"Don't you think you've had enough Bill?" The barmaid Julie, 29, said to William as he saw him sat looking quite dejected at the end of the bar. She leaned on the counter with one hand and held her cloth in the other while observing the guy.
"Nope, I'm s-still hearing that bitch's voice in m-my ears from this morning." Bill slurred slightly, referring to his wife Cheryl as he downed another shot of rum.
Julie felt sorry for Bill, having such a dysfunctional family, he was a decent guy. Sure he had his faults, but so did everybody. "Why don't you clean yourself up and go out and find another woman Bill, you deserve a better life than this. And getting drunk the whole time... not the right course of action buddy." She explained.
"Yeah, well... it'll do." Bill groaned, resting his head in one hand and tapping his empty glass on the bar with the other. "Fill her up sweetheart." He said, looking up to admire Julie's figure. The brunette barmaid was very attractive and had some nice curves, she had ample breasts and was dressed in a red halter top, a black skirt and a pair of suede high heeled pumps. Unfortunately, she also had a boyfriend and was much younger than Bill was.
Julie let out a sigh, shaking her head, but then she opened the bottle of rum again and poured Bill another shot. As she then went to serve another patron, someone else walked into the bar, a man with a well-groomed beard and mustache, wearing a dapper navy blue suit, white shirt and a black tie. He certainly didn't look like he belonged in a seedy bar like the ones Bill frequented. He sat at the bar on the stool next to Bill and interlocked his fingers after leaning forward. "Good evening William, you're not looking too clever." The man greeted Bill.
Bill opened his eyes and looked at the guy. "Do I know you?" He slurred.
"No, you don't. But being acquainted is not important. I'm here to change your life William, and from the looks of it, its in dire need of changing." The man explained calmly, with a sly little smirk.
"F-Fuck you buddy, I'm not in the m-mood for this shit." Bill sighed, lowering his head onto the bar as the rum started taking effect.
"Pay attention William." The man said, clicking his fingers. In an instant the alcohol in Bill's system evaporated and his head jolted up as he became sober. To him it was not a pleasant experience.
"Wait, what the fuck?" Bill frowned, staring at the man sat beside him. It was then that Bill noticed something else, the absence of music in the bar. He looked around and nearly fell off his stool. Time seemed to be frozen, everyone else in the building was motionless... incuding Julie just pouring another drink for someone. "What the fuck is going on here?" He asked, turning to the smiling man again.
"Like I said, I'm here to offer a unique opportunity William." The man repeated.
"How do you know my name?" Bill scowled, not liking this man much.
"Unimportant. All you need to know is I'm a 'man' of extraordinary abilities. And I'm here to bestow one of them on you." The man explained, before reaching forward and tapping his index finger into the middle of Bill's forehead. There was a sudden flash and Bill's head was forced back, then when he opened his eyes again, time had resumed as normal and the mysterious man was gone. "What in THE actual fuck was that?" Bill said aloud, getting Julie's attention.
"You okay Bill?" The concerned barmaid asked the now sober family man.
Bill just remained silent for a moment, as a whole rush of knowledge entered his mind. Apparently he now had the ability to swap people's heads around. And what was weirder... it didn't seem ridiculous to him either thanks to the information now contained in his brain. Any swaps made would only be noticed by him, unless he wished that people be aware. "Uh... yeah, I think I'm... fine, thanks." Bill finally replied to Julie's question.
Julie smiled at him, then carried on with her job, leaving a stunned Bill sitting there, absorbing it all in.