by Flame » 10/27/2013 6:08 PM
“Certainly, sir,” the barkeep replied when the gentleman had made his order. It wasn’t often that wine was requested; after all, it was a drink and mixer he found to be more heavily favored by women – at least before they’d all been scared off – and those who still remained generally preferred to partake in the ‘harder stuff’. However, he took great pride in catering to his customers and having whatever they so desired in stock, hence the wine cooler behind the bar from which he removed a bottle of Sauvignon. In a fluid, practiced motion, he swept a long-stemmed wine glass from the rack overhead, and opening the bottle with an authoritative pop, proceeded to pour a healthy dose of the crisp, dry nectar.
As he did so, he kept a close eye on the girl, who was clearly still quite amused by her current task (as were the rest of the small audience she had attracted). There was something…different about this one. He’d seen a lot of men and women in his time here – if you wanted to get to know people from all around the world and all walks of life, a bar was the place to do it. There, false pretenses sloughed away with every drink, and true colors began to shine through. Something about this woman felt…unfamiliar though. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but his instincts told him that she wasn’t just any ordinary pretty little passer through. However, regardless of that fact, from the hour or two that he’d spent in her company, he’d found himself growing to be quite fond of her. Despite her age (and not to mention a very womanly body), he’d discovered that she was actually quite a sweet creature that didn’t seem to have a mean bone in her body. Of course, that was just based on a first impression, but with his past experience, it wasn’t often that his instincts were wrong. It was just surprising, because women beyond a certain threshold of just being ‘pretty’ tended to know it and act with what seemed to be a matching level of entitlement. That seemed completely lost upon Amphitrite though, who was either oblivious to the fact, or simply took it in stride.
Glancing over at the prince as he passed the glass of wine over the bar, he noticed that same gleam in the man’s eyes that he’d seen a thousand times before. The bartender eyed him for a moment, ignoring the dismissive command he’d just received for just a second. Knowing full well what this man had done to countless other women, he felt a small well of protectiveness for the strange new woman rise in his chest. However, it was his job to be professional, so before turning to tend to his other customers, he simply left the man with a few words of wisdom. “I’d be a little more careful with this one, if I were you,” he cautioned, his a simple statement, and in no way threatening. “Mark my words, this one’s different, and the rest of the bar seems to have taken a liking to her, so I’d be…gentler with this one. Goodness knows I could do with less drunken drama in my bar.” With that, he turned away, grabbing a glass and a towel and returning to his usual vantage point from which he could observe the ongoings.
Amphitrite, on the other hand, had been having a grand old time learning to mix drinks and mingling with the bar clientele in general. She had neglected no man or woman, neither in regards to drink orders or requests for her company and conversation. At the moment, she was happily chatting away to a fixated crowd at the bar while making a Long Island Iced Tea, her hands moving with the fluid grace of a more practiced barkeep. After all, working with anything water-based came as naturally as breathing to her, and her audience could tell. A new voice soon called out though, catching her attention just as she was adding the garnish to her current masterpiece. She glanced up, sapphire eyes falling upon an unfamiliar (and well-dressed) gentleman who had clearly just arrived recently. Passing the drink she had just finished making to the man who’d ordered it, she excused herself for a moment from the group she had been entertaining (and who were, in fact, just as entertaining to her, to be entirely honest) amidst a chorus of “Wait, don’t go yet!”s and a few comments directed at the thieving culprit of a considerably less friendly nature.
Sliding down the bar, she came to a stop in front of the new arrival, her elbows propped on the bar counter as she greeted him with a warm smile. “Always a delight to see a new face,” she chimed, her voice clear, sweet, and mellifluous like the rippling of a fresh spring creek. Her gaze roved over her new conversation partner curiously, taking him in and clearly delighted with how different and statelier he appeared than the rest of the clientele. “And how can I be of service to you tonight?”