Nikki

Here it was, she was in bad shape. He was gone. even though she barely noticed. Like most she had been laid off. A year pass fifty with those C#, killing time until death blues. Sitting in the Macon drinking a beer, talking bout how sad some singer's life had become. Now that was sad, talking about somebody else when you're just putting on a your own clown's face to keep the tears away. Like many things around her, the Macon was slowly dying. The bar was located in an older part of town that wouldn't be seeing better days. On the outside the two story brick building blended in with the decaying neighborhood. Inside it was centered by a long rectangular bar, surrounded by lounge tables. In one corner a small stage and DJ booth, which was used only on rare occasions, provided just a reminder of past glory days. Along one wall an entrance way led to a small room which contained two pool tables.
"You straight?" the bartender asked.
"I'll have another one", Nikki replied.
"You drink Miller Lite, right."
"You know my drink is just plain Miller, you're not gonna get a tip forgetting me like that!"
"My bad, that will be two dollars."
"Things have really changed around here!" Nikki though out loud. She remembered there was a time when she didn't have to pay for her drinks at all.

Sitting in the Macon used to be fun when she was younger. It really wasn't more that much more eventful now, than when she was younger, but back then the focus was on the future. She would go in there knowing she looked good. Pride used to be taken in her waistline.
"There goes my back", joked Buster.
"No, that's my back" challenged James.
"Nikki, who's back is that", shouted Buster.
"Buster, you know its your back", replied Nikki.
She remembered making an entrance one night in nothing more that winter tights and a form fitting men's sweater. Place went dead quiet, until she found her seat. You should have seen the show she put on, climbing over those pool tables to get off a trick shot. When you looked good you knew good things were coming your way. Today her focus was on the past. This thing had passed her up, that thing had passed her up. When she thought about it, it had been awhile since something had passed her up. She wasn't even in the race anymore. Thinking about moving back home. But would that change anything. Every jaded day the same. Even when she was working there wasn't anything new. Been there, done that twice. Living off unemployment was getting old. Finding another dead end job was getting older. She wasn't happy and she didn't want to hear about somebody else's good time. She needed to make a real change. She remembered, "oh yeah its gonna be different this time". Started down a different road only to reach the same destination. Her song had just finished playing. That her song was about sixteen years old was a sad fact she tried to forget. Funny it always stop playing at about this time. Its ending used to be the signal for "time to get it cracking". Now it meant she needed to get home, get her clothes ready for Church in the morning. No one watched her leave.