segment 27

She climbed up the four flights of stairs, her shoes scraping against the cement, as she felt an intense burn in her calves.  She reached the top and felt light-headed, so quickly gripped the railing.  She walked slowly down the hallway, brushing her hand against the cool oak paneling.  The bar looked as if it hadn’t been renovated since the track was built.  Deep booths lined the walls with plush purple velvet benches.  Low amber lamps drifted above the dance floor, worn very well from the thousands of shoes that had kissed it since the beginning.

The floor to ceiling sliding glass doors led to the balcony that overlooked the track.  She gazed out the window, watching the trainers walk the horses around in the sand.  Each horse kept its head down, seeming to watch his or her own feet.

She walked up to the grand mahogany bar and sat at the first stool.  A bartender, who must’ve been eighty years old, wiped a glass, the rag squeaking against it. He may have been scrubbing the same spot for hours.

“Missy. Can I help you?”

“I’ll have lemonade please.”

He nodded and crinkled his mouth into a smile.

The glass door slid shut and Ala turned, out of instinct, to see a tall man entering. He wore a navy blue suit with a lavender collar poking out and tinted sunglasses.  His shoes scratched and clicked as he walked up to the other end of the bar.  She looked away, pretending to look for something in her purse.

He took a cigarette from his front pocket and lit it, tilting his head up to the television that was showing a golf tournament.

Ala’s purse fell to the floor.  Mortified, she bit her lip and crouched down to pick up all the worthless belongings she refused to throw away.

“Looking for a cigarette?” A sinfully deep smooth voice asked. She looked up just in time to see him taking off his sunglasses.He smiled, a sort of chuckle escaping through his lips.

“Not exactly,” she said.  The bartender put a highball glass of lemonade in front of her.

“No, no, no,” he said, walking toward her.  She straightened up and quickly took an inventory of what she must look like.

He stopped about three inches away from her.

“Glenny, give her some gin.”

“No, really, I have to be going.”

“Your drink just got here.”

“Well, I only meant to stay a minute.” He watched her mouth as she talked and smiled again.

“Glenny, some gin with some ginger ale in it.”

“I can’t stay,” she said, becoming petrified and wondering why.  He was very handsome. Not in a traditional way.  His eyes look tired and his hair had a little too much product in it for her taste, but he had nice features.

segment 26

She walked down a narrow murky hallway, passing many closed office doors without placards.  This building looked deserted, as if no one was working today, or had in the past ten years.  She found a room with a glass window that had OFFICE painted on it.  She turned the doorknob and a sharp click told her the door was locked.  She tried to peak inside, but all she saw was darkness.

Sweat rolled down her back as she thought about having to check every door, or even a whole other building.  She took out her phone and called back the number Arlene had dialed her from.  It rang five or six times, but there was no answer.

She stomped her foot walked out to the back of the building.  Taking deep breaths she looked at the twelve other buildings that seemed to make up the operations part of the track and tried to guess which one had her wallet in it.

A maintenance man swept up cigarette butts by some benches nestled under the shade.  Ala hobbled over to him.

“Sir, excuse me.  Is there a main office?”

“He scratched the underside of his chin.”

“Sure, that building.”

“I just tried there, it’s locked.”

“Maybe they are out to lunch.”

“The whole staff?”

“Maybe.”

“Thank you.”

She started to walk back to her car when a rush of tingles swept up her spine and gave her the urge to throw up.  The heat was beating down on her and she hadn’t had anything to drink since she had woke up that morning.  The main clubhouse was in sight, where the party had been, and she thought of a mint julep and how good it would taste rushing down her throat. Drinking before lunchtime did cross her mind as a little off color, so she decided lemonade would be fine.