The Ruby Lounge … Cum As You Are (or as you would like to be … an Open Thread)

[Miltone]

You may have seen this place or something like it somewhere, maybe only in the movies. Dark mahogany paneling, a long bar, dim lighting, the barstools are covered in leather as are the booths that line the walls. There are autographed portraits of movie stars hung around, real movie stars like Bogie and Gable, Hepburn and Bacall, Sinatra and Garland. If you didn’t know better you’d swear you had just stepped back into the 1950’s, and maybe you have. Women are treated with respect, men are expected to lead, and anyone who doesn’t know the difference isn’t welcome.

A few tables and chairs set out and a great old Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner that has every good song ever recorded. Smoking is allowed so long as you’re not obnoxious about it. The drinks are strong and the conversation is always tart but honest. Men come here to forget about the women who broke their hearts or just get away from their daily cares and get drunk. Women come here for the same sort of reasons or maybe because they know that the bartender and the help make sure they don’t get hassled if they just want to be by themselves for a while.

Oh, yeah, I’m Joe, the guy who owns this place. What’sa matter with you? Thought I’d have a name like Todd or Marchand? I work here during the day mostly, but often check in at night to make sure the barmaids aren’t dipping into the till, if you know what I mean. I don’t have a lot of rules here, and won’t hesitate to let you know that there are discreet private rooms upstairs where you can take your hot little date, should you get so lucky. And one other thing, this isn’t one of those feel-good new-speak fern bars where they serve fru-fru drinks with umbrellas, nor is it the usual OOC kind of place. A fine wit, sharp conversation, interesting character, and a fucking good sense of humor are recommended.

Whether you’re new in town or know it like the back of your hand, if you got a problem or something on your mind and need to talk it out, or just want to say hello then duck your head and drink your troubles away, this is the place. The doors are open and all are welcome! Anyone ordering a drink with bourbon in it gets half off till midnight. Wha-da-ya say?

 

[Honey_B]

Sweeping in, carrying a gust of rain-stoked wind in with me, I breeze into the place, this new kid on the block. Humming Mood Indigo, I shake off my black trench coat and look around. It seem a place to hang my coat, to sip a glass of something sinful, to maybe find intelligent conversation or at the very least, a sympathetic ear.

I see that I am watched by the room’s sole occupant, the bartender judging by where he stands. Removing my coat, I hang it on a coat rack near the door, before sidling up to the bar.

“Greetings. I’d love a dry martini to combat this very wet night.”

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

“A dry martini on a wet night for the lovely lady … coming right up,” I said noting her pretty blue eyes and pale skin.

She looked like she needed a friend or maybe just someone to talk to. She certainly needed a drink. I took a guess and decided to mix her drink in the shaker, making just a bit stronger than usual.

“That’s one of my favorite Ellington songs,” I remarked, glancing over my shoulder as I recognized the song she was humming.

I strained her drink and served it up.

“How’s that?” I asked setting it in front of her, and then watched as her eyes shot open at the first sip and she smiled and nodded. “So what brings you out on a night like this?”

 

[chanaud]

Sitting in the backside of the hired cab, I stare out the window and watch the gray town whisk by. The cab stops for pedestrians walking briskly in their somber suits and oversized black umbrellas.

Disinterested, I glance sideways, then forward. An ocean blue catches my eye and my head springs back to recapture the bright color.

There it was. It belongs to a bartender. Even through the smoky window, his eyes shine brilliantly with life. He was looking ahead to a lone woman, nodding in understanding; his face passing no judgment, his attention solely on her.

The cab jerks forward. I look up. Ruby’s Lounge. I must visit when I return from the Caribbean.

 

[prometheus 2]

Heading my boat into the open water of the beautiful Caribbean, I head for Jamacia, thinking about a letter forwarded to me while I was in St Thomas. It was from my brother in the states telling me of a hot spot he discovered last week in the city. Ruby's Lounge. I make a mental note to check it out when I get back home.

 

[Subo97]

Carl

Ahhhh, my favorite port in a storm..a bar. An old fashioned place for an old fashioned kind of guy.

"What'ya have?" the barkeep asked.

"Cold draft, and a shot of schnapps if you'd be so kind." running my fingers through my wet hair, I look around and see the place is almost empty. "What's your name?.....Joe? Thanks. If the lady's willing, put her drink on my tab," I said, laying a twenty on the bar, "if not, that's ok."

Espying the jukebox, I find myself in the mood for music and walk over to examine the selection. I seem to amass quarters in my pockets as the day drags on, why not spend some on serenity. "You have a preference?" I direct my question to the lady.

 

[Lady_Kit]

The phone on my desk dropped with a clatter as my hand moved from one communication lifeline, my land line telephone; to another, the keyboard of my PC.

Aother date cancelled. Too much work for playtime. Maybe my friends were right; maybe I was working too much. I meant it when I said I'd call or we'd go out, but days turned to weeks, then months, then suddenly the season changed.

I'll take a walk after work. Maybe have a drink somewhere. A nice little bar.



Just as soon as I finish this project...oh, then the accounting...and that proposal....then, I'll take a break....


The impulse to stop work quickly left me. Too much to do......*sigh*

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

I watched the place fill up, knowing that it was still the off season. When all the vacationers return things will start hoppin’ again. The regulars always return to The Ruby Lounge. The girl smiled politely as the guy offered to pay for her drink, not sure if she was interested or not. He was spending a lot of time over at the Wurlitzer, but then, there is a lot to choose from.

It’s always fun to stand back here and watch what goes on, how people come and go, who shows up on a given night, see who leaves with whom, and who goes home alone. Sometime I just may step around from behind this bar and sample life on the other side. But for tonight I mix and serve the drinks, working up and down the bar, and when things settle for a moment, I come to rest by the single girl.

“You never told me, what brings you to a place like mine on a night like this?”

She looked up at me shyly and sweetly. I could see in her eyes that there were a thousand things she wanted to say, maybe so many that she didn’t know where to start. Perhaps another sip or two from her Martini would help.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Lost, walking around in the rain, I spot a glowing sign, THE RUBY LOUNGE. Well at least it's a place to dry off and have a drink until I can figure out where I should be going, I walk in.

I spot several people as I walk in, but I especially notice the nice looking bartender talking to a woman sitting at the bar. The place seems very friendly so I remove my jacket, my tight fitting black dress underneath, then shaking my long black hair, and trying to rid myself of all the rain, I walk up and grab a seat at the bar.

I look at the bartender, with an innocent, yet seductive smile on my face.

"When you get a minute, I'd like a bourbon on ice, but don't let me disturb you, I have lots of time."

 

[SwampThing]

Lilian St Clair

The young redhead walked through the door, brushing rain from her curls and straightening the ribbon in her hair. She hung up her overcoat, revealing her wide-flared, flower-printed party dress. She looked around the room, taking in the two beautiful women at the bar, and was embarrassed to be so dressed up. She'd never been to a real bar before. She hoped she'd found the right place, that this really was where she was supposed to meet her sister.

Lily walked over to the man by the jukebox. "Any dance music in there?" she asked shyly.

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

There always seemed to be something keeping me from finding the answer to my original question. When the girl saw that I had customers waiting, she smiled sweetly.

“That’s all right,” she said with a nod.

I was glad she understood, for this is the nature of my business.

“Bourbon on the rocks?” I said, approaching the girl with beautiful black hair. “If you don’t have a preference, I’ll pour you some Dark Woods, well-aged with great color and character.”

It seemed to fit with the way she was dressed, her dark hair, and her lovely smile. She had the look of someone new to town, maybe lured by the seductive big city lights, the laughter of the people, the sound of great fun happening all around. This might be a good place for her to get acquainted and perhaps make a friend or two. I set her drink down in front of her and watched as her hand moved out to grip it, slender fingers curling around the short glass filled with the dark amber drink.

“Hope you enjoy,” I said watching for her reaction as she raised it for a sip.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

I smile, taking the glass, swirling it, then bring it to my lips, taking a small sip. My eyes flash, feeling the smooth warmth going down my throat.

"Very good, excellant choice. Thank you. Nice place you have here too."

I take another small sip, then set the glass down, glancing around at the different faces.

 

[Subo97]

Carl

"I'm sure there is," I replied, smiling. "I was looking for some Blues, but my mood has just changed." I looked the girl up amd down and liked what I saw. She was obviously dressed for a night out. "Why don't you pick the song," smiled. "Now that you've changed my mood, maybe you'll allow me a dance?"

With three women and a bartender, the Ruby Lounge was starting to look like my kind of place. "Perhaps, after the dance," I said, assuming she was going to say yes, " you'd like to join me in a drink."

 

[Swamp Thing]

Lilian St Clair

Lily blushed as the handsome man looked her over. "I'd love to dance", she replied, choosing a sultry number that would allow them to dance slow. She offered him her hand, and allowed herself to be led.

Lily's flared dress billowed out around her as she danced, revealing slender, shapely legs. The stranger's hand on her back was firm and warm, and she let her head fall to his chest, red curls still smelling of rain. She inhaled his masculine scent and sighed. She had never been this close to a man before. She'd danced with boys, sure, but this was no boy.

 

[Subo97]

Carl

Grateful the girl chose a slow dance, I held her in my arms and swayed to the rhythm of the music. My hand on her back pressed her soft body against mine as she lay her head on my upper chest allowing me to feel the brush of her red hair against my cheek. Her thighs brushed against mine as we moved to the music and her swaying hips drew my eyes as I looked down her back. I movd my hand on her back slightly, stroking gently as I spoke against her ear, "Thanks for the dance, my name is Carl, by the way." She raised her head and looked up at me, our faces only inches apart. "I'm Lily, pleased to meet you, " and blushing a bit, laid her head back down on my chest for the duration of the song.

As the music faded, we stood close for a moment longer. I was certainly in no hurry to break contact with her body and kept my hand on the small of her back as I turned her and guided her to the bar. Waving to Joe, the bartender, I turned to the girl. "Hopefully you'll let me buy you a drink in gratitude for the dance. Maybe you could join me," I motioned to a booth against the wall, "at least for a few minutes."

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

“Thanks,” I replied to the compliment from the black haired beauty, for, after all, I was pretty proud of this place. The dark mahogany panelling, the sleek Fiftes era lighting fixtures, the supple leather seating. “It’s kind of an old-fashioned place, but I like it and so do the regulars. It’s a place where people feel they can come and relax, meet old friends or make new ones, or just be by themselves if that’s what they would like. You’ll meet all sorts here.”

She looked around the place, checking out the scene and the people filtering in from the rain.

“You look like you’re new around here,” I said when she looked back my way. She took another sip of bourbon and smiled … a very, very nice smile. “If there’s anything I can do to make you feel more welcome, be sure to let me know.”

 

[Swamp Thing]

Lilian St. Clair

"Carl," Lily breathed. "I'd love a drink. Something sweet to warm me up?" She squeezed his hand before walking over to the booth he'd pointed out. Lily was nervous, she'd never drank before, and hoped it wouldn't show. So many firsts tonight! It looked like she would be having fun even if her sister didn't show.

 

[Subo97]

Carl

I ordered Lily a Strawberry Daquiri as I watched her slide into the booth. Her dress moved up a bit as she sat down, revealing a pair of shapely thighs under the flair of her dress. I tried to keep my eyes on hers as I carried our drinks over, knowing some women were offended by a man's appraisal of their bodies, but the shape of her breasts under her tight dress was too much to ignore. I sat down beside her and gave her the drink. "A sweet drink for a sweet lady," I said. Raising my glass in a toast, I smiled, " To the rain that brings strangers together."

I watched as she raised the glass to her lips and drank, her eyes widening a bit as the rum slid over her tongue. She smiled brightly, her eyes dancing, and licked her lips with the tip of her pink tongue. "Mmmmmmmm," she said, "I like that." her smile was infectious and I laughed in delight. "It seemed to suit you, I'm glad you like it."

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Looking around, I did notice how well thought out the place was and very nicely too. A person could feel real comfortable here.

I turned around and smiled at him, taking another sip of my bourbon. Of course, he was the indeed the highlight of the place, so friendly, and those eyes and smile of his.

"I like meeting all sorts. I am new around here, rather a bit lost, actually, but I'm sure I'll find my way. And you've already made me feel quite comfortable so far. By the way, my name is Brandi."

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

“Hello, Brandi,” I replied with a smile. “You do look like the kind who doesn’t need much help finding her way. Oh, and by the way, I’m Joe.”

I was just going to nod and move off along the bar to check on my other customers, but when Brandi boldly reached her hand out I remained and held my hand out to shake hers. But after a couple of polite shakes, I noticed her hand remained in mine just a bit longer than was usual. Even though she had taken my hand confidently, her hand felt soft and warm and very delicate and feminine.

“Nice to meet you, Joe,” she said, her voice soft and husky

I prefer to keep it professional with my customers, especially the women who wander through the front door. Lots of eye contact, a warm smile, a joke or two, whatever seems appropriate. But the way her snug black dress clung to her luscious curves drew my admiring glance down as far as the bar would permit and then back up. It was easy to see that she knew I was checking her out and liked what I saw. And she looked like she didn’t mind at all.

“The feeling’s mutual,” I replied, as she slipped her hand away and took up her drink. “Hope I see your pretty face around here often.”

She blushed and her eyes dropped down modestly.

 

[DangerousDarkEyes]

Brandi

I felt rather strange leaving my hand in his a little bit longer than I should have, but it was warm, soft, and very hard to resist. When I noticed Joe checking me out, blushing, suddenly feeling very warm, I was quite sure it wasn’t from the bourbon. What was even better, the smile on his face and his compliment, let me know he wasn’t too disappointed in what he was seeing.

Finishing my drink, I set the glass down, stood up, looking around. With a soft smile, I leaned over the bar, motioning Joe to come a little closer. I was not unaware that he would get a glimpse down the extremely low neckline of my dress.

“Would you be so nice as to point in the direction of the ladies room. I need to see if I can get a brush through this hair since it’s starting to dry now.” I whispered softly to him, then thanked him when he pointed to the ladies room, taking an extra minute before I straightened back up. “You can pour me another drink too if you don’t mind, but then I will have to get on my way, much as I have been enjoying your company.” After smiling at him again, I turned around and walked to the ladies room with a smile still on my face hoping he was watching.

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

There is something special in the way a lady walks to the restroom when she knows you’re watching. Now over the years, I had watched many but few with the shape and seductive movement of this one. Brought a warm smile to my face and thrill to my heart. I’ve always said that when I stop looking they should move me six feet under, and her I am still looking. From the front and rear she had plenty of curves in the right places.

I got the Dark Woods and poured her a fresh glass, adding just a dash of bitters to give it a little extra spark, and placed it on the bar where she had been sitting. A couple of new customers had beckoned me down the bar and I attended to their needs. When Brandi returned from the ladies room, her beautiful black hair freshly brushed, I managed to work my way back up toward her.

“I hope you enjoyed your stay here,” I remarked to her, noting the light retouching of her makeup made her glow in the dim lighting. “But if you change you mind and decide to stay. Be sure to let me know if you need anything.”

“All right,” she answered, her smile as sweet and seductive as I had seen in a long while.

I moved back down the bar to where the Martini lady was sitting. “How’s your drink, Miss?” I asked.

 

[Swamp Thing]

Lily

She daquiri made Lily feel warm and light-headed. She leaned against Carl, resting one hand on his thigh under the table. "Thank you for dancing with me Carl. There are a lot of really beautiful women here." Lily stared at the woman in the slinky black dress as she walked past they're table to the ladies' room. "Gosh, I wish I was as sophisticated as she is. I'll bet she knows everything about how to be with a man. Have you dated a lot of girls, Carl?" She finished her drink and set it on the table, feeling all slow-motion and delicious.

 

[Honey_B]

I had been watching him for the better part of a martini. The bartender’s eyes seemed to take in everyone in the establishment. Even when his attention was focused on a certain young lady, I was sure he knew the exact location of everyone in the place. In due time, he returned to me and I set the empty glass in front of me.

"Not a bad martini, though I think I’d like Bombay next time. I never answered your previous question, did I? What am I doing out on a night like tonight?"

Pausing, I watched him, his elegant hands pouring out the measures of alcohol as he made my drink. He looked up at the silence and I continued.

"Dark and dreary nights draw me out. I like to walk amongst the shadows, to feel the rain upon my face. Someone once taught me about the romance found in such nights, and I have never forgotten his lesson."

Maybe such a statement intrigued him. Maybe it didn’t. I smiled at him, letting him decide the next move.

 

[Miltone]

Joe, The Bartender

“That’s a very sage observation,” I replied to the mystery girl as she watched me mix her Bombay.

I hoped she didn’t mind that I had added Cointreau instead of triple sec to the brandy and vermouths. With a dash of Pernod to make it complete, I gently stirred the liquors with cracked ice.

“So many people think of bright sunny meadows and fresh Spring flowers when they think of romance,” I said, straining the mix into a chilled cocktail glass. “I have found that a walk in the rain on a dark night can often engender great romance.” I set the drink down in front of her and watched as she took a sip. “But then, one can always end up just getting all wet.”