His and Lows - Part IV

They appeared to be like any of the other thousand or so young couples I wind up serving during the summer months here at the Hungry Iguana. He looked to be in his late twenties, dark hair, pale complexion (I’m guessing he doesn’t work or get outside too much) and carried himself with an air of being slightly uncomfortable in his own skin …as if he was working on something really important but, thought he might be in “over his head.”

She on the other hand was full of confidence. Confident in the way she carried herself across the room and perched herself onto the corner stool. Confident in the way she barked out her drink order while quietly surveying the room… She reminded me of a queen holding court. She was blonde, almost pretty with long straight hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Her face had a slightly cherubic quality that conveyed “cute” with a slightly pronounced chin. She had full lips and a knowing smile on her face when she accepted the vodka and tonic that I presented her.

After receiving their drinks, their attention turned to one another. They exchanged some seemingly private glances all the while their attention was more so on the other patrons and dancers on the dance floors. Their conversation was not animated or subdued but, they basically blended in with the crowd… at least in my mind.

This carried on for some time. The mannerisms they engaged in seemed to suggest that they were the only ones in on a private joke. I was in the middle of the happy hour rush that early evening and only occasionally gave them more than a cursory glance. No more attention than what I was able to provide to any of the customers situated at the bar right then.

After about a half hour, I took my break and being the dedicated fool that I am, decided that I would use some of that time to restock the bar. This meant that I had to make a trip out into the storage room in an area at the rear of the bar. It was during that time that the two patrons described above had a “Bonnie and Clyde” flashback. They each produced some weaponry that apparently was concealed in the coats that they had continued to have draped over their arms since they had arrived.

The girl (we’ll call Bonnie) called out “Okay folks this is a stick up! Cooperate and no one will end up getting hurt!”.

The guy (Clyde) then proceeded to make the rounds through the room relieving folks of their wallets, jewelry, watches and general good will while Bonnie kept her two weapons (Colt 45’s… reminiscent of the great wild west) trained on the room at large sweeping the guns around in wide arcs for effect.

I was completely oblivious to these events back in the storeroom. My primary focus was on finding where the receiving guy stashed the Stolichnaya vodka shipment. I knew with the weekend a day away that there was likely going to be a run on this popular liquor and needed to make dips on whatever we had.

I gathered up a case of Dewer’s and two bottles of Tequila and proceeded to make way back through the aisles to the bar. That’s when I heard the shot. It startled me enough that I almost lost the two bottles of Tequila that I had laying loose atop the case of Scotch. I assessed more quickly than I would have thought (if someone was quizzing me on “what if” scenarios) and only peeked through the slats on the connecting door rather than burst through as was my custom.

I saw that Bonnie was shouting out intimidating threats to all within ear shot but, that she had her back to me. I immediately made a value judgment and decided that discretion truly was the better part of valor and decided to hold my position in the storeroom.

That decision might have kept me out of this particular dangerous situation had it not been for Bonnie and Clyde’s decision to make their exit through the store room.

After they felt that they had pilfered all they were likely to get from the crowd assembled, Clyde deposited the ill gotten booty into a duffle bag (that I had failed to take notice off prior to this) and made his way quickly across the dance floor with a steady bead on the door that I was hiding behind.

What happened next was a surprise to Bonnie, Clyde and me…

---Jim