Janine tended bar at this New Orleans dive that I passed on my way home from work every night.

I waited tables at the Hotel Monteleone and we always had a ton of tourists thanks to the Carousel Bar, which was a mecca for assholes. I usually left work in a horrible mood.

Janine was always ready to pour me a drink and listen to me bitch. I think I had a little girl crush on her. Her bar was a dumping ground for exhausted blue-collars who just needed to unload after work. Each night, I watched Janine listen to everyone’s annoying complaints, like she actually cared. She made everyone feel special.

After a long, hard shift that paid almost nothing in tips, I went to Janine’s bar.

“Hey Alison, what can I get you?” she asked, as I plopped down on a barstool.

“A... Read More