Epiphany

Epiphany

By Richard Bacula

"Look," said the goddess standing next to our table in the corner of the Shady Hole Bar & Lounge, "It's so late that it's getting early, and I need to make a decision."

Pete and I nodded, as if we knew what she was getting at.

"See that guy at the bar?" she asked. "He's better looking than you guys. He's a seven, maybe a seven and a half. I could walk over to him, say a few words, and take him back to my hotel for what's left of the night. That's not bad for a shitty little town like this, but I might be in the mood for something different tonight."

"Different how?" I asked.

"Different like you guys." She looked us up and down. "You're okay. You're fives--not ugly, not really hot. You're probably used to pulling threes or fours. I'm a ten. I'm out of your league, and you know it. But like I said, I'm might be in the mood for something different. I might be in the mood where a pair of fives beat a lone seven."

Was she saying what I thought she was saying? I looked at Pete, but he was just as unclear as I was.

"That'd mean that you guys would have to share; I'm not talking about pulling a double shift, just a double-team." She looked each of us in the eyes, in turn. She had the goddamndest green eyes I'd ever seen. "I'm going...