Barista
Jimmy Patterson thinks it's a good idea to get rip-roaring drunk on his
birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the burly owner of
Stonewall’s Bar rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.
Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender's
first name since he's worn a different name tag every time Jimmy's seen him.
"Guy" Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes
Jimmy out on a date.
While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name,
he's distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and
more like a hate crime.
This 70 page novella is about a nameless bartender and
Jimmy. Jimmy just got dumped by his boyfriend and is drowning his sorrows in
beer at the only LGBT friendly bar in the area. Luckily, he’s been coming to
this bar and chatting to nameless for 6 months so by the end of the night when
nameless takes Jimmy home because he’s too drunk to drive and has nowhere else
to go. Jimmy is ok with that. Come morning Jimmy and nameless have taken the
friendship to another level and Jimmy is heading to the condo to get his
things. Alex the ex-boyfriend has other ideas.
This is a sweet, simple tale about people just trying to be
loved and making a go of it. Pretty predictable throughout, no deep
connections, Jimmy is sweet, nameless is tough but caring. Ex-boyfriend, Alex is a jerk. Girlfriend and
business partner is just protective enough. Makes it a nice lunch time read.
Stonewall
[Saloon] was chaos when I got there. Guy and another bartender were mixing
drinks as fast as they could. I squeezed in at the end of the bar near the
hatchway and sat on an abandoned stool there.
I didn’t
think Guy had seen me come in, so when there was a lull in the frenetic pace
and he was nearly within arm’s reach, I called out, “What’s a guy gotta do to
get a drink in this place?”
Guy looked
up, grinned at me, and yelled back, “Fuck the bartender.”
A slim man
sitting next to me perked up, gave Guy the once-over, and yelled, “Okay!”
Guy’s
startled gaze met mine, and we broke out laughing.
The man next
to me sighed and slumped over his beer. “I knew it was too good to be true,” he
mumbled.
I patted him
on the shoulder.
“Maybe next
time,” I commiserated with him.
“Right,” he
answered glumly.
Born in the
Heartland of Nebraska, Pat Henshaw has made America hers by living in Texas,
Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. She has found joy in visiting Mexico, Canada,
Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and relishes trips to Rome, Italy, and
Eugene, Oregon, to see family.
Pat has
spent her life surrounded by words:
Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book
reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find
information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.
Two of her
fondest memories are touching time when she put her hands on the pyramids and
experiencing pure whimsy when she interviewed Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and
Oscar the Grouch). Her triumphs are
raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and
compassion. Her supportive husband keeps
her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away writing fiction.
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