---

 

This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book “The End of the World” Down in the Dirt, v176 (the October 2020 Issue) Order the paperback book:

Order this writing that appears in the one-of-a-kind anthology Late Frost the Down in the Dirt Sept.-Dec. 2020 issues collection book		get the 420 page Sept.-Dec. 2020 Down in the Dirt 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

Atlantic City

Michael Fitzgerald

    Jimmy lay face down in the bed embalmed with the night before; Lily wrapped around him like a python that ate the guinea pig whole. Atop the mountain range of bedclothes trolled Hey-Duke, Jimmy’s twelve-year-old cat, who was complaining viscerally about the delay of breakfast. It was nine-thirty on a Saturday morning and there was sparse a movement on the playing field.

    Hey-Duke purred purposely for food as Jimmy let out a moan of leave me be. Lily was the first to move as she swiveled her bare legs out of bed and slipped on a pair of lime green panties. “I love lime green. It reminds me of Margaritas,” Jimmy slurred giggling. Lily surveyed Jimmy’s condition and replied, “You don’t need much of a memory to remember James.”
    “James! You sound like my fucking mother. Jesus! Does anyone know how to have fun anymore?”
    Lily stood silent for a moment taking in Jimmy’s childish foray, and then continued getting dressed. This of course ignited instant drama within Jimmy.
    “Why do you have to be like this?”
    “Me?”
    “Yeah you! Always right. Acting like you know better.”
    “I’m just concerned by your behavior.”
    “Oh Jesus fucking Christ you sound like some dried up twat of a high school principal.”
    “Look at where you go when someone questions your behavior. You become a total defense mechanism. What are you defending? That you’re an alcoholic.”
    “I’m not an alcoholic. I can stop any time I want.”
    “Then why don’t you?”
    “Because I enjoy it.”
    “Nobody around does.”
    Jimmy stood silent shaking his head.

    Lily ended the conversation, packed her things and left abruptly. Jimmy sat in his bed justifying his actions; he thought he had every right to defend his pleasures. He swung his legs to the side of the bed. Hey-Duke started to rub against him “Give it a break will ya Duke” as he brushed the cat aside with his bare foot. “What a day for her to go batshit,” he thought, “maybe a blessing in disguise,” after further reflection.

    Tonight was closing night of the play and there would be a cast party at the Palladium with an open bar and lots of birds to feed. He fantasized about the last cast party he attended with Lily. Many woman offering more than welcoming smiles, he wouldn’t have to monitor himself with his drinking either.
    “Yeah, could be a blessing” he smiled. After all he mused, “Everything happens for a reason.”

    This was Jimmy’s third Off Broadway show in a row, a supporting lead in all. “No more bartending and waiting on tables to make due till the next gig,” he thought. His manager was all but decreeing lead parts were in the near future. Jimmy stilled himself for a moment; the hum of his confidence filled the room like air conditioning. “No more bullshit jobs. I want to eat this town like it was a defenseless lamb.” He laughed to himself as he cracked three eggs into a frying pan sizzling with olive oil. “Yeah, I want it screaming as it slides down my throat.”

    Jimmy carefully put his makeup on, his phone on vibrate so not to disturb the other actors. Most of the day progressed and still no call from Lily, she must be wallowing in her feelings again. He warmed up for the show dropping into his zone. Lights up and Jimmy was on. The show went terrific, he thought. Standing ovation with three bows, not bad. Returning to the dressing room, still no call from Lily.

    “Oh well! I guess it’s a night for Jimmy.” He caught a cab to the Palladium and was greeted by the Daily News theater columnist who raved about his performance. Jimmy contained himself within false humility as best he could. He wished the journalist a good night and launched himself into the club’s bar, thinking “what a kind twat he is.”

    The bartenders at the Palladium all knew Jimmy. He was one of them two years ago. Jimmy was the poster boy for bartender makes good and the bar crew treated him as royalty. Paul, a tall handsome bartend approached with a huge high five.
    “How’s it going Jimmy? I heard great things about your show.”
     “Pity you couldn’t have seen it. You might have learned something,” Jimmy breaking into a forced laugh. “I’m only shitting ya. Thanks, Paul.”
    “What will it be tonight?” Paul’s smile shrunk to a mere purse of the lips.
    “I think gin gimlets will be the drink of the night. Make it a double.”

    Before Paul had served two customers Jimmy was done with his drink and taped his glass for a refill.
    “Knocking them back tonight Jimmy!”
    “Yessir! No nanny tonight to tie my dick in a knot.”
    “You and Lily still on?”
    “Why you waiting for a rebound?”
    “No, of course not. I like Lily. She’s a nice girl.”
    “A nice girl? You’re so full of shit. You’d love to have her suck your dick. Nice girl, my ass.” Paul stood shocked at Jimmy’s boldness but was not surprised. Jimmy made everything a drama. Paul poured Jimmy another drink and went on with his business. Jimmy decided to cruise the restroom.

    The restrooms in the Palladium were notorious for bad behavior. The gender suggestions on the doors meant nothing. Men and women gathered in the laboratories snorting coke, having sex in stalls and sometimes in clear view. Jimmy was game for some darkness.

    Upon entering the Men’s room Jimmy spied two luscious Puerto Rican girls snorting some blow on the sink counter.
    “Is this the candy store?”
    “Oh my God it’s Jimmy Austin.”
    “In the flesh.”
    “You were so good in that show.”
    “I’m pretty good when I’m not in the show as well.”
    “I bet you are. I’m Pia and this is my sis Lisa,” as she leaned in and gave Jimmy a little kiss. Jimmy taking full advantage pulled her in for an open mouth that went from innocent to intense in a millisecond. Lisa laughed as she snorted a line. When Pia separated from Jimmy Lisa chimed right in, “my turn.” She pressed herself against him and before surrendering to a full on kiss she sucked his bottom lip.
    “Damn girls! It looks and feels like you’re both ready to party.”
    “Whatever you can give we can take,” chimed Lisa.
    “Sis take it easy.”
    “It’s OK I like easy and keeping it in the family.”
    A waiter cruised into the Men’s room, “Anyone ordering?”
    “Yeah right here. Three double gin gimlets,” Jimmy barked as he bent forward to snort a line.
    “We going to get down tonight Jimmy, you will never forget us,” Pia whispered in his ear as her palm brushed against his crotch.
    “Can I hold you to that?” Jimmy laughed.

    Three rounds of drinks and several lines with an interlude in the stall with the sisters taking turn swallowing the salami. They headed for the dance floor.
    The ballroom was a freak show of people who were beyond suggestion of good behavior. The entire floor looked like an audition for a soft-core porn film. Couples blended, mingled and connected in various ways, while singles seemed to inject themselves as a special spice.

    Jimmy stood at the bar aglow with the apparent bacchanalia as he downed another double and tapped his glass for a refill. He watched Pia and Lisa dancing lewdly and laughed “Sisters!” Jimmy took his drink from Paul without any acknowledgement, gulped it down in one take and strutted to the beat towards the dance floor. He circled the sisters like a wolf about to dine on a pair of lambs. Of course Pia and Lisa were no lambs but demonic spawn themselves as they invited Jimmy to be the créme in their mocha cookie. Jimmy danced like a marionette on the strings of an evil puppeteer.
    While dancing Jimmy felt like he was out of time that his existence had entered a cloud and he was floating on automatic pilot. There were milliseconds of something he couldn’t quite identify like a child running away from home with a teddy bear and peanut butter and jelly sandwich or people who die and come back to life but there was no light at the end of this tunnel. His heart thumped like a kick drum as he fell deeper into the cloud then suddenly disappearing like a sugar cube into a hot cup of coffee.

    Jimmy stood on a balcony in his boxers; body glistening with sweat as he looked out he could see the ocean. He was confused beyond belief. Pia approached dressed only in panties giving him a kiss. Her mouth tasted like a dry dirty carpet.
    “Atlantic City?”
    “Baby?”
    “Atlantic City?”
    “No baby, San Juan! You don’t remember the plane ride, banging the shit out of Lisa and me. Oh Baby! You be making memories for other people. You were really fucked up.” Pia started laughing like she was teasing a pet.


     Jimmy stood like he was trapped by a swarm of bees seeing no way out of the spinning funnel. He realized he was living inside the word danger like it was his personal address. Old voices burrowed through his head like worms. In that moment the word forgiveness was in the lost and found. He stared at his watch like a wishing well to take him back to change or forward his way the fuck out of here.

    He sat on the bed as the sisters laid siege on the bathroom. His boon companions of pounding head and queasy stomach joined him in his vigil. Suddenly the phone rang. It was his phone but where in this apocalyptia did it reside. Jimmy scrambled over the one night stand terrain and found the phone under a pillow. It was Lily.
    “Jimmy? ... Where are you?
    Jimmy looked around the room as if his shadow had left a stain. The sisters burst out of the bathroom like a hung over hurricane as impersonal as God. Jimmy still hadn’t said a word, the story being told by background noise. He stood buried inside himself like a whisper in a seashell tamping down the truth like gunpowder in an old pistol. In the stillness the silence rang an alarm.
    “I need help, Lily. I need help.”

Copyright of written pieces remain with the author, who has allowed it to be shown through Scars Publications and Design.Web site © Scars Publications and Design. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.

Problems with this page? Then deal with it...