BILL CADY Word Count: 149,227 - At My Friend's Place

Bill Cady, The Early Years … by Bill Cady 344
terrified. I honestly didn‟t realize our society had gotten to the point where a “first
marriage” also meant a “training marriage”. If I‟d been wise enough to see it, I‟d‟ve
introduced TJ as “my first wife” the day of the wedding, and after. If-dog-rabbit.
So, with my thoughts on TJ and what might happen later between us, I walked
into this little bar on the side of the road. It was, as I recall, part of a “town” with less
than a dozen businesses. A bump in the road, but those kind of places often have the best
food, as long as you‟re not after anything fancy.
It reminded me of a place called The Airport Bar in Lansing. The way it was
built, I almost felt it was the same place, and I drank often at the Airport. When I came
through the door I saw a dining room, of sorts, off to my right. Nobody was eating, but
the small two person tables were half filled with beer drinkers. The far side of that room,
away from the door, had four pool tables and I think two were being used by a few guys.
To my left was a longer area, only half as wide, with the kitchen taking up the
room behind it. The part out front, where I could see it, was basically the standard bar
arrangement. A big mirror on the wall, with dozens of liquors and liqueurs on the shelves
in front. A long wooden bar with brown imitation leather padding all along the edge.
Round barstools in the same pretend leather lining the bar back to the far wall, with more
two person tables at the front wall, on my left.
I ordered a cheeseburg, a Coke, and onion rings. As soon as I said it, I was glad
I‟d stopped. Just using those words made me even hungrier, and the whole damned idea
sounded better and better to me. I got a draft beer, since most places didn‟t carry many
beers I knew from back home, and drank it while my food was being prepared.
When the barkeep set the basket in front of me, I finished what was left of the
Leviticus, Limited 33-0505963