody's supposed to
Be Here. Gotta love nineties remixes. The pumping bass and escalating melody, had the crowd moving in place, and suddenly he felt as if he were on a dance floor instead of just simply trying to move toward a bathroom. He had to lift his arms as well, to slip through with less resistance. He'd reached the end of the long bar, only having traveled about ten feet.
This is another reason to get the fuck out of DC, he thought, his anger rising.
And then he remembered the employee bathroom. Mac had offered it to him and Demarco once
before on a crowded night. He made a left and emerged from the pulsating mass to the periphery. At the perimeter, the temperature immediately dropped and it was easier to breathe. Two guys were
standing just off the bar near the wait station with drinks in hand, relegated to this less desirable location. One was looking away but the other's eyes met his and Alec deflected immediately, moving ahead with his arms out and pushing through the swinging kitchen door.
He was bathed in harsh fluorescent light and the music softened to a rhythmic bass thump. He
looked around to get his bearings. Ahead was the kitchen—a lone dishwasher had his back to him,
leaning over an industrial sink. To his left were lockers and a coat rack for employees, to his right a dark hall leading to the bathroom. He felt his way along the walls down the corridor, relieved to be out of the bright light and nearing the porcelain bliss of bladder relief.
There were two doors, one markedMen, oneWomen. This never failed to amuse him as he could not recall ever having seen a woman work at B.J.'s. Must be some kind of law he supposed.
Both had a blue sign indicating that they were handicap accessible. He reached for the knob on the men's and it would not turn. Locked. Great… now he would have to dance on tip-toes while some
employee took a shit.
