tuesdays bete noire

you have 24 minutes to kill before you have to meet someone somewhere you dont want to be. so you duck into the nearest dive for a quick buzz and 2 bucks worth of songs. you put money in the juke and chug your first beer. a new song starts and it aint yours. you order another beer and drink it almost as fast. still another beer and two more songs not yours. the thought of bartender collusion crosses your mind but you stand down. 16 minutes to go. you order your fourth beer and get it free. more songs that aint yours. you begin to calculate how long your set will run and rationalize how late late can be. 10 minutes to go and youre drunk. you give yourself one more song, maybe two, and one last beer. 7 minutes to go. make or break time. a moronic roar goes up from the four scattered patrons as an interminable version of dazed and confused starts to play. your blood boils. you finish your beer, yell something not understood and consider punching everyone in the fucking place with 6 minutes to go.