I’m thrilled that my flash fiction story, Bath Tub Gin, has been included in the Twenty Twenty anthology published by Black Hare Press. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Australian brush fire wildlife charities.
https://www.blackharepress.com/twenty-twenty/
Here's the story:
Bath tub Gin
Big Ben Barker ran the
bootleg arm of Mickey Finn's operation on the south side. He ran it like
clockwork and with precision. Mickey called him Ben. Ben Barker's boys called
him Boss. And the ladies all called him Mr. Big because he was, well, he was rumored
to be well endowed, if you know what I mean.
Yeah, it was a fact that the ladies liked Mr. Big and he
liked them. Especially Laura Lane. Man, she was something else. A dancer at
Club Go Go, she could shake it like no one he'd ever seen. She wore a black
cloche hat decorated with gold sequins, and silver silk flapper dresses that
shimmered under the spotlights, showing off every curve of her body. Wow! The
first time he'd seen her he wanted her like no body's business. And the first time
she'd slid out of that dress in his bedroom...Well, when they said that the sky
was the limit they didn't even come close. There was no limit as far as Laura
was concerned. She'd do anything he asked her to do and leave him begging for
more. His desire for her knew no bounds.
No bounds that was until Doris Dalrymple came along.
Jeez. She was really the cat's meow. Better built than Laura, Doris knew her
way to a man's heart that was for sure, and it wasn't through his stomach.
Whew! If Laura wore him out, Doris did it in spades.
But Big Ben wasn't getting any younger. After a few weeks
of trying to manage it with both ladies, he decided one of them had to go. He
flipped a coin and was only sad for a moment. Sorry, Laura. It'd been nice to
know ya'.
He knew Laura wouldn't go quietly. Plus, she knew too
much about his organization and his business. Enough, anyway, to get nasty if
she wanted to, which he figured she would after he gave the news that he was
dumping her. So he came up with a fool proof plan.
He booked the presidential suite on the top floor of the
Ritz for that Saturday night. He had his boys fill the gold plated bathtub with
gin, knowing that gin loving Laura would appreciate the gesture. Then, after
he'd gotten her good and drunk, he'd drown her in the tub and claim it was an
accident. Easy.
That night he took her to dinner and dancing at the 21
Club. Around midnight they left and went to Ben's favorite speakeasy for
drinks. After they'd had a few he leaned in close enough to get a good whiff of
her Channel not to mention a eye full of her cleavage and said, "Hey there
gorgeous, how about you and I blow this place and head for the Ritz. I've got a
room for us."
"Oh, honey," Laura said, slurring ever so
slightly, "You've got a treat for little old me?" She rubbed her hand
against his crotch. "Well, I've got one for you, too." She giggled as
she stood up and sauntered off, swinging her hips, driving him and his own
personal Mr. Big crazy.
He hurried to catch up and took her by the arm, drooling
in anticipation. "I'll have one of the boys drive us," he panted.
Half an hour later they were in the huge bathroom.
Laura purred like a kitten, "Oh, honey, look at all
the gin for little old me." She dipped a finger in and licked it.
"All for you, sweetheart." Ben watched her
slide her finger around in her mouth and could barely contain himself. Maybe just once more for old time's sake,
is what he was thinking as Laura sashayed up to him.
"Aw, honey, give me a little kiss," she said
wrapping her arms around his neck. "Umm. You feel good."
Ben couldn't help himself. In a moment captured by his uncontrollable
lust he grabbed her in a tight embrace and ran his hand up and down her firm
behind.
Laura ignored his hand as she felt him grow hard against
her thigh. That's all she needed. She slowly turned him until the backs of his
knees were propped against the rim of the tub. Then she nibbled on his ear lobe
whispering, "Oh, my, baby. You feel so good." She rubbed against him
sensuously. "Who do you love, honey?" She rubbed some more and took
hold of his belt buckle. "Hmm? Do you love little old me?"
She felt Ben's hot breath in her ear. He murmured, "Oh,
baby you know how much..." He never finished his thought.
Laura put her hands on his chest and pushed. Backwards he
tumbled, splashing into the gin. "What the.." he was starting to say
when Laura reached over to the vanity, turned on the electric radio and dropped
it into the tub. Still plugged in. He shook and jiggled and jumped, splashing
gin over the sides of the tub and onto the floor.
Laura laughed at Ben's shocked expression. "Do away
with me, baby? Not on your life. Oh, wait. I guess I was wrong. On your life,
sucker!"
It took less than a minute, and then he was dead.
Half an hour later she emerged from the elevator of the
ritzy hotel looking every bit the beautiful woman she was. She stopped by the
front desk and said, "I think there's a problem up in the presidential
suite. Something's clogging the drain on the tub."
Then she sauntered across the lobby and out the front
door never to be seen or heard from again. In her purse was twenty thousand
dollars taken from Ben's wallet. Or Little Ben as she now thought of him,
because in truth that's what he really was. Tiny, even.
She smiled, as she waved for a cab. One pulled up right
away. "Airport, ma'am?" the cabby asked.
"Yes, thank you. And please make it a fast. I'm in a
hurry."
He saluted and grinned. "You bet, beautiful."
She sat down in back and breathed a sigh of relief as the
cab peeled away from the curb. Life was good. She was a beautiful woman and she
had money, more than enough for airfare to the Bahamas. More than enough to
start a new life. No one would ever find her. She stared out the window and
watched the lights of the city stream past. She'd never see those lights again
and she smiled. That was just fine with her.
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