Hustle Me by Jennifer Foor

always tip her good before I leave.”  
    Charlie. Her name was Charlie.  
    I think a smile came across my face before I even knew what I was doing. Tippy looked over at his girlfriend and walked closer to me. “You don’t want to go there, Jammer. She ain’t like the Sugars you are used to.”  
    I patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, let me be the judge of that.”  
    He chased after me and when we made it around the corner, I stopped. “I’m not playing, man. She’ll never give you the time of day. Charlie’s a nice girl who is really having a hard time. She had to drop out of college and become a parent to a brother she didn’t even know she had.  The last thing she needs is a one night stand with you.”  
    I pushed him, but not in a fighting kind of way. “You want her for yourself don’t you? What, did she turn you down?”  
    He scrunched up his face. “No, dude. My girl would kick my ass. That’s the only reason she came tonight.  She’s real jealous and thinks I have Sugars on the side.”  
    “You probably do!” Pussy was easy for us to get. If he wasn’t in love with his girlfriend, then I knew he was still hooking up with other chicks.  
    “Yeah, what she don’t know, won’t hurt her.”  
    I motioned my head toward the bar. “You hitting the bartender?”  
    He laughed and shook his head. “Nah, man, but not for lack of trying. She wouldn’t give me the time of day. She’s not really that fun to be around, but it didn’t stop me from wanting a piece. Her body is stacked and I’d love to bend her over.”  
    I pushed my old friend back towards the billiards room. “Dude, you have issues. Go back in there before your girlfriend goes all psycho. You cost me a grand, I’m going to have to kick your ass.”  
    “You can try.” I laughed as I made my way toward the bar.  
    Charlie was in the back and I could hear dishes being banged around. Since I knew the bar better than anyone, I walked in the back. She was scrubbing a large bowl out and from the way she was thrashing the water around, I could tell she wasn’t in the best of moods. I snuck up behind her and got close to her ear. “What are you doing?”  
    She jumped and soap suds went flying all over the place. “What the hell are you doing back here?” She backed away from me and started wiping off her face.  
    “Take it easy! I came up to a get a drink and didn’t want to help myself. Shit, I could have been one of those thugs. Why don’t you have someone helping you out at night? You can’t run this place yourself.” Where the hell was Bo?  
    She tossed me a towel. “Let’s just say that when my so called father died, his employees didn’t stick around. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I just lost the last one this week. I can’t catch a break, no matter how hard I try. I don’t expect someone like you to understand. Why are you even asking anyway? Don’t you have a girlfriend out there waiting for you? Does she know you keep hitting on me every chance you get?” She grabbed the towel from me and tossed it on the counter. “Just tell me what you want, Jammer. I don’t have time to socialize and I sure don’t want to make any new friends. I don’t even have time for the ones I have.”  
    “I don’t have girlfriends.” I walked up close enough to brush the remaining suds off of her shoulder.  She started to back away, but I stepped forward to keep us close. “What about you?”  
    She kept her eyes focused on me and her hands at her sides. I grabbed the string to her apron and started pulling it loose. Her hand slapped me away when she realized what I was doing. “Don’t touch me!”  
    I put my hands up in the air, like I was under arrest. I couldn’t help but let a laugh escape when I saw how mad she was getting. “Come on. I’m just playing around with you. Do you ever smile? Charlie?” When she heard me say her name she tightened up her lips and folded her arms across her chest.