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Ghoti: Two-Story Bars
by Valerie Lynn Watson

Valerie Lynn Watson’s “Two-Story Bars” has the potential to become a great story, but ultimately surfaces as a romantic retrospective that doesn’t quite scratch the surface of what it intends to become.

The story concerns itself with a young woman reflecting on a semester in London a decade ago. Happily married, she looks back to the escapades of her not-too-distant past. She recalls public intercourse with her then-boyfriend, entertaining strange men at pubs, and falling in love with a British bartender’s Rum and mint concoction–“Santa’s Kiss.” The faintly ominous tone mixes well with the blustery “Christmas in London” setting.

There’s only one recurring theme dominating the story: alcohol. Frequent references to drunken escapades border hint at an escape from reality. The narrator describes “getting drunk with an older man,” and explains that she avoided the bar in her London dorm due to her habit of “[making] friends too easily.” Recurring references to alcohol (and later, a conscious effort to avoid bars and pubs) provide vague hints toward a once-tumultuous life, but that suspicion can neither confirmed nor denied.

Unfortunately, the piece keeps a safe distance from readers, never dipping below the surface to convey anything tangible or concrete. For example, there are several references to a program—“she left the program” and “while in the program”—but it’s never entirely clear to what the author is referring. Perhaps an addition to alcohol. A reference to “Christmas with the guy I didn’t marry” leads readers to believe the woman has unresolved issues in her romantic life—either past or present—but we’re never let into precisely what those issues are.

The story can be edgy at times, with a few particularly spicy lines: “On the way home, she and her boyfriend would walk through public garden paths and have sex against a tree, huddled under their coats.” But without context supporting these erotic exploits, they fall flat.

The finale is cheerful enough—the woman spends a joyful night making drinks and laughing with her husband. It’s evident that there’s something brooding below the surface in this tale, but the journey is ultimately what readers need from this piece. We as readers are interested in the story behind the story; unfortunately for us, it’s hidden and locked away.

The seedlings for an intriguing retrospective are there, but at present the story needs to reveal its true intent to feel meaningful.

Check out the story for yourself.

About the Reviewer
Robert Lewis graduated from California State University - Sacramento in May 2007, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Composition and composed sports features pieces for the college newspaper publication. He currently writes for Associated Content in his idle time.