Two Beers and A Question

The couple came in exactly twelve minutes before closing. They were laughing quietly and scanning the room. She sat in the inside of the booth and he slid in next to her. It looked like they might have been expecting another couple. The waiter approached and welcomed them, asking if they wanted to hear the specials. They looked at each other and laughed again. After ordering martinis they began to whisper and seemed to get very serious. She asked him to let her out of the booth to go freshen up. He hesitated but stood up and let her go. She was nervous and realized all the other patrons were aware of her movement. Her date lit a cigarette and tried to look unworried. A rush of cold air as the door opens. Two men walked in. They seat themselves at the bar and order two beers. They are aware of the man sipping his martini, alone in the booth. Several minutes pass by. The man looks anxiously towards the hall the woman went into. He wonders if she is refreshing her makeup. He thinks she looked stunning. He knows that she is always concerned about her appearance though. She is shy and confident at the same time. He has been studying her for several months now. He wonders how much she knows about what is really going on. As his face reveals his worry, she reappears and crosses the room towards him. He quickly recovers. But not soon enough, she notices his concern and asks him if everything is okay. He moves so she can resume her place in the booth. As he gets up, he sees the men at the bar gesture in their direction. He wonders if his plan is a good one after all. He brought her here, a public place, as insurance for his own safety. Now, he wonders if he should have used her this way. He sits down with her again and begins to tell her jokes. She giggles and relaxes. He does not. The men at the bar down the rest of their beers and order two more. The bartender tells them he has already called last call before they got their first drinks. One man stands and pulls his jacket aside. The bartender makes an exception. The waiter comes over to the table and tells the couple that the joint is closing and asks them to pay the bill. The man gives him some cash and says to “keep the change”. It is at this point that the two men take their beers and slide into the booth opposite our couple. The man says, “You took your time.” He is asked for a dossier. The man says it is in the car; would the men like to join him outside. This idea is rejected and the two tell him that the girl will stay there, and the man should hurry back with the briefcase. He reassures the woman with a pat on the thigh and leaves to retrieve the men’s object of desire. She has no idea what is going on, but she knows that it could be dangerous. The man she is with works for her husband. Her husband is away on business and she was told that the man was going to stay with her for company. Now she is wondering if he has other jobs too. She’s been asking herself so many questions lately. What does her husband really do? Why are there always so many men coming to the house? Why doesn’t he want her to accompany him on any of his business trips? Where is he? What is a dossier? But now, the real question finally becomes the most important question of all: IS SHE SAFE? all rights reserved