Cheap beer (Annia, Sloane)

[Lovely]

June 26, 2011
7pm
Cutler's Bar & Grill


Annia was nearing the end of her shift, which meant she'd been on her feet for hours already, but she never seemed to lose her pleasant smile with the customers. The flash of a colorful shirt at one of her assigned tables let her know that she had someone waiting as she brought drink refills to another. Pulling her smile into place again, she headed over to the new arrival, the smile warming more when she saw it was a regular or sort of one, She didn't know his name but Sloane been coming in often lately. "Hey handsome." She greeted him as she slid up beside his table. "What would you like to start tonight?"

The man's smile was friendly and as broad as the blue floral print. "Hey! I could go with starting a world of trouble, but maybe I'll go with something a little lighter first. Something from the tap and maybe a matchbook with your number in it? Maybe an address so I can send you flowers for being so welcoming all the time. Place is a little busy tonight. They being nice to you?" He asked like an old friend, and a concerned one at that, taking a look around the place.

Annia was surprised for a moment, she'd certainly not been expecting that sort of response to her question. The moment passed and she chuckled softly. "That was lighter? Well I'm glad you went with something lighter first." Her smile was still warm and her eyes now sparkled with amusement. "What if I have some big muscled boyfriend.. wouldn't getting my number or sending me flowers count as starting trouble?" She pondered with an arch of her eyebrow and then glanced around at the crowd with a shrug. "I'm off soon so even if they'er being horrible I don't have too much longer to endure it." She teased and hoped he'd know she wasn't being treated badly. "Let me get you that beer."

"Eh, I'll send him flowers, too. Why not? If he still wants to get into, bring him down here and we'll talk. Since he's not here right now, I'd like to talk to you. Once I get the beer. Don't want the boss to think I'm being a problem customer, now," he said, looking around the room this time like he was looking for someone specific and not the boss.

She laughed and shook her head slightly. "Are you always like this? I might bribe you to come in every night just to cheer me up at the end of a long shift." Annia teased him with a wink and started to move away from the table, she headed into the bar to get the beer and came back with it just a couple of minutes later. "Here you go, hun." She smiled as she set it down for him.

He appeared more relaxed when she returned and he wasn't looking around at faces now. "Actually, I'm only like this when I get paid," he said, "Reminds me of those college days, you know when I could actually afford a pizza instead noodles and a pop? The rest of the time I'm the funny, old guy grumbling over a day-old coffee. Tonight, you get the benefit of celebrating with me. Still missing that matchbook, though."

She held her lips, trying not to smile at him but finally let go and allowed him to see the sparkle and her grin. "Oh.. well lucky me." She looked over him, wondering if he was some slasher or something, could she trust her instincts? Something was telling her to go for it. "I believe this is for you." Annia reached into the pocket on her short half apron and pulled out a matchbook that had Cutler's logo on it, she held it out to him. Telling herself that if he turned out to be a psycho she was giving up on men.

He raised an eyebrow as she produced an actual book of matches. He checked inside and glanced up at her. "Annia, I'm Sloane Palmer," he said, holding out one of his square hands to take hers as he tucked the book away behind the print of a blue palm limbs that covered a breast pocket. "I'm serious about celebrating. You say you're off soon? Why not come join me for dinner... or breakfast?"

She took his hand to shake it in introduction, it was polite and innocent enough, she thought at first. Her eyes widened a little at his last option as it were and she felt herself blush lightly, her hand still held in his as she sort of forgot about it. "It's a little late for breakfast, isn't it?"

"Or early, which means spending some time until it's time. Well, I'm not putting you on the spot or anything," he said apologetically, letting go of her tinier hand. He picked up his glass and took a large sip. "Just one of those nights I didn't want to spend by myself in a bar, watching the pretty girls working hard when my job's done. That didn't seem right, so... whaddya say? Keep a grumpy, old guy company for a little while in his moment of victory?"

Yeah right, not putting her on the spot - he totally had but was so nice about it that it was hard to be anything but flattered. "Well.. I have to finish my shift first." She glanced at her watch and around at the tables that were emptying out. "You're actually my last table.. The others are just about done." She explained with a small gesture of her hand and turned back to him with a small smile.

"Well I can clear out early so you can get your pretty little self all done with this place," he offered. He wasn't going to let the beer go to waste, though, and took another large sip. "Although I really don't want to leave just yet."

[Lovely]

"Don't you go rushing off on account of me." She told him with a half smile and a hand on her hip. "You just relax and enjoy yourself. You're celebrating tonight, remember? I'm mostly waiting for that guy over there to clear out. He tends to linger awhile.. already paid his check but will sip the last bit of his drink for what seems like forever." She explained and discreetly nodded in the direction of the customer.

"I could tell him it's time to go," he suggested. "About that starting trouble...?" He grinned again and leaned on the table, making no move to actually get up and annoy one of her tabs. As long as he didn't stiff her for the tip, he could let it slide that the guy was just hanging out since he was too.

"Don't make me put you over my knee." She sassed naturally and didn't realize what she'd said for a second or rather that she was saying it to a customer - technically. "I mean.. umm.. maybe we should talk after my shift.."

Sloane chuckled and swept his fingers. "Go on, get it done already. Me and the ale here will have a chat while you're gone," he said, looking over at the other table and giving the guy a serious glare. The girl wanted to go home and he was just trying to help a little.

She stepped between his glare and the other guy for a moment. "Try to behave while I'm not watching.. I meant it about the spanking.. but shhh, don't tell the boss I threatened a customer." She smiled and winked at him again before heading off to do some busy tasks as she waited for the table to clear.

"I wouldn't even if it was a threat," he chuckled as she scampered off. He gave the guy another sour look then returned to the beer that was nearly gone. A few minutes passed and he took the matches out again, running his thumb over the name and number she'd written inside, seemng to study it while he waited.

It took another fifteen minutes before the man at the other table finally left and Annia was finally free. She gathered the tip off the table, went out back and got rid of her apron, stopped at the bathroom to wash her hands and freshen up a little. Once she was satisfied that she didn't look horrible, she headed out to see if Sloane was still there.

The glass wasn't completely empty when she returned. He'd been busy scribbling on a small napkin something he quickly folded away to put in his pocket with the matches as she came back minus the apron. "That didn't take too long at all. And before you say it, I didn't say anything to the other guy. I stayed right here. You really shouldn't keep peanuts at these tables, though," he said, moving the mostly-empty bowl away. "Nice little projectiles. I prefer granny's old rock salt better though."

Her only reply was the arch of her eyebrow and an expression that said she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She waited a moment and let her face relax into the natural warmth that seemed to pour off her. "Did you want to stay here or go somewhere.. else?" She asked, nodding toward the empty seat she could take and then glanced to the door they could escape out of if he wanted.

"Lady's choice," he shrugged, capping his pen to put away as well. "She's been in this place working hard, so I would think she would want to be anywhere but here. But, if she wants to make the others work for a while, she is more than welcome to stay right here, that is if she'll move her chair a little bit closer."

"Oh.. I guess here is fine.. I have no idea where else you'd be interested in going.." It was awkward to have the choice tossed back at her when she asked the question, she hated that and usually it just made her want to say forget whatever it was. "I've been on my feet awhile so sitting anywhere is pretty much okay." She sat, with her purse and hands folded in her lap, giving him a tense and awkward smile as she did her best to be polite. She didn't move her chair closer.

"Ah, on the spot again," he grimaced and reached for the now-warm beer he decided against and let sit. "Bad habit of mine. Sometimes wonder if I was an interrogator in my past life, or something. Here is fine, better than fine. We're here and since you don't know me, I guess the least I can do is help you feel a little safer, right?"

"If you say so.." Annia muttered softly, it was all she could come up with that didn't sound b*tchy or rude. She'd been there all day and honestly would have rather gotten out at least into the fresh air or something but he'd invited her to his little celebration and it was really up to him to make the moves. She wasn't a mind reader and that was why she'd asked him what he had in mind. "I never said I felt unsafe or anything.." She clarified, feeling like she must have given him that impression and offended him. Great way to start things off.. maybe from now on she should do the opposite of what her instincts told her. "So.."

"So, I think I'm a little rusty in treating a lady to a little fun," he sighed. "That happens in my line of work. You forget how to deal with normal people. Let me start over with 'Hi, I'm Sloane Palmer, a grumpy, old guy. Can I take you to dinner? I know this place," he said, lowering his voice a little to mention a steak place up the street from the grille. "I would be honored if you'd join me."

She wasn't going to argue or try to prove his point, she totally believed him when he said he was rusty.. it kind of showed. Annia supposed that she could cut him a little slack for that handicap, but not too much. A guy was supposed to impress and charm a girl a little! She looked down at her attire and wondered if she was dressed okay, but as she glanced up to ask him, her eyes fell on his bright shirt and she grinned a little. "I'd love to."