Free Intermission by Desiree Holt Page A

polished
    tile floor as she hurried to the street and quickly turned left to
    the door she was seeking.
    Before she turned on the sidewalk to look at it, she closed
    her eyes, shifted to face the building, made a silent wish and
    opened her eyes.
    Damn!
    A solid black door with Danny's Pub emblazoned in ugly
    white letters over it.
    Sighing, she opened the door and entered, captured at
    once by the din of voices and the blaring of two large
    television sets hung at either end of the bar. Just like the
    other time she'd been here, the place was jammed. There
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    Intermission
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    was a mixture of couples and singles, and she was sure the
    singles were looking to be a couple. With someone. Anyone.
    Lisa turned to go, chalking this up as a bad idea, when she
    saw a woman at the far end of the bar leave her seat and
    lean against the man who'd been whispering in her ear. Lisa
    managed to wedge her way through the masses of people
    and snag the empty stool before someone else could grab it.
    Hoisting herself up, she took off her suit jacket, ran her
    fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. Surely there
    was someone here who could tell her she wasn't imagining
    things. Someone who would give her answers about this very
    strange place.
    "Okay if I lean over you to catch the bartender's eye?"
    The male voice was deep, smoky, and vaguely familiar.
    She turned her head and nearly fell off the stool.
    "Mark?" It came out as a squeak.
    It was Mark. Only...not Mark at all. This man, instead of
    being impeccably turned out in an expensive custom-tailored
    suit, was wearing jeans and a v-neck sweater. His hair was
    just as dark, but instead of being carefully cut, it lay in thick,
    rumpled waves on his head, almost touching the tip of the
    sweater. A definite stubble shadowed his square jaw.
    Lisa stared, unable to tear her eyes away from him. Was
    someone playing a trick on her? Or had she truly lost her
    mind?
    The man stared back at her, humour dancing in his eyes
    and a wicked grin on his face.
    "Were you expecting someone?"
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    Intermission
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    She shook her head as if to clear it. "No. You just
    reminded me so much of someone I...sort of know."
    "Well, I'm Jake, and now, you sort of know me." He
    winked. "Can I buy you a drink to cement the introduction?"
    Lisa was tempted to refuse, but maybe, this was a sign.
    Fate had sent a man closely resembling Mark to this bar with
    a different name. Maybe he'd be the one to clear up the
    mystery. Besides—and go figure this—she got the same
    throbbing beat in her cunt, the same release of cream
    soaking her crotch that she did when Mark spoke to her. Just
    his words, his voice, could make her hot and ready in
    seconds.
    "Um, yes. Thanks." She wriggled in her seat, trying to still
    the quivering muscles in her pussy. "That would be nice."
    He tilted his head, studying her. "Let's see. I'm pretty good
    at this. You look like a vodka stinger kind of woman."
    Lisa's heart almost stopped. How would he know that?
    Usually when she was out on a date, or a possible hook up,
    she stuck to wine. It didn't fog her brain as much. But vodka
    stingers were what she'd been drinking both times with Mark.
    Something was definitely weird here.
    She waited until the bartender came over and took their
    orders before asking her question. "So, do you come here a
    lot? To this place?"
    "Now and then. I don't think I've ever seen you here. Have
    I?"
    She shook her head. "I'm sure I'd remember. It's just
    that..." She let her voice trail off, wondering how to phrase
    her next sentence.
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    Intermission
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    "Just that what?" he prompted.
    "I know this will sound like I need a straitjacket, but
    sometimes do you ever find this place, well, different?"
    "Different?" He raised one thick eyebrow. "In what way?"
    "I mean..." She wet her lips. "Like different inside."
    Holy shit. He'll really think I'm a head case. I would if I
    were him.
    But Jake just laughed. "Not