Hooked on a Feeling

On Monday night, Annalise stopped at home, ate some leftover pasta, and changed out of her flat black work clothes before heading back out the door.

Annalise walked a few blocks before reaching a small bar with an Irish flag hanging out front, a sign proclaimed it as The Old World Tavern.

The bar was quiet when she walked in. It was a Monday night, after all. But upon seeing Annalise most of the bar waved or shouted a greeting. An old man in the corner with a large walrus mustache was shouting the lyrics to a Dropkick Murphey’s song.

“Annalise!” the middle aged bartender grinned as she settled into a seat. “Molson?”

“Yes, please.” She replied, leaning over to kiss his offered cheek. “Merci, Mikey.”

“Keep trying, cheri. Your accent is still terrible.”

“Like yours is any better.”

“Ay, ya barfly!” a thick Irish accent said as arms wrapped around her shoulders.

“Takes one to know one, John.” Annalise laughed.

“You playin tonight?” John asked, gesturing at the pool table.

“Maybe in a bit. It’s a little early to be kicking your ass.”

“Oho! Remember who helped you perfect your bank shot?”

“Some leprechaun, I think.”

He laughed and nudged her in the ribs before leaving her to her beer. Mikey surveyed the bar for a moment before leaning on the back counter across from Annalise.

“What’s happening, Annalise? How’s work?”

Annalise shook her head. “You know, I finished my biology degree in three years. Three! And here I am, fucking buried in lace and taffeta and family drama five days a week.”

“I’m sure you can find something. Why not work at one of the schools?”

“Already looked. Lab tech positions are filled.”

He smiled sympathetically. “You’ll figure it out.” He looked up as the door opened. “Hey, gentlemen.”

There were three of them. Half of the bar probably recognized them for who they were, but Tavern was the sort of place that you let people live their lives quietly. They sat at the bar and ordered drinks. Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallaher, and Lars Eller.

Mikey returned to Annalise after serving the drinks, and she leaned forward to ask quietly in French, <<Since when do the Habs frequent this dive?>>

He shook his head at her. <<Rude! This is the most gleaming bar north of the border!>>

<<There’s a grenadine spill all over the seat next to me. And it’s sticky.>>

“Shit.” He grabbed a rag and came around the bar to wipe it up. As he did, he leaned close and whispered, “Eller’s looking at you.”

Annalise glanced over to find that yes, the tall blond man was looking at her. Grey eyes blinked in surprise as he realized it was the girl from the park the other day. But she turned away and dug in her purse.

Annalise came up with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and walked out the back door to smoke. In her absence, Mikey slipped a coaster over the top of her drink and returned to his duties.

“Hey. What are you looking at?” Brendan asked.

Lars shook his head. “Nothing. What were you saying?”

“Tina moved out.” He sighed. “Just, said she couldn’t take another season. Packed her things and left.”

“Sorry, man.”

Brendan tried to shrug, not make a big deal of it, but somewhat failed.

“Come on.” Max said bumping shoulders with his friend. “Let’s play some pool. Take your mind off it.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun.”

The three men moved over to the pool table, which was a little beaten up and had a lean that was compensated for by a small stack of coasters. While Brendan and Max began to play, Annalise returned. She gave Mikey a smile as she retrieved her beer.

“Look.” He said, nodding at the table. “Fresh meat.”

She looked over. “Well, would you look at that.”

Mikey smiled. “Go get em, Princess.”

Annalise grabbed her drink and headed over to the pool table. The three men watched as she wrote her name on a small chalk board on the wall, and sat.

“I play the winner.” She clarified.

“Sounds fair.” Max nodded.

Lars silently took the seat next to her. Annalise pretended not to notice him sneaking glances at her.

Soon the game ended, only because Max scratched the eight ball. Annalise jumped off her seat and began searching through the house cues to find the one she usually used when she didn’t have her own cue with her.

She shot Brendan a smirk. “Remind me the rules of this game again?”

She was smirking, like it was some kind of a joke. But Max couldn’t help himself but to jump on the bait.

“How about we make this interesting?” he offered.

“Oh,” Annalise said, finally finding her cue. “I don’t play for money.”

“Play for phone numbers?”

“What would I do with your phone number?” she laughed. “Sell it?”

Lars laughed as Max’s face fell.

“I’ll play for drinks.” She finally said.

Three games later, Max, Brendan and Lars were each paying for a free drink coin for Annalise, who was happily clearing Lars’ remaining three balls off the table as practice shots.

“You just had to jump at the bait, didn’t you?” Brendan asked grumpily.

“How was I supposed to know she was joking?” Max defended. “Or that she could play with both hands?”

Mikey smirked as he overheard. “Who, Annalise? She’s always been able to do that. Doesn’t even realize it, either.”

“Guys.” Lars said, spotting a photo behind the bar. “I think we’ve been had.”

Between pictures of the bar softball and bowling teams, sat a photo of the bar’s pool league team. Standing on the edge of the group, an awkward smile on her face, was Annalise.

“She’s quite the shark, isn’t she?” Mikey grinned at them. “Our Princess Annalise.”

“Princess?” Lars repeated.

“Let her drink a couple, and next thing you know she’s running around telling everyone she’s a princess.”

Lars gathered the three chips and headed back over to Annalise.

“Your winnings.” He smiled, handing them over.

“Thank you.” She ginned, slipping them into her pocket.

“Another game?” he offered. “Not for anything though.”

She laughed. “Sure.”

He began to rack up the balls. “I think we met the other day.” he finally said. “In the park.”

She gasped. “Lars. Lars and Cassanova. I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you without the sunglasses.”

He chuckled. “It’s fine. It took me a while to be sure anyway.” He looked around. “This is a pretty nice place.”

“Yeah, I’m here a lot.” She smiled. “Good company.”

“And you’re on the pool team?”

She looked at her feet. Mikey. Always showing off. “Yeah.”

“No wonder you’re so good.”

She laughed. “I tried to stop him from betting.”

“You baited him.”

“Maybe a little.”

He laughed and finished racking. The two of them continued to play until Mikey started shouting for last call. They drank and talked about anything that was not personal. Lars even managed a win halfway through the night.

“Do you need a ride home?” Lars asked as she drained the last of her beer and handed the glass to Mikey.

“No. I live around the corner. But thank you.” She smiled.

And with that, she disappeared into the night.

Brendan said his goodbyes and went one direction, and Max and Lars set off in another. The night was chilly but full of street lights. Everything was closed – Old World Tavern was probably one of the last places open.

“You like her.” Max said, breaking Lars’ thoughts. It was not a question.

“She’s a nice girl.” Lars replied.

It was not what Max meant, and they both knew it. But Max let it rest. There was not really much else he could do.