23 - Option B

     "I have just realized something." I said to Stotler exhaling
 slowly.  "I have never offered the people on the roster an option B."
  The music was quieter and we finally had a chance to talk with out yelling.
     The evening had a dull feeling to it.  There was nothing special in the air
 and the machines had been oddly quiet for quite some time.
     "I almost hate to ask but what is an option B?"  He fumbled for a
 second while trying to push the lime into his sixth or seventh Corona.  I
 couldn't remember how many we had by this point because I was becoming
 increasingly fond of my fifth Sam Adams Spring ale.
     "Option B.  This is the - Jesus, she's georgous!"  The way my
 head spun looking at the beautiful women in the bar I felt like a hungry owl at
 midnight. "Where was I?" I said just about to start the nights second
 pack of cigarettes.
     "Oh yeah, Option B is where I give people a chance to opt off the
 mailing list.  I just went through my collection of writings and realized that
 I've sent out some dark shit."
     As the lime dropped into the beer, the bubbles made it seem like it would
 evaporate back through the neck of the bottle.
     "I've heard some people find them long winded, some people find them
 disturbing, and some people just delete them.  I would rather not send
 something to someone if they don't like it."
     I knew he had a lot going on in his world but I just needed a bit of
 advice. There was a slight clank from the machines but they were still oddly
 quiet.
     "Hell I've known you for 25 years so I get it, most of the time.  If I
 didn't know you and you sent me some of this stuff I'd think you were a
 lunatic. Option B is a good idea."
     "Good because I sent it out last night."  I leaned back on the
 bar stool and let blew the smoke towards the ceiling.  The smoke eater snagged
 most of it before it could bother anyone else.

That Beautiful Black Man