Captain Briggs sat in the back corner of Flaherty’s. The quiet table. Tucked in the back near the rest rooms. The table that you didn’t even know was there unless you needed to take a piss or wanted a quiet place to feel up the girl who you’d been feeding drinks to all night. That table, in the back, was sanctuary for Briggs that night. He needed to hide. Things were getting tough. “You’re a fucking weasel,” she had screamed at him, her reply to his pleading why. His near begging for answer. “you turned your back on friends, these families … everything. For what?” he was on the floor. He was actually on the floor at that point. He had reached for her, tried to hold her, grab her shirt, her arm, anything to keep her from walking out the door. She had moved and he had missed. He was not very athletic. He was not very sure in his body. He had overreached, she had moved, shrugged him off and he had fallen to the floor. Then, she was over him. Standing over him, looking down at him, her disgust hung in the air like cigar smoke at a cliche stag party. He looked up at her and fumbled for an answer. He needed to give her an answer. A good one. One that would make her understand. Make her see the predicament he was in. Make her feel sympathy for him. Make her see him for the man he was. He needed that answer. “I had orders,” he croaked, his throat dry and full of shame, “I got a promotion too.” That was not the answer. That was not the magic elixir that was going to make her drop her bags, change her mind, take him into the bedroom and have sex with him. He failed and he knew it. He tried to stand up, getting on all fours, meaning to stand. His hip hurt. He had slammed it against the table when he fell and now, it made him pause. Made him stop on his hands and knees. “Why don’t you stay right there,” she sneered down at him, “stay just like that. Seems to be your default position.” He looked up at her, he didn’t understand. “Right here on your hands and knees,” she went on, as way of explanation. “that way you’re ready to lick boots, suck dick or take it up the ass. Stay right there. I’m leaving.” Then, things deteriorated. His fault. It was his fault completely, he would not deny that. He tried to rectify the situation.