Page 2 of Together

“Oh! I need to pay you! How much?”

He totals up her three drinks and she hands him some cash, telling him to keep the change. Then she spins around and looks out at the small crowd, sipping away at her drink at an alarming pace.

“You good?” the bartender asks me, but instead the woman who’s now dancing in her place turns her head, lifts her glass, and replies with a cheerful, “Yup! I’m super good now, thanks for the drink!”

His eyes go wide and he barks out a laugh before he gives her an okay symbol by making a circle out of his thumb and pointer finger.

“And you, my man?”

I look at my glass, polish it off, and hand it back empty. “With Coke, please.”

He nods and takes my empty glass, putting it under the bar. “Comin’ right up.”

He makes quick work of pouring whiskey, Coke, and ice into a glass and hands it over to me. New drink in hand, I pay for my tab and stand up, planning to move to a table. “Thanks, man.”

“Welcome. Let me know if you need another.”

I raise my glass to him. “Thanks. I will.”

“Let me know or you’ll need another?” he asks with a knowing smirk.

“Both.”

“Figured.” He looks around to make sure no one else is waiting for a drink and then leans his elbows on the bar. “Advice even though you didn’t ask?” I shrug and he continues. “Shake her off. Whoever she is, or he, not worth the time, my man.”

“What makes you sure that it’s about a woman?”

He gives me a look and spreads out his arms, like standing behind a bar is all the answer he needs to give. Suppose he’s got a point there.

“You seem to be so sure that she’s not worth it.”

“Anyone who puts that look on your face isn’t worth it.”

“Experience?” I guess.

He confirms with a tip of an imaginary hat toward me and stands straight, turning to help his next customer.

I find a table easily and moments after I take a seat, a waitress stops by with a bowl of peanuts in the shell. “I see you have a drink. You decide to stay for dinner, too?”

“Maybe just some boneless wings.”

“Perfect. Sauce?”

“I’m boring. Regular old buffalo is perfect. Ranch for dipping.”

“Nothing boring about a classic.”

“Did you just give me a line fromBed of Roses?”

Her mouth drops open and she looks at me stunned. “Holy crap! You know that movie?”

“Oh yeah. My sister made me watch it repeatedly one Christmas break.”

“I like your sister. She sounds like an awesome human,” she says, laughing. “I’ll put that order in. Need a water, too? Another drink?”

“Nah. I just got this one so I’m good for a bit, but maybe a water would be good, too.”

“You got it,” she says with a smile before walking away.

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