“OK then,” I said as I took a deep breath and moved to the door. There wasn’t a doorbell or buzzer or anything, so I knocked. When there wasn’t an answer, I knocked again, only louder this time.
I was just starting to think no one was home and turned to tell Terri as much when the door swung open.
Standing in the doorway was a short, dark haired man in slacks, a white button down with the sleeves rolled up, tie, and a vest. His appearance was neat and well-kept, giving off an “everyman” vibe.
“Ah, hello. Ms. Terri and Ms. Asher, I presume?” The man spoke in a very proper tone, with just the hint of an accent I couldn’t identify.
“Uh, hello,” I said.
“Hi,” Terri echoed.
“Well, don’t stand out in the weather, please, come inside.” The man stood aside, holding the door for us as we entered cautiously.
The place was a bar. Bright brass and dark wood tones were everywhere. Tables, chairs, and booths were scattered throughout, while a large rectangle bar sat in the middle of the room.
I jumped as the man closed the door with a loud boom.
“I’m so sorry. You see, the door tends to stick sometimes and I have to give it a bit of a go to get it shut properly,” the man apologized as he passed us, heading towards the bar. “Have a seat, please.” The man indicated the stools at the bar.
We hesitantly followed, taking a place at the bar.
I’d never been in a bar before, only seen them on TV. This looked like something out of an old 80’s TV show.
“Now, can I get you something to drink?” the man said from behind the bar.
“Uh…” was all I managed, but Terri jumped in quickly.
“A mimosa?” Terri asked.
“Of course,” the man said as he built the concoction. “And you Ms. Asher?”
“Uh, same… please,” I managed.
A moment later, the man placed two drinks on the bar in front of Terri and me.
Terri grabbed hers with a smile, but I was more weary. After watching her take a drink, I reluctantly took one of my own.
Sure enough, it was a mimosa, complete with the alcohol. I made a face as it hit my empty stomach.
“Is it not to your liking?” the man asked when he saw the look on my face.
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I just haven’t had anything to eat today.” It was true, Terri and I had left so quickly we hadn’t bothered with any sort of breakfast.
“My word, where are my manners? A moment, please.” The man reached under the bar and seemed to be shuffling some things about. A few moments later he brought two plates up, each with a fresh breakfast sandwich on it.
The smell hit me, and suddenly, I was ravenous. I dug into the sandwich with gusto, and I looked over at Terri, who was doing the same.
I looked around the place and didn’t see anyone else here.
“You closed or something?” I asked through a mouthful of sandwich.
“Oh, no. We’re open. It’s just that most of our patrons tend to keep more nocturnal hours. It’s rare to have anyone in here this early,” he said as he cocked his head at us.
“I say, I know its rude, but do you mind if I ask how old the two of you are?” the man asked.
“Uh,” Terri started.
I glanced at the alcohol and then back to him.
“Oh please, it’s not about the spirits. We don’t bother with such things here,” the man said.
“18,” I finally said.
“Both of you?” the man asked.
Terri simply nodded, taking another sip of her drink as if she were afraid the man would take it from her.
The man frowned and became lost in thought.
“Are you the proprietor?” I asked. “We were told to speak to the proprietor.”
“Yes, that’s me. My name is Drake and I’m the proprietor here,” Drake said as he seemed to come to a decision and nodded to himself. “How long have you known my… business associate?”
“Two weeks,” I said as I was finishing up the sandwich.
“Two weeks?” Drake seemed shocked by my admission. After a moment, he looked at Terri.
“A bit longer than that,” Terri said.
“Oh my,” Drake said as he tapped his chin in thought.
“So,” I said as I washed down the last of my sandwich with my mimosa. “Your… associate didn’t tell us more than that we were supposed to talk to you, and you were supposed to show us something,” I said in as brave a voice as I could.
Drake must have sensed my unease. “Well yes. And I must apologize, seeing as my associate didn’t see fit to give you any details. I could see how this situation could appear… rather unseemly, especially to ones so young.” Drake looked around, almost as if he’d heard something we hadn’t and was trying to find where it came from.
“So, what are we here for Drake? To make a drug deal? Make a drop? Entertain lonely businessmen? What?” Terri interrupted.
From the sound of her voice, I wondered what our mutual benefactor had her doing before this.
“Oh, heavens no!” Drake cried. “Please put your mind at ease. You’re not here for anything like that.”
“Then what are we here for Drake?” I asked.
Drake frowned. “Alright, what I’m going to tell you is going to sound a lot like some of those terrible things you said Ms. Terri, but I assure you, they’re not.”
“Uh huh,” Terri smirked.