Behind Bars

10 years behind one of NYCs most notorious late night bars that you might not have heard of.

Due to the late night, or rather early morning nature of the proclivities that take place – not to mention the legality of said activities/location at that time, I won’t be using any real names.

That said, those of you that know, know.

Many of the stories take place in afterhours – happy hour for those us of in the industry that, at the end of a night of taking orders, have enough energy left to expend on taking in some libations of our own.

“Ladies of the Night”

Now THIS was an eye-opener!

I’m not gonna to lie, one of the big attractions of the nightlife industry, when looking from the outside as a twenty-something-year-old, was the promiscuity.

Late nights, good-looking people, loose inhibitions, alcohol and other friends – what wasn’t to like.

And, I had a lot of fun in my twenties…..

That’s really one side of the tale, the other is less flashy, sometimes less obvious and maybe a little less well known – that said, I got to see plenty of it on unexpected occasions and those partaking might be even more unexpected.

One sweltering early summer evening I strolled in the door of the bar carefree, sweat laden from 40 minutes on an AC-less subway ride.

Guzzling my ice coffee on the way through the bar I was bummed out by how dead it was.

There were a couple of nurses finishing off their burgers and beers – not a shot at nurses- they’re great – but those coming off the day shift aren’t going to be big drinkers, these two in particular.

Two more pints – if that – and they’ll be out the gap I figured. After them there was only the chef, Carlos (who I think might have been asleep standing up in the corner) but fuck-it- it’s quiet. I’ll wake him up if he’s needed.

The sole other occupant was a sharp dressing regular who lived around the corner – a consultant at one of the big hospitals in town,

I was more in awe than I should have been (still learning the ropes at this stage) 

-show me a surgeon or consultant without some sort of addiction problem and I’ll buy you a drink.

Dan, the consultant, usually wasn’t around much during the summer – paint your own picture:

travelling in Europe for a week or two, out east at the weekends, down the shore for MDW – he was the poster boy for these trips – until he wasn’t.

He was a big basketball guy and would be a constant at the bar for games, if he wasn’t at the Garden.

There was something else.

I don’t want to say there was something off or sleazy about him but Jesus – he was more than a little odd.

Insanely wealthy from what I could gather and mostly cordial but as one or two female regulars mentioned in passing; a fucking CREEP. 

Anyways I’m getting off track – I went in the kitchen, changed into a clean back tee,

took one more pass though the bar and had a quick smoke before taking the reins form the day bartender who got out of there quicker than greased lightening

– oh, and the nurses had left too, no surprises there. It was just me and Dan and sleeping beauty in the corner 

then the fun started.

A glamorous middle- aged lady arrived with two hookers in tow.

There was no point in dressing that up – it was fucking obvious and speaking of dressing up they were clad as you might expect – scantily.

Had I put 2 + 2 together yet? Ashamedly not. First, let me set the scene, we weren’t exactly The Ritz, and this was about 8 in the evening so they weren’t here by chance. Dan was up to bat.

What transpired next was just a little odd.

They ordered drinks, well, the madame ordered some drinks and to her credit she took care of them herself – in my experience dancers, escorts or others in those adjacent lines of work never want to pay for their own drinks, it sickens my hole and I can’t stand it.

As the lady in charge made her way down to Dan in the pool room the two girls stayed at the bar and played with the straws in their long island iced teas – anyone surprised folks?

Then this was the part that made me chuckle, the boss came back and sent working girl one down the back.

About five minutes passed and she was still down there, I gave a quick look in a mirror or two while I ‘gathered some dirty glassware’ and cleaned some table tops.

The place was still quiet mind you so I didn’t have much cover but I wanted to make sure services weren’t being delivered

– all clear, they’re just talking. Working girl 2 was up, back she went and sat down – I shit you not – on Dan’s knee.

This was a shorter conversation.

Both came back from the pool room. Dan paid his bill and all four went outside leaving me scratching my head as to what in the name of fuck just happened.

Carlos was awake now btw – every bit as intrigued as me, buoyed by the sight of a short skirt and a high heel – time for a ‘cigarette’.

I got out just in time to see Dan hand a cab driver 50 bucks for the madame and one of her consorts to head uptown while he and the other ‘lady of the night’ crossed the street walking toward what I can only assume was his apartment.

As I settled back into a long night and Carlos nodded back off I had so many questions.

Dan returned around in the morning, freshly showered – thank god, and with a spring in his step.

I had 101 things to ask him, but, the first question only consisted one word – pint?”