1001 Nights Cast

The middle-aged man sat at the bar, staring straight past the bartender at his own reflection in the large mirror on the wall. It didn’t look like he was seeing the beer signs or the faces of the other happy hour drinkers. His face was serious, unsmiling. Once in a while he would lift his mug and drink some beer. The bartender watched him covertly, gauging his mood.

As the crowd dwindled, the man remained, still slowly downing beer and staring, though his gaze had gone softer around the edges. The bartender judged his moment carefully and then, while pulling another draught for him, casually asked, ‘Got some problems, there, friend?’

Lively brown eyes snapped into focus as the drinker barked out a laugh. ‘You might could say that.’ He looked back at his beer, not seeming inclined to go on.

The bartender walked away to serve another customer but drifted back. ‘Need an ear?’

Pursing his lips, the man nodded. ‘Maybe I do at that. Though it’s not like I have any talent for talking.’ His smile was a flash of bitterness.

The bartender shrugged. ‘I’m not asking for a performance, just offering to listen.’

Sitting up straight and looking suddenly alert, the man said, ‘My name is Carl. I’ve been seeing a woman named Janelle. For a long time, now, not some quickie thing. My wife left me a couple of years ago, and Janelle has made my nights much warmer since then.’

‘I hear you,’ said the bartender, adding, ‘My name’s Jack. So you know.’

Nodding, Carl said, ‘All right, Jack.’ His smile was genuine this time. ‘You’re a good man. Give me another beer.’ He handed over the mug and cleared his throat. ‘Janelle has been angling that she wants to move in, maybe get married, the way women will. I’ve been resisting it. I get along fine, me and my dog Sparky. Lizzie never liked Sparky. Lizzie’s my ex-wife.’

Jack raised his eyebrows to signal he got that.

‘Last night, Janelle was over to visit. She does that, comes over to my place. So she says to me, over a plateful of scrambled eggs, ‘Carl, what is it about me that draws you to me?’ She talks like that,’ he said, shrugging. ‘Like she reads too many romance paperbacks from the drugstore, you know? So I say, ‘Janelle, honey, I like you best when you’re asleep.’’ He paused for a moment. ‘That might not be the best answer I ever gave anybody.’

Intrigued, Jack leaned in. ‘Why would you say that? You know she was hoping you’d say because she’s beautiful or sweet or you just knew in your heart she was the one.’

‘I said it because it’s the truth! When she’s asleep beside me, she’s like a curled-up kitten. I put my arm around her and hold her, and she’d purr if she could. I watch her sleep and feel like everything in my world is the way it ought to be.’ Carl’s eyes filled with tears.

Jack stared at him. ‘Did you say all that to her?’

He shrugged. ‘Naw, I didn’t. I don’t think fast enough sometimes. She reared back like a horse spooked by a rattlesnake. Her voice got all shrieky and hostile. I clammed up and petted Sparky.’

‘Oh, man,’ moaned Jack, wiping the counter with a rag. ‘You screwed up. Call her on the phone and tell her about the curled-up kitten, and she’ll make up with you. I bet you right now.’

Carl looked down at his hands. ‘I don’t know. It may be too late. She told me I was a hard-hearted son of a gun as she was heading out the door.’

‘No, believe me,’ Jack said with focused concern. ‘She’ll eat that up with a spoon. Ask her to move in. Tell her you want to wake up every morning and watch her sleep in the morning light. You’ll know what to say!’

Carl studied him for a moment. ‘Maybe you’re right.’ He looked around the bar. ‘Got a phone?’

Pulling a cell phone out of his back pocket, Jack handed it to Carl.

As if it had just fallen from outer space, Carl tentatively opened it up and tapped in a number. He held it to his ear and waited, hand trembling and eyes wide.

‘Janelle? Hi. This is Carl. How are you?’ His face fell. ‘Don’t talk like that. Wait, I have something to say to you. I didn’t say it right last night. No, wait.’

Jack watched him struggle and held up a fist in the universal sign of solidarity. Carl took a deep breath and nodded.

‘Janelle, I love to watch you sleep. I like you best when you’re curled up against me, all warm like a fuzzy kitten. You make me want to pet you and hold you and keep on holding you. I know you got claws sometimes, and you scratch me with sharp words, like you did last night. But I want to have you in my house, with me and Sparky. I want to watch you sleep every night. What do you say?’

There was a tense moment. Jack held his breath, watching Carl’s face. When that face broke into a smile like the sunrise, Jack did a little dance behind the bar.

‘Okay, baby. I love you too. You go ahead and pack yourself a bag, and I’ll head home now. We’re going to be so good together.’ He listened for a moment. ‘Yeah, I think Sparky can start sleeping in the basement. See you soon.’

As he folded the phone back up and handed it to Jack, he was all but weeping. ‘She’s coming over and she’s moving in. Now I just have to break the news to Sparky.’ Putting on his hat, he made for the door. Jack watched him leave, shaking his head and laughing to himself. He made a mental note to tell his wife that he loved to watch her sleep.