Beginning

The Jack Knife Bar buzzed with the familiar drone of voices and the low hum of a mix of classic rock and country seeping through the speakers. Dimly lit by neon signs and old lanterns, the place smelled of stale beer, the air thick with a mix of sweat and cheap cologne. It was a typical Friday night—patrons clinking glasses, laughing too loudly, and trying to forget about the grind of the workweek and their humdrum lives.

Robbie Dawg sat at the bar, blending in with the regulars. At twenty-two, he wasn’t remarkable in any way—a brown-haired, amber-eyed guy of average height and build, lost in the crowd of young men and women hoping for a brief escape. He wore a button-up shirt and jeans, as unassuming as the empty bottle he set on the bar.

“Stevie, would you get me another, please,” he said, leaning forward.

The bartender, a raven-haired woman with sharp eyes, glanced his way, already grabbing a fresh beer from the cooler. “Sure thing, stud,” she muttered, wiping down the counter with a practiced flick. “Got a **** wish hanging around this dump every weekend?”

He grinned. "Better here than alone at home, right?"

Stevie smirked but didn’t respond. Her eyes flickered down the bar, her hand pausing in its movement as someone else caught her attention.

Robbie followed her gaze, noticing a woman at the far end of the bar who had just walked in and looked wildly out of place. Amid the crowd of flannel shirts and denim, she stood like a gleaming trophy—a blonde in a sleek, tight-fitting cocktail dress, her long hair tumbling in perfect waves. Her blue eyes sparkled with an almost unnatural intensity,snapping her fingers to get the bartender’s attention.

“Get me a cosmo now, girl, and don’t use that house garbage, use top shelf vodka” she snapped, her voice smooth yet commanding. “I don’t drink that…swill.”

Stevie rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Yes, miss, but afraid we don’t have anything fancier than Smirnoff, if that’s okay.”

The woman rolled her eyes at that, “all these poor people bars, no one knows what a decent drink is. Fine bitch, get to it then, and make it pronto.” Waving a hand to dismiss Stevie, as her body visibly tensed, while biting her tongue.

That is when a tall, muscular man pushed another from the bar so he could stand next to the blonde woman. “hey Baby, sorry about the Dyke, she doesn’t know how to treat such a sexy thing like you. How about me and you have a drink and I let you spend some time with a real man.”

Amber grinned at the audacity of the man, holding out a hand, “I’m Amber and aren’t you the confident piece of meat.”

The man laughed, “Hell yeah baby, I’ve got the meat right here,” Reaching to cup his crotch with his hand. “And it will have you screaming Kev’s name all night long, so you got a place to go back to and I’ll rock your world, babe.”

Just then Stevie placed the pink drink on the bar between them, “Anything for you Kev?”

Glancing for a moment to her, “Sure Dyke, grab me a shot and a beer.”

Amber laughed at that, “So Stud, you treat all your women like this, I bet you even got a trollop at home looking after a bunch of little brats.”

Kev grumbled, “What the hell bitch, did that whore ask you to do this? Fuck that skank, do you wanna ride the Kev train or not?”

Hearing that Robbie got up from his seat at the corner of the far end of the bar and walked down it to step on the other side of Amber and place an empty bottle on the bar, “Hey, Stevie, could you grab me another, Thanks.”

Amber turned slightly to look to who was there, offering him a soft smile, “Why hello there, aren’t you the gentleman.”

Robbie smiled back, “I try ma’am after all there is no reason to be an arrogant jerk to everyone around you because you mattered years ago.”

Kev slammed his shot, “Fuck you Robbie, it’s no wonder that bitch left you right after graduation. The only pussy a pussy like you will ever get is Rosy Palmer.”

Amber continued to look to Robbie, “Aww, so you’re all alone, that’s so sad, and stuck in this crappy bar, in this nothing town.”

Robbie, laughed, “It’s not so bad, at least I have friends, and my own place, and a job to pay for it all.”

Kev slammed his fist on the bar, “Fuck you then bitch, giving up the chance to ride the Kev for the JV, I bet your just another fuckin’ Dyke like the Bitch behind the bar.”

At that Stevie stepped in taking his beer, “That does it Kev, I’ve and everybody else has had enough of your shit tonight, go home, I’ll call Layla to come pick your drunk ass up.”

With the Kev flipped her the bird, before storming out of the bar.

Amber just giggled, then ran the tip of her tongue along her lips before taking a sip of her drink. “so exciting, is it always so exciting in places like this, I might have to come out more often.”

He stifled a laugh, shaking his head, “No, ma’am, usually everyone here is pretty chill. Just trying to wash away the thoughts of work all week.”

Amber took that moment to let her blue eyes catch his, gazing into them as she reached out to run a finger along his forearm. “Such a gentleman, and so polite, so strong.” As the finger moved from his forearm to her fingers squeeze his bicep. Causing a chill to run up his spine, as a rosy tint crossed his cheeks.

He stammered, “By the way, I’m Robbie, so what brings someone like you to a place like this? I mean we don’t see many angels in here.”

She ran a manicured hand slowly up his chest, her fingers lingering for a moment. “Amber,” she said softly, her smile widening. “And let’s just say…I like to explore the local flavor.”

Robbie’s heart skipped a beat, the subtle touch sending a shiver down his spine. She smelled faintly of roses and something else he couldn’t place—something sharp, almost metallic. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, feeling oddly flustered under her gaze.

“Um, would you like another drink, Miss, my treat.”

“We could or would you rather get out of here, Robbie?” she asked, her voice lowering into a seductive purr. She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, “My place isn’t far. It’s got everything you could ever want.”