Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Just a stream of consciousness. Read it if you want or ignore it as you like. For your consideration:

Like a Twilight Zone episode it began as a seemingly ordinary day. After an almost year long absence I reappeared to what has become a sort of second home. First stop was a favorite dive bar with women. Not dancers but “waitresses” ratioed about four women to each male customer. I don’t know how they stay open (OK yes I do but that isn’t why I go there). Any ways, a girl comes up to me and addresses me by name and asks if I remember her. I say yes but for the life of me I’d swear I’d never seen her before. She goes on and on about our previous interactions with specifics about me that were spot on accurate. This freaked me out and I moved on but was unable to get what just happened out of my head.

Next stop was to a club I had never been to before in search of a friend who works there. I sat down and a dancer sat next to me. Again, I had never seen this girl before but she just matter of fact says, “You’re looking for Cinnamon”. Well yes but how did you know and how do you know who I am? She casually takes my picture with her smart phone, presses send and gets an instant reply. “She’s on her way”. I have to emphasize that I told no-one that I was coming to town and this club visit was not pre-planned.

After a nice catch up visit with Cinnamon I moved on to the next club. I sat down and an unfamiliar girl sat on my left and said “Michelle is in town. I’ll tell her you are here”. Before I can even think about who this girl is, or how she knows me or how she would know about my secret liaisons with Michelle, my other ear was being whispered in by yet another girl. At least I knew her to be a waitress but yet again she was informing me that Annie was now divorced and she had already called her about my return. How the fuck do you know about Annie and me?

Enough of this, I move on with a quick stop to another club only to be welcomed by a never before seen girl who asked “Where’s your girl friend Jenny?” I wish everyone would stop calling her my GF and how the fuck do you know any of this?

OK, time to go to my not-my-GF’s new club. I quietly entered and sat down searching the room for Jenny. Poof out of nowhere a girl (who of course I don’t know) was sitting next to me and said “It’s Jenny’s day off” while shoving a smart phone in my face live streaming Jenny who waved and said nothing. I am getting those Twilight Zone vibes and now every dancer, waitress, door girl all seem to be looking at me with a big smile and an unmistakable knowing recognition. I hurry back to find Cinnamon but she is gone. She left immediately after I left.

I’ve always practiced being low-key and unnoticed. This night was as far from that as could be possible. Maybe just a bad dream except my shirt is now covered in lip stick and my email has messages from Cinnamon, Jenny and Michelle. Weird as fuck.