Roxy's.

The lights reflected in a nearby rippling puddle as the rain hammered down. It wasn't exactly in the most desirable part of town, but Roxanne had made the most of what she had. Her diamond in the rough in the part of town that most would deem "the wrong side of the tracks".

The bar wasn't her only Diamond in the rough. I used to run with her brother back in the day. She turned a blind eye to what we did, always seeing the good in people. But when I stepped in to help him in an unfair fight, she begged us both to go straight. He did, I did a five stretch.

She took pity, and was the only smiling face I saw when I got out. Of course, she wouldn't let me in the car until I promised to go straight. She'd inherited her Dad's garage when he did but didn't know the first thing about cars. That's where I came in. Run the garage while she ran her bar.

Open up a dictionary and next to the term 'Dive Bar' was a picture of Roxy's. Truth be told though, it wasn't that bad of a place. Sure, some undesirables hung out here, people passing through town looking for a cold beer and a hot bed. And people like me, ex-cons trying to go straight. But if you played by Roxy's rules, you were alright in here.

Tonight was like any other. The shutters on the front of my garage came down with a clatter and as soon as the padlock snapped shut, I pulled the collar of my worn jacket up to shield what I could from the rain and headed down to Roxy's. It was only 7pm and already I could hear a crowd inside. Friday night was always busy.

"Hey Stranger" Roxy looked up from behind the bar, that cute little smile on her face, the jet black bangs of her pixie cut sweeping down over her face. Piercing green eyes holding mine. Roxy had perfected that "butter wouldn't melt" look, but I'd known her long enough to know it was a façade.

"Come off it" I joked, peeling my jacket off and hanging it by the door, running a hand through my soaked hair, sweeping it back. "Been a busy week, what can I say" I shrugged but by the time I approached the bar, she'd already put a beer there for me. Roxy's black painted nails still gripping the bottle as I took a hold. "I'll settle my tab tonight...." Glancing over at where I'd spend most of my evening. In a well lit corner of the bar was a pristine pool table.

"You better, else I'll have that ass of yours working the kitchen", Roxy spoke as she let her hand slide from the bottle. I knew she wasn't joking, but she knew I wasn't either. There's three things I'm good at. Boosting cars, fixing cars and pool. And if it wasn't for Roxy, I'd still be doing the first one.

A couple hours later and the bar was it's usual lively self. Some garage band being ignored while warming up for the main act, Roxy and some old friend of hers tending bar and in the corner, me. A cocky smirk on my face as I locked eyes with Roxy, glancing down at the stack of bills next to me with a 'Told you so' look on my face. The look was met with what I expected; a shake of her head and her flipping me the bird.

It'd take a year for life to get this good again. and as I got ready to take another ten bucks from a game of pool, someone new came into the bar. Someone who was going to make my life all that much more sweeter, or awaken something that had laid dormant since I was a free man.

*****

Honestly, I have way too many directions I want to take this, I just wanted to write a dive bar scene with my character as an ex-con gone straight type. If you like the idea at all, I know it's kinda rambly, but if it spurs anything for who you might wanna play as here, message me on reddit?

Much prefer to talk out a rough plot over reddit messages before we get into a, hopefully, long term scene!