The place is almost packed with people since it was time, most peoples go home after their work or just to pass-by while having a drinks or two, most people who comes here are actually from middle class family , not that rich or not that poor ethier, just to find some relax , lose their minds , get - away from dily-daly of office and theirs homes, with their friends or colleague ,or just alone, people who just wanted to enjoy the drinks alone or they just can't have money to pay for others, there's wooden tables and chairs for the customers , they are sitting in group four-five people, chatting carefree about their stingy boss, family tensions, without paying any attention to anyone passing by who've might be their boss, who is entering who is exiting they have no worries.
Bartenders wearing white and black dress serving customers most of them are mid 20s , and finally there's last category of people who comes here, they are sitting right side on the cozy sofa watching everything from the sidelines, they are the type of people who have some political influence or just richer then most of them here and don't want to be part them.
Paul quietly observe all this scenes playing In-front of him while waking slowly, trying to blend in with others his head still covered in hood and both of is hands on his hoodie's pocket, the lights flashing everywhere in the center sometimes blue sometimes red and others changing every- second, he is avoiding any unnecessary trouble or caughting anyone's attention, and finally he reached in front of the bar counter , there's stool chair line in, he looked to his right there's five customers giving their orders and two bartenders taking it both are womans, customers are on the right of the counter so he leisurely took the sit on the left corner and pulled out his hood.
When right side customers are finished with their orders one of the women noticed Paul sitting in last left side stool, she first look sideways and walked up to him, she is wearing tight t-shirt and small skirt which of course very reveling, her are little curly light brown hair tied up in bun shape, the red lipstick playing on her lips her eyes look tired with work and frustration, light brown skin colored, when she arrived in front of Paul , he looked at her, the bartender woman seeing Paul's face , the first thought crossed her mind was " Kid" , and she just raised her eyebrows and asking for order, Paul said nothing he is just looking at her when she felt awkward he just smiled faintly, bartender woman gave a awkward smile and tapped the table and asked - what u need.. " Kid " ? She completed the last word in her mind.
"Oh... " Paul came back to reality -" You.. " He said faintly but voice clearly reached her "wtha the creep " She thought , but Paul continued " Sorry, that's a bit far out, but you can just shoot me your digits for now, wad ya say. "
"Whut!!!! " She was irritated, and confused at same she just replied whatever was in her mind " shut -up kid, just say what ya want, anyway I've lot of work, and have to take care there too.
" That's wht your being paid for isn't "? Paul expression turning normal as he continued" and my bad if I talk little harsh but that's who I am, but don't get second ideas though, I'm asking for your number cuzz, I just came here you know? So just thought maybe we could just, you know whenever are you free, I don't have any second thoughts about you ethier just a simple tour that's all I need.
But her expression didn't change at all she still confused , seeing that Paul gave up and thought he'll try with someone else and gave the order while tapping lightly with his finger - " One large beer , if you please. "
Bartender woman heard him went to the right side to get the beer and Paul was also watching her, she talked with her friend another bartender woman, while filling the big glass mug , minutes later she came back to Paul.
Paul seeing her gave a faint genuine smile again when she just lightly placed the beer in front him Paul put out his left hand from his pocket and pressed it in front for her " I forgot to say the main thing , of - course it won't be free ethier. "
She looked at Paul , like trying to his mind but of course she can't , she ain't some telepathy or psychic, she grabbed the cash and said " wait here" it's little faint but Paul heard it clearly that was enough Paul thought, and leisurely waited without touching the beer , he just looking at small bubbles.
She came back 3 minutes later and, Paul could see white handkerchief in her left hand , she placed the handkerchief in front him, and black marker and lightly moving her face close to Paul " I'll call you later when I'm free.... Promise " and moved back her face and heard Paul saying " Now that's waht am saying " And she walked away to other customers. Paul saw her back and right something in the handkerchief, after finishing he lift the beer mug with his right hand, and left the counter leaving black marker behind.
When bartender woman arrived back to last left side where Paul was sitting minute ago, she only found the black marker, there's no handkerchief with Paul's number in it and Paul was already lost in crowd, she thought " Did I messed up..? Nah that kid probably had few screw losses in his head " and she went back to her work while sighing inwardly.
In this packed place most of the people mostly come with their friends, family relative or neighbours, just they don't come alone, but there's also few of them who came here alone, in right formost corner where no noticing him, he sat alone in wooden chair, his face sideways down in table staring at the empty glass mug , which was filled with beer twenty minutes ago, he eyes feels lost, he had expression that he just want someone to kill him,"is there any reason live..? forget about that how can someone even live ..?? " he thought in his mind.
He is just like any youth who come here to earn some money but , the only people who lives here know how it's actually works , it's been almost a month for him since he came to " Corsalis " he too had thought that how much hard will it be but he'll try he is best , but just after a month he is like this, but he don't have any other choice too, the money he had on him, when he came here are all smoked, the last he had, he just finished drinking , and now staring blanking, and thinking what he'll do next, is this it for him?.
With the Thump!! sound, someone placed the big glass mug In-fornt of him, of course it's filled with beer, he feel like he regained some power after seeing the glass mug full of beer, he slightly raised his head, trying to find the owner of this golden water.
First he saw the figure standing before him covered with dark hood but when the figure sit down in front him and pulled out his hood and revealed his face he felt relief, don't know why, it is just because the hodded figure looks like a teenager? or was it something else ?
"Nineteen...? Nah, eighteen " He thought " Maybe I was like him too always drinking , if only I've would've worked hard enough, but what's gone, gone. " And about to say something when the figure in front him pressed the white handkerchief , he read the contents in it, it's written with black marker he thought, he read two times but still felt confused, what is this even mean, but when figure pushed the glass mug to his side, he nodded his head lightly, " I'll just have to play along with him " .
Paul talked with him for fifteen minutes or so and finally said goodbye to him like he knows the man, after exiting the bar he checked the time it's 8:15 he thought of walking all the way to home.
After reaching his apartment, he took a instant shower and changed his clothes to light ones and sat on the sofa, tapping some text to message someone but his finger stopped, and looked upwards to the white ceiling which is currently dark because lights are off, and thought for a seconds , it's better to just call I guess. And cut the message and tried calling.
Three rings later - [ Yeh, it's me.] It's the voice of Simon.
Paul cut the usual chit- chat and got straight to the point.
[ okay, I'll be there. ] Simon replied calmly without asking anything other and cut the call.
Paul check the time in his smartphone, It's almost ten, he stood -up from the sofa and walked towards the small balcony which is backside of sofa, like motionless puppet, control by invisible threads, which is impossible to see with naked eyes, he just stand there looking at the night city, the streets below him, the stars, half moon. Everything is just....