Roses & Ribbons
Twenty-Five to Life
The barstool next to her was kicked alive. It suddenly started squeaking and complaining and the sound cut through the mellow buzz in the bar.
She smothered the instinct to grab ‘hold of one of the legs and throw it as far as she could. Instead she swallowed another gulp of the disgusting scotch. Within a second the master of the whiney chair had settled in his position and found his place leaning on the counter. This made him visible in Aelans eyes, who were back staring on the spot of light. In the corner of her eye she could see him glancing at her, followed by a bad attempt to seem interested in nothing but his lapel. With another glace he decided that it was time to make a move. The stool creaked again.
- Hey, he started out.
The man leaned his face over the spot, making his forehead look oversized and shiny. Old habits die hard, and Aelans would never die. The first thing she did was inspect his face. Judging by the small crow’s feet by his eyes and the height of his hairline, she would say he was about thirty-five. But his eyes were big and bright and remembered her of those of a squirrel. He had straight white teeth and a sweet smile, and his little innocent remark told her he was unused to the bars and the flirting, maybe he was even married. With that last thought in mind, she licked her lips and discretely, but knowingly faced the other way. She had no strength left for dealing with him.
- Oh… oh, I see. This is where I mind my own business, right? A nervous laughter followed. I, um… I knew you weren’t interested, I was just… um, checking.
Aelan closed her eyes and tried hard not to say anything. Inside she felt cold and heart-less. At some level, she probably deserved feeling like a witch. She could hear him breathing. He was still leaning towards her. He wasn’t done; she wasn’t off the hook yet.
- I don’t mean the bother you… Aelan sighed. Sorry, he continued, I just wanted to know… is there something wrong with me? I mean, it… it couldn’t have been something I said, so, um…
- Look, Aelan cut him off. I’m just kind of going true things right now. I need to work them out before… anything else can happen. And… you wouldn’t understand.
It was an act of mercy, Aelan convinced herself. But she felt even worse inside. She waved to the bartender again while hearing the man next to hear returning to his place far away from her light spot. When Aelan asked the man behind the counter for another double scotch, he left her with the bottle. She didn’t bother pouring it into the glass. Everything went back to being just buzz. But it didn’t take long for her to be distracted from her nothingness again. A slight tap on her arm took her away from the place where nothing mattered. She turned to see the squirrel-mans nervous smile and she felt another sigh pressing in her chest.
- Hey, there again, he said. I was just wondering if I could have some of that. He pointed at her bottle. You’re hogging all the scotch, he giggled.
Aelan looked at the bottle-rack filled with bottles and back at him. He noticed her eyes detour and bit his lip.
- I know, it was a bad excuse. But, hey, I caught your attention, right? I’m Ma… Mark Vaughne.
It was just one night. She would always have tomorrow for herself. If she was lucky, she was looking at twenty-five years to life worth of being left alone. Just for tonight, she could pretend to be old Aelan; Aelan who cared about shallow pick-up lines.
She smothered the instinct to grab ‘hold of one of the legs and throw it as far as she could. Instead she swallowed another gulp of the disgusting scotch. Within a second the master of the whiney chair had settled in his position and found his place leaning on the counter. This made him visible in Aelans eyes, who were back staring on the spot of light. In the corner of her eye she could see him glancing at her, followed by a bad attempt to seem interested in nothing but his lapel. With another glace he decided that it was time to make a move. The stool creaked again.
- Hey, he started out.
The man leaned his face over the spot, making his forehead look oversized and shiny. Old habits die hard, and Aelans would never die. The first thing she did was inspect his face. Judging by the small crow’s feet by his eyes and the height of his hairline, she would say he was about thirty-five. But his eyes were big and bright and remembered her of those of a squirrel. He had straight white teeth and a sweet smile, and his little innocent remark told her he was unused to the bars and the flirting, maybe he was even married. With that last thought in mind, she licked her lips and discretely, but knowingly faced the other way. She had no strength left for dealing with him.
- Oh… oh, I see. This is where I mind my own business, right? A nervous laughter followed. I, um… I knew you weren’t interested, I was just… um, checking.
Aelan closed her eyes and tried hard not to say anything. Inside she felt cold and heart-less. At some level, she probably deserved feeling like a witch. She could hear him breathing. He was still leaning towards her. He wasn’t done; she wasn’t off the hook yet.
- I don’t mean the bother you… Aelan sighed. Sorry, he continued, I just wanted to know… is there something wrong with me? I mean, it… it couldn’t have been something I said, so, um…
- Look, Aelan cut him off. I’m just kind of going true things right now. I need to work them out before… anything else can happen. And… you wouldn’t understand.
It was an act of mercy, Aelan convinced herself. But she felt even worse inside. She waved to the bartender again while hearing the man next to hear returning to his place far away from her light spot. When Aelan asked the man behind the counter for another double scotch, he left her with the bottle. She didn’t bother pouring it into the glass. Everything went back to being just buzz. But it didn’t take long for her to be distracted from her nothingness again. A slight tap on her arm took her away from the place where nothing mattered. She turned to see the squirrel-mans nervous smile and she felt another sigh pressing in her chest.
- Hey, there again, he said. I was just wondering if I could have some of that. He pointed at her bottle. You’re hogging all the scotch, he giggled.
Aelan looked at the bottle-rack filled with bottles and back at him. He noticed her eyes detour and bit his lip.
- I know, it was a bad excuse. But, hey, I caught your attention, right? I’m Ma… Mark Vaughne.
It was just one night. She would always have tomorrow for herself. If she was lucky, she was looking at twenty-five years to life worth of being left alone. Just for tonight, she could pretend to be old Aelan; Aelan who cared about shallow pick-up lines.