The girl blew into the bar
like a gust of wind from outside
she walked slowly
and she carried her head high
chest out
her heels clicking inaudibly
under the din of conversation

The fumbling waiter seated her
and she sat down and ordered herself
a glass of wine
and a vodka tonic
her crossed legs swinging
under her frilled skirt
a foot above the bar floor.

When she ordered,
her eyes upturned
in a way to make the man uncomfortable
and to make her smile
when his back was turned
she realized he could see her breasts
but she just lit a cigarette
and watched the door.

Ten minutes later
she asked for her check
with a puff of smoke
and her face, he saw
was sallow
and her teeth were yellow
but her eyes were sad and pretty
and she smelled of quiet pride.

When he came back
he found her money.
She had overtipped him
and stabbed out a halfway smoked
cigarette in the ashtray,
in a pool of spit
He felt ill
but collected her money.