Page 107 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“So, is that a fake accent? Is that part of the vibe in here? You an actor?”

“I’m a bartender. It’s a real accent.”

“Oh, yeah? Then what’s it like in Ireland, smartass?”

“Kara, stop—” Jess adds.

We both ignore her. It’s just him and me now.

“I wouldn’t know, Miss Thing. I’m from Scotland.”

“Oh...”

“That’s okay. What can I get for you?”

“Sour apple martini.” I pull up a wooden barstool. The legs wobble, and it’s covered in scratches. Probably covered in piss too. I’d hate to put a blacklight up to anything in this dump. He looks directly at me and laughs. “What’s so funny to you?”

“Okay, sure. Let me pull out our martini kit. Look: we have beer, whisky... I do have vodka, but I don’t have any sour apple mix. This isn’t that kind of place. I can mix it with soda. Warm soda.”

“Oh, so you’re judging me. Cool.”

“Kara, why are you so defensive?” Jess asks.

She knows what kind of week I’ve had! She doesn’t understand why I’m in a bad mood? As if! She’s a terrible friend. I turn to the bartender.

“Give me one whiskey.”

“One whiskey?” he asks.

“Exactly.”

“All right... Which one?”

“Any.”

He laughs again. The bastard.

“How?”

“With your hands. What do you mean how?”

“Straight or neat?”

“Oh. Yeah, uhm...neat? Neat. Yes.”

He rolls his eyes at me like I’m just another dumb bimbo and walks over to the wall of bottles behind him.

I look at Jess, and she hisses, “He’s totally cute! Why are you acting like such a bitch?”

“He just wants a big tip.”

“So? I’ll give him a tip. Kara, you’re going to hate what you just ordered.”

“I’m going to drink it anyway...to prove a point.”

“You’re crazy.”

“You wanted me to drink tonight, I’m drinking. Okay?”

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