Over The Top

Zachariah Mattheus
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

We were winding down on a slow night in the summer. Annie, one of our cutest regulars with freckles was alone at the bar. She was a little drunk. She kept apologizing to me about things she had done to other people. At some point, this guy came in and sat at the bar, two stools away from Annie. He asked me for a drink. He gave me his credit card and I started a tab for him. The guy looked a lot like Frank Stallone (Sylvester Stallone’s younger brother who had a top 20 hit in the late 1980’s and, briefly, a video on MTV).

A few more people settled up and left. Frank Stallone ordered another drink. He kept leaning over and trying to talk to Annie but she just tuned him out.

I did last call. I put Annie’s tab down in front of her and I put Frank Stallone’s tab down in front of him.

Annie laid two twenties on the bar by her tab and said, “Keep the change.” As I was thanking her, Frank Stallone reached over and slid her two twenties in front of his tab. He said to me, “OK. Well, that’s for you.” I said, “I just saw you do that.” He was like, “Do what? What did I do?” I said, “You just took the money from there, and put it over there.” Frank Stallone said, “I did?” I said, “Yes. You did. Put the money back.” He apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, why did I do that? That was stupid.” He slid the two twenties back over.

I ran his card. He signed the receipt. As he was about to leave, and this was his big mistake, he turned to Annie and said, “So. Should we go back to your place or do you wanna come over to mine?” There was a twisted expression of nausea and anger on Annie’s face. Then she punched Frank Stallone in the nose. Hard. I think she cut him with her jewelry because there was a fair amount of blood. I tossed Frank Stallone a few bev naps and said, “Good night.” He left. Me and Annie did a shot. “A toast,” she said. “this one’s for Hedda Nussbaum!”

Make Mine A Double

Bars come and go, but people continue to drink. From the mouths of bartenders, bouncers, friends & lovers “Make Mine A Double” is an anecdotal collection of stories, both contemporary and historic from the bars of NYC. Written and Researched by Billy Amanna & Zachariah Mattheus.

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Dissatisfied. Empathetic. Curious.

Bars come and go, but people continue to drink. From the mouths of bartenders, bouncers, friends & lovers “Make Mine A Double” is an anecdotal collection of stories, both contemporary and historic from the bars of NYC. Written and Researched by Billy Amanna & Zachariah Mattheus.

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