"And let me love you on a backroad," Corey Smith sang as his song blasted out of the jukebox at the The Quarter Bar. It was a popular dive bar along Westchester Avenue near the eastern border of Johnstown.

A woman in a Led Zeppelin shirt was sitting at the video poker machine at one of end of the bar, talking to a few other regulars. Two men in suits that looked like had reached their limit a few hours earlier were watching the end of a Cardinal baseball game. A group of young women were at the other end of the bar, doing their best to ignore the older man trying to talk to them.

"So, you all go to school around here?" he asked.

"No," one of the women said. "We are all finished with college."

"Ah, good. Are you all married then?"

"No," she and then turned back to her friends. She was upset with herself for engaging him at all.

"My name is Ned," he offered. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No thanks."

"Can I at least get your name?"

"Tilly."

"Tilly? That's an old lady name. Is that really your name?"

"Look, I'm just trying to hang out with my friends after a long day at work. If you don't like my name, then pretend it is something else. Either way, I wish you'd just leave me alone."

"Jeez," Ned said. "You don't have to get all upset. I was just talking."

"Ned, you gotta stop bothering women," the bartender said.

"Oh, come on, Jessica! It is a free country and I'm just trying to relax and have some fun. Maybe if you came over and talked to me a little more, I would be satisfied."

"Do you need another drink? I've got almost thirty people in here and I'm busting my butt. I don't have time to chit chat."

"Yeah, I'll have one more. What is this terrible music?"

"Corey Smith. He's one of my favorites, so be nice."

"Well, not everyone can have good taste in music, I suppose."

"Here," Jessica said, putting the frosty bottle on the bar in front of him. "Now, leave them alone or I'll send John down to talk to you."

"John, ha," Ned said. "You wouldn't do that and he's all talk anyway. Sure, he's six foot five and could bench press a car, but he wouldn't mess with someone that comes here as much as I do."

"Whatever you say, but quit bothering them," Jessica said and walked away, taking an order from two guys who had just walked in.

"Hey, I'm telling you that any of these beautiful young ladies would be lucky to hang out with a guy like me," Ned said to no one in particular. "I've got my red Corvette outside, ready to tear up the roads. It's a convertible and my six disc changer is loaded with music a million times better than this."

The young women were ignoring him, as was Jessica. He looked around, hoping for a reaction, but eventually took a big drink and started watching the people milling around the bar. At sixty-six years old, he continued to pursue the bachelor life he had forty years earlier. He refused to acknowledge that time had marched on without him and assumed that he was the prize that all women would fight for. He always visited The Quarter Bar when he knew Jessica was working because he was sure he would win her over eventually. She was five foot nine with long, dark brown hair and he was obsessed.

"Jessica," he called out a few minutes later. "Come down here, my love!"

"What do you want, Ned?" she asked. "Did you finish that beer already?"

"No, I just wanted to see your lovely face up close," he said and she rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'll stick around for closing and you can go for a ride with me."

"You're buzzed and no, Ned. I'm your bartender, not your girlfriend."

"Oh, but the possibilties..."

"Nope, not gonna happen. I need to get back to work."

"Do your thing, I'll watch from over here."

"Great," she said sarcastically and walked away.

Ned watched her make a few drinks and then turned his attention back to the group of young women. This time he didn't say anything to them, choosing only to smile at them when one would look up at him.

"Let's get out here," one of them said. "That guy is creepin' me out."

"Hey, bartender, we need to settle our tab," another one said.

Jessica brought them a slip of paper with their total on it a couple minutes later.

"Here," the first one said, handing Jessica a credit card. "This place isn't bad, except from the old creep."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe try out our patio? I hate to see you all go because of him."

"I'm sitting right here," Ned said in a playful voice. "You ladies are going to hurt my feelings."

"You have a red corvette, right?"

"Who me?" Ned asked. "Why, yes, I do. Did you change your mind?"

"Not even a little bit, but at least we know to avoid coming in when that car is in the parking lot."

"That's just rude," Ned replied, still smiling. "At least one of you will change your mind before you get to your car."

They all shook their heads and rolled their eyes. It was mind blowing to them to think he had a chance with any of them. Jessica frowned as the group of women made their way out the door. Their total spent was double what Ned would spend in a month and their tip for the night was far beyond anything he had ever left. His small pile of change at the end of four of five hours was laughable at best.

"I'm going to go pick out some real music," Ned said and walked toward the juke box.

"Good and then go home and never come back," Jessica said under her breath as she rang in some drinks. She knew she would not be so lucky.

Ned set his drink down on one of the high top tables near the jukebox and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He looked around as if someone would be watching him picking out songs. He smiled at the cash in his wallet and took out a ten dollar bill.

"Ten bucks," he said. "That ought to change the tune around here. Get it?! Change the tune!"

No one was paying any attention to him, though. Two couples had come in and taken a booth near the front window. Ned watched them for a minute and decided they probably liked country music, too. Ned did not like country music and decided he would put his ten bucks to good use.

"Ah, I know what will change things up," he said. "My old buddy Nick would be proud of me."

He slipped the ten into the machine and waited for the credits to pop up. He got thirty of them and did a search for one of Nick's favorite artists, Chet Baker. The Quarter Bar patrons were enjoying the sound of The Weeknd, but he knew that would come to an end soon.

"I love this 'play next' option," he said, laughing to himself. "Let's see, now. I'll start with My Funny Valentine, then Almost Blue, and Let's Get Lost. A few others after that and everyone will be falling asleep. Good tunes, but not what these people want to hear. I'll teach them to treat me like that."

The Weeknd finished up singing about not being able to feel his face and the slow tune of My Funny Valentine started up. He had spent extra credits to jump in line and was pleased when he turned around to see people staring at him in disbelief. A couple were shaking their heads, but he only smiled and picked up his beer.

"Hey, Jessica, turn it up!"

She ignored him and he was sure he heard her apologize to a few people at the bar. He didn't care what they thought, he was satisfied with the music. He went back to the bar, taking back the spot he had occupied for the last few hours. A man who had been sitting next to him got up and moved away as soon as Ned sat down.

"Can you skip these songs?" asked a younger guy who took the stool at the end of the bar.

"No, they took that away from us last month," Jessica answered.

"Yeah, no skipping my tunes. I paid good money for these," Ned commented.

"I'd be happy to give you your money back if we could skip them. I came here to have some fun and this crap makes me want to find a bathtub filled with warm water, if you know what I mean."

Jessica smiled and slid a glass of Scotch in front of the man.

"You think you're hot stuff, don't you?" Ned asked.

"I'm just a regular guy who wants to unwind after a long day."

"Well, regular guy, I'm Ned. I spend a lot of money in here and I like this music. I think taking half an hour to listen to some good music won't hurt anyone in here."

"Well, Ned, my name is Max. I spent nine hours today working on plumbing for a new house across town and I'm ready to unwind. I may not spend as much as you, but I'm here for the same reason as all the rest of these fine people."

"That's nice, Max," Ned said. "I'm going to have maybe two more beers, figure who wants to take a ride with me in my new Corvette, and then I'm outta here. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my Chet Baker and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."

"Ned, you need to take it down a notch," Jessica said. "I'll cut you off."

"That's no way to talk to someone who hasn't decided how much to tip yet," Ned offered in a sing song voice.

"Oh, will it be seventy-five cents or maybe even a dollar?" Jessica said mockingly.

"Well, I could take you for a ride in my Corvette after work. That would be worth more than any tip I could leave."

"Right, well, that's never going to happen. Never."

"Never say never," Ned said and turned to look at Max, who was twirling a Zippo lighter between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. "You can't smoke in here."

"Thank for the update, but do you even see a cigarette?"

"Doesn't matter. You can't smoke."

Max flipped open the lighter and the small flame jumped to life. He held it up pretending to light an invisible cigarette and then took a nice long drag off of it. Jessica let a big smile slip across her face as she walked to the other end of the bar to take a drink order.

"Put it away," Ned said, the playfulness gone from his voice.

"There is no rule against me having a lighter, old man. I can burn up all the butane I want and there is nothing you can do about it. Kinda like me being forced to listen to this music you put on."

"Open flames around alcohol is dangerous and you are an idiot for waving that thing around."

"Uh, what? I would bet there isn't more than one or two bottles in this place that would even be remotely flammable. Besides, I'm not drinking that stuff, so you'll have to calm down."

"Put it away. I'm not playing around."

"What do you have against a little old flame?"

"I'm tired of being nice."

"When did you start being nice? Maybe you should come over here and take it from me."

Max clicked the lighter shut and held it at arm's length in Ned's direction. Ned stood up and took a couple quick steps in his direction, but stopped short when Max flicked the lighter open again. The blue flame burned true and Ned's eyes were locked on to it.

"Wait, you are afraid of fire, aren't you?" Max stated.

"Shut up. You are being stupid and careless."

"Nah, I don't think so. I think you are afraid of this tiny little flame," Max said, slowly standing up.

"You stay away from me," Ned said, taking a step back. He bumped into a stool and a man who was waiting for his turn to throw darts. "Jessica, do you see what this guy is doing?!"

"I see a guy playing with his lighter," Jessica said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Either you throw him out or I'm leaving!"

"Tough decision there, Ned," she said. "You owe twenty-two dollars, by the way."

"Pay the lady," Max said and closed the lighter. Ned stared at him for a moment and then took out his wallet. He took out two tens and a five, tossing the cash on the bar.

"Don't say I never left a tip," he said. "I'll be back when you are in a better mood, Jessica."

"Bye, Ned," she said.

"Bye, Ned," Max repeated and lit the lighter again. Ned grimaced and backed all the way to the door.

Once he was outside, he straightened himself up and smoothed out his shirt. He felt the cool breeze chill him as he had started sweating a nervous sweat when he saw the flame. No one was standing in front of the bar, so he took a moment to compose himself. He glanced back through the front window and saw Max and Jessica laughing together.

"They'll get theirs one of these days."

The Chet Baker song stopped suddenly and he noticed that Jessica had a remote in her hand. A few seconds later, the music of KSHE 95 came rolling out of the speakers. People inside the bar started cheering the change.

Ned frowned and stomped off toward his Corvette, which he liked to park in a spot far from the building. He didn't want some drunk person banging their door into his baby. Besides, the light over his parking space cast quite a shine on the car, putting him in a much better mood.

One click on his keyfob and the lights flashed twice on the car. He slid in, running his hands across the tan leather of the steering wheel. This disappointment of the Quarter Bar was a quickly fading memory. Seconds later, the engine roared to life. He gave the accelerator a couple quick pumps, drawing attention from people sitting out on the patio. While they were watching, he clicked the button to lower the white soft top. Ned was all smiles as the night sky appeared over his head.

"Come on now," he said softly, looking back toward the patio. He could see that the group of young women he had attempted to flirt with earlier had only moved outside instead of leaving. "I know you all see me and my car. You know I've got money. One of you wants to go for a ride. I know it."

He was not ready to give up on the night, so he turned on his stereo and punched the button to activate the CD player. He waited for a moment and then heard disc four come on, which happened to be one of AC/DC's greatest hits albums.

The guitar came on strong and Ned turned the volume way up. Everyone on the patio and probably in the apartment building half a block away could hear Brian Johnson's vocals explode across the night. Highway to Hell was certainly one of Ned's favorites and he liked the Brian Johnson version better than Bon Scott, which had led to more than a few arguments with other fans over the years. Ned decided to sing along.

"Living easy, living free

Season ticket on a one-way ride

Asking nothing, leave me be

Taking everything in my stride"

Ned was truly rocking out and was watching the group of young women, especially Tilly, as they watched him from the patio. He could see that the two dozen or so people were all looking his way and he loved the attention. He continued singing and pushed the volume a little higher.

"And I'm going down

All the way

Whoa!

I'm on the highway to hell"

Ned finished off the song with a big smile on his face, which faded seconds later as he realized that the people on the patio had gone back to their own conversations. His show was over and he hit the power button on the stereo. He thought about calling one of his friends, maybe Nick. He wasn't in the mood for smooth jazz anymore.

The silence had become deafening with the lack of AC/DC filling the air. The sound of a shoe scuffing the blacktop on the passenger side of the car drew Ned's attention. He was shocked to see Jessica standing there.

"Well, now, that's a nice surprise. Get in!"

The parking lot light was casting a shadow on her face, but he could see the smile that he had loved from the first time he saw it. She grabbed the handle and slid into the seat next to him.

"Is someone else covering the end of your shift?"

She only nodded, looked out through the windshield, and turned the stereo back on, although she turned the volume way down. Ned waited for her to say something, but was too excited. His dream was coming true.

"I guess you've had enough talk for one night," he said as a sly smile formed on his face. "Maybe you just want some action."

She turned her head a little and then shifted her body to face him. Her lips had his full attention, so he did not notice her eyes. He had already put on his seatbelt and forgot this when he tried to turn and it caught, holding him to his seat. Ned laughed nervously for a second and reached for the buckle. Jessica's left hand reached the buckle first, covering it up. She shook her head from side to side a couple times and smilee again.

"Whatever you want!" he commented out loud.

Jessica tilted her head and brought her right hand to his leg. He could feel the heat coming off of her and he was about to jump out of his skin with excitement. He looked down at her hand, which was starting to slide up his leg. Finally, he looked back up at her and saw that she wasn't smiling anymore. He was confused.

The engine revved for a moment and he looked at the display in the dashboard. Everything looked normal at first, but then he noticed that the engine temperature was climbing. He could feel the hot air coming through the vents and he looked back to Jessica.

This time, he looked into her eyes and realized it was not Jessica at all. He didn't know who it was, but the solid black eyes made him suck in a deep breath. Ned was about to scream when she leaned over and planted a kiss on him that sealed off his call for help. The engine revved again and flames shot out from under the dash, licking up his legs and onto his chest.

He tried to scream again, but she was still kissing him. His eyes were bulging as the pain from the flames raced through his body. Ned grabbed at her hand on the seat belt buckle, trying to free himself. It was useless. Her hand was like a vice and he felt the fire grow in intensity, but still she kissed him.

No one on the patio noticed what was happening until the entire interior of the car suddenly lit up and made the car look like a dumpster that someone had torched in the middle of the night. Several people jumped up and started running toward the car, although the heat radiating from it was too great for them to get close. They could see two dark shadows in the front seats, but the emergency crews only found one body.

Tilly had run inside to tell Jessica that there was a car fire in the parking lot. Jessica was in the middle of pouring a Fat Tire from the tap at the center of the bar and looked up when she heard Tilly yelling. There was a sharp pain in her left hand, which was holding the tapper, and she jerked it away. A raw, rectangular shape appeared on her hand, as if the tapper had suddenly reached a scorching temperature.