The first time I saw Milt was the same day my divorce was final. I had just come from the lawyer's office where I had signed away $50 thousand I didn't have. It cost me dearly for several years, but the direction I had given him was "when it's over, I don't want her to be able to touch anything I make from that day on." He made it happen but I wasn't sure it was such a great deal right then.

That's why I was stopping for a drink at 3:00 in the afternoon, and at a restaurant in the downtown area. Even back then I usually tried to get closer to the south side before I started drinking. Anyway this was a special occasion and it had been awhile since I had seen Charlie Jack, the guy who owned the restaurant.

When I walked in I thought he wasn't open yet, it was so quiet. Then I noticed the girl setting up the bar, and I asked if Charlie Jack was around. She said he was in the kitchen, and I told her to tell him Bubba was here. She fixed me a VO/H2O and headed toward the kitchen as I pulled up the corner stool.

About this time a nicely dressed fellow walked into the bar followed by a guy wearing a chauffeur uniform. When I looked back around Charlie Jack was coming out of the kitchen. I had a big smile and was just getting ready to say something witty when Charlie Jack started yelling.

"Get the fuck out of here you no good for nothing, no count motherfucker. I don't care what you want you can't get it here. Out. Out right god damned now. You been told I don't want your business!"

Frankly I was pretty shocked. I mean I may have fucked up in Charlie Jack's place before, but never enough to warrant such a cussin'. He was headed in my direction with blood in his eye. I was bracing for a punch when he breezed by me with a friendly, "hey Bubba, How you doing."

He was headed toward the guy with the chauffeur, who was backing in the direction of the front door, mumbling something about " I apologize".

When he was gone Charlie Jack came over, pulled up a stool, and explained. "That asshole has been barred from every drinking place in three counties. He has the chauffeur cause he has lost his drivers license all he can. The judge last time told him he would put him down at Stark if he ever heard of him even sitting under a steering wheel again, even if the car was up on blocks! Trouble follows him like the plague. He can run off more business in five minutes than I can

round up in a month."

By now Milt and the chauffeur were long gone, so I never did actually meet him that day. It was just the first time I saw him. Later I met him when he bought the condo on the grounds of the Riverbend. Charlie Jack sure had him nailed!