2021-01-08 - Baby Bartender and the French 75

The bar is very much a local affair at this time of year. The weeks right after New Year's see a lot of people staying home to recover from the holidays, and tourist season is a long way off. That's just the right speed for baby bartender Tor Lockhart who is behind the bar. There's a more senior member of staff not far out of the way if he needs help, but he's attempting to fly solo. He's currently stacking a new set of bottles into the bar fridge.

Hera feels a need to step away from the busy busy times that are the art gallery. Unfortunately her phone follows her and it's a bit abuzz with chatter as she makes her way in. "Right right..." she talks to someone who is likely on the other end. "Things are booked up for January, especially since I need to fit in a time for one of my new featured artists. I think I may open up a Thursday evening class again, I don't know. Can you text me..." Chitter chatter and all the fun comments and things. Then, there's a bar, and where there's a bar there must be a glass of wine or better yer she asks as she heads over, "You wouldn't happen to have a Sangria? Boy, I miss those at times." Then she tries to end her business call, at least before it ends her.

Needless to say New Years Day was nothing much to sniff at for Calla Landis, who spent New Years Eve with her sister and a cluster of mutual friends, playing darts and smoking weed and just having a time of it. So fast-forward through to a week after, roughly, and Calla is still every bit the content, merry woman that she was in 2020! Boredom has translated into a visit to Two If and Calla arrived by her lonesome, wrapped in a long, dark ladies' trenchcoat with cream-colored palazzo pants (she's brave) and a blouse.

Arriving, she greets some of her contemporaries... the bar doesn't seem AS hectic.. perfect circumstance for a casual drink. The tall woman alights upon the bar and hails the bartender in attendance, but she a silent to allow the redhead before her to order first. A quick smile to Hera; Sangria sounds good! She mouthes over the other woman's shoulder, pointing to herself, "Me too!"

"Sangria? Sorry, no. Can do vodka and orange juice? Maybe a uh...." Tor snaps as he tries to trigger his memory, "...French 75?" Cocktail pop quiz time. He winces when Calla orders one too. "See previous statement. Not a lot of people asking for it this time of year and you've gotta prepare it ahead of time." Fail for baby bartender! Two strikes!

Another long day of keeping Darwin claiming victims of personal stupidity for Devlin. He walks in and pauses noticing Hera, "Thought I saw your car out there, Hera." He walks over towards Hera. "Hope your day went better than mine." He smiles to others as he makes his way over to his cousin to include Calla. "Evening," he greets those at the bar and then waits to place his order.

Hera finally ends her call after managing to 'fake' more of a professional attitude than she would like. "Vodka and...." then she hears French 75 and shrugs, "I uhm, don't think I've had had, before? I mean in Austin we used to call a vodka and orange juice a screwdriver not that I've had that many and all but heck." she slides her card over to the bartender after fishing it out. The new lady catches her eye and she offers a smile, "Oh they are. Pretty easy to make. Maybe I should have them one evening at my place. Cheap wine can work wonders." But there's a familiar face and a welcome one. "Hi cousin!" she says as she waves at him, "Come join us. We're drinking...something? Hopefully I don't prove to be a lightweight and the best medic in the world needs to take it easy for a bit, I order you to enjoy!" She's no doubt seen Devlin stressed at times and surely now shouldn't be one of those times.

The willowy woman with the funky-colored hair smiles sympathetically, "French 75? Why not. Let's give it a whirl," She concedes in her fluting, merry way. Calla looks to be on Cloud 9, untouchable by bother. As the baby bartender flails to find a substitute for sangria, Calla turns her kind gaze to Hera, "Trust me.. sangria will attract people. It's classy at-a-glance and simple to make." A bubbly laugh, "Throw in some slices of orange and you have yourself a work of art!" Bow befitting that she exclaim this to Hera! Calla smiles, "I hope your night is going well. Judging by that call, you might need the drink?" She smiles, gives Tor a patient look (the smile not fading) before turning that very same smile to Devlin, who joins the queue. "Oh, hello!" Said happily enough, looking between the cousins. "Tough day all 'round? Maybe we need something stronger than sangria?" Her look brightens as she discovers that the pair happen to be cousins!

"No yeah, I know about screwdrivers. But I was reading this cocktail bible and there was the French 75, which was champagne, lemon juice and gin?" Tor shrugs. "I mean, not really like sangria but maybe in the same neighbourhood?" He shrugs. "Hey, look, I just work here. I don't make the menu suggestions. I know it's on the menu in warmer weather. But I'd imagine we don't sell enough of it in the winter to risk having to chuck a whole pitcher out if the fruit goes off or somethin'." He's really just guessing.

Then he sets to work at making said French 75s, or at least an approximation with bottled lemon juice and cheap-ass sparkling that's a tad flat. But he gets the proportions right and pushes the two drinks over in champagne flutes.

"Simple order for me, double Devil's Cut, Neat, please," Devlin requests of Tor as he removes his hat to fold and stuff it within his jacket. He then steps in close enough to offer Hera a hug, "Great seeing you, cousin. And you know me.. may be a few drinks but I'm usually the one driving folks home anyways.. the evil fate that befalls us Sixty-Eight Whiskeys.." And then to Calla, "Hello."

Hera chuckles at the spry woman as she reaches for the drink. "First time for a new flavor" she says, "And well, I've had tougher. Just, sometimes answering 200 questions can get annoying but, I really do want to spread the joy of art. Some people just don't get it but, no complaints, seriously." She grins and raises her glass upward as if to 'gesture' a greeting to Calla, "Hera" she says, "Nice to meet you and." A nod is offered to Tor, "Thanks for the new drink. I should get out more I imagine." A playful wink is given to Devlin though and she says, "Though I'm not the only one who works too hard eh?"

"French 75 is perfectly fine.." Calla says to the bartender, meaning it. She looks to be the sort, if Tor were to hand her something completely unlike what she ordered.... she'd be happy. "I like new things." Said again, not wanting Tor to stress! The drinks are slid forth and Calla smiles widely, handing over the indicated payment and a generous tip. "Looks great."

Back to Devlin as she lifts her flute, sips delicately, mmmm's happily, "Oh, hello there," Calla grins. "Don't let me intrude. I'm just in line, and I'm here stealing your cousin's ideas. But this is a much nicer surprise compared to sangria, yeah?" Her tone is mild and happy... one would be quick to discount Calla as an airhead until they see the intelligence and watchfulness in her expression and eyes. To Hera, "Nice to meet you too.. my name is Calla." She chimes, taking another sip. "Oop.. better get out of queue.."

Tor looks rather relieved when Devlin's turns out to be a simple order. Pouring the desired quantity of something is the easy part of bartending - though even that can be tricky in a rush. Fortunately for him things are relatively quiet. "Enjoy," says the scruffy bartender after everyone's taken care of. And then he's called back to unload something and another bartender cycles in. Drawbacks of being the low man on the totem.

"Devlin," he introduces himself to Calla. "I am a paramedic with Gray Harbor. And to translate what I said earlier.. I was a combat medic in the army. And to had some extra texture, I was with the Eighty Second and deployed four times." He smiles as he takes a sip of the bourbon. He then teases Hera, "You work hard.." He chuckles, "You love what you are doing, I'd call that hardly working."

Hera grins and bats her lashes playfully, "Yeah, it was a dream come true, really. A good dream at that." Speaking of being playful she runs with the comments for a bit, "And don't forget drop dead gorgeous too. It's a family trait." She's acting bubbly and, not even drunk yet? Hmmmm interesting. "But, what did you say you did Miss? You don't happen to be into art are you?" A hopeful look?

"Devlin," Calla repeats, glass to her lips. Green eyes flit to Hera next, "And Hera." A beat, "It's a pleasure. I so love impromptu meetings.. random meet and greet in a line as we order drinks. How good is that!" Calla beams, gaze twinkling. She looks to be outside of the times; she belongs in the 1960s, surely... flowerchild hair and easy attitude. She is silent to let the cousins talk, observing them kindly, "Oh--" She turns to Hera, her grin widening. "I love art.. I am an artist, though hobbyist." Sip drink.. mmmm.. almost as good as sangria. Eyes twinkle, "Watercolor."

Devlin grins as he takes a sip, "Yup.. here I am.. the big hairy Neanderthal amongst the artists, once again," his tone teasing and warm. He takes another sip, "Art sure beats my work discussions. Strong stomach mandatory." He chuckles a bit, "And I think war story free would be a good idea.. now training stupidity.. that is a horse of a different stripe."

Hera whistles a little as now she looks at Calla with interest, "Oh nice." she says, "Very nice. People underestimate water color. There's actually a lot of things you can do with the medium. I actually specialized in pottery myself, and marketing." He grins at Devlin for a moment and says, "Small world, eh? I didn't think I'd meet someone with that area of expertise." Then again to Calla, "You wouldn't happen to have samples of your work would you? Please please if you do, show it off!"

An amused smile between the cousins, liking their rapport. One calm and stoic (so she assumes), the other ebullient and a lover of art. How neat! Calla swishes her drink, standing tall and relaxed as the trio chat. Even in flats, she stands a hair of six feet, all leg. "Samples eh? A-ah... heh," A wide grin, "At home... pottery, you say? How cool! I am a fish out of that pond, I'm afraid.." She leaves out the notion that she does her best work while stoned. Ahem. "I have lived here all my life... and for the life of me I cannot place either of you. Isn't that awful?" Asked as she knocks back her drink, sets kind green eyes upon Hera and Devlin. "It's right nice to meet you both..." she turns to Hera, "You mentioned marketing? Do you sell art?"

Devlin says, "Moved here from LA a little over a year ago. Long story as to why. Short version, angry politician ran me out of town over my making the right choice." He sips at his bourbon, "Hera showed up a month or so later.. may be sooner than that." He relaxes abit, and even though his eye's hint at a bit of being tired, he still stands tall without slumping. His own height perhaps the better part of a hand taller than Calla. "So makes sense you have missed us and I am assuming that you have not needed the services of a paramedic. Thus.. we get to say hello for the first time."

Hera introduces herself a bit more. "I'm from Texas. Trust me, this place is much better. I was fortunate enough to have the funds to setup an art gallery and yes, I sell art, my own and others. Though teaching art classes really is a good source of income. Get some rich housewives drunk on wine painting what they want and the money well, it's profitable. So I guess I'm into education a little too. Whatever makes the world go round, right?"

The willowy woman is quite perceptive, seeing the tiredness in Devlin's countenance, tempered with friendliness. "I should hope that I do not require a paramedic." A wide grin, "No offense, but I don't want to meet you professionally... it can't be easy." She keeps it fairly simple, not wanting to assume too much. "You deserve that drink, Devlin." His name is spoken easily, as if Calla has known him for months. "Would you like to sit down? The both of you? As long as I'm not intruding at all, yeah?" Calla looks around, past the sporadic clusters of patrons -- nowhere near typical capacity -- to scout a seat. "I would love some company. Work as been nuts, I could use a chance to get to know some new faces."

The beautician smiles at Hera's full intro, "Wow... I've been under a rock, how have I not been by that gallery? Where are you located---" The housewives-on-wine gives her pause and Calla tosses back her silver-haired head, bawls laughter to the ceiling. "Goodness! That must be a hoot..!"

Devlin nods with a smirk, "I don't mind standing a little to work the kinks out of my legs. To much ass in truck seat today." He then winks, "A Hoot.. I will tell you that at least on five occasions when I have walked in on educational session with the wine flowing.. I have been hit on with technique that would make a Mac Truck green with envy." He laughs a bit with that. "Though.. one of those times.." He gives Hera one of those why looks, "Hera gave a couple of them the impression I was a stripper? really.. as creative as you are, you couldn't think of something else?"

Hera chuckles a little and shakes her head. "Naw, though if you have a job moonlighting that's something I don't quite know of." She takes another sip of her drink then begins to stand up. Making sure her card and phone are secured she gives Calla a card, "Come by sometime and we can chat more about your work. I'd love to." And then, she's off.

Moss green eyes watch Hera as she rises, and she deftly accepts the card with a cheshire cat smile, "It's be my pleasure, Hera." She's not even fibbing... Calla likes the idea. "Maybe I can take a class. See what these drunk wives are like.." Said as she waves Hera off into the evening, liking the beauteous redhead already. The card is pocketed as she turns back to Devlin, and her laughter rings out again, "Goodness... well, it's a commonplace thing. These housewives are ravenous... especially toward paramedics. You know how dangerous that is, right?" She jests easily, giving Devlin a friendly grin, liking his humor. Though the stripper comment sends her into a tangent of laughter for a good minute, "Oi! You're lucky they didn't appeal to make you their model!"

Devlin chuckles with you, "Can't argue with that. Closer call than I realized.." He sips at his bourbon, "What kind of things do you enjoy painting?"

"Anything and everything." A bright grin as she tosses back the remainder of her drink. "My sister's piece of toast, a bumblebee, the sky at precisely three-seventeen in the afternoon. Art has no boundaries." Cripes, she is precisely Hera's people. "It keeps me sane... mostly." She takes up her snifter, and as her mother raised her she will take it to the bar when done "I had better prepare to head home... the weather wait for nobody. It was a pleasure, paramedic Devlin." There's that cheshire grin again, "Watch out for drunk housewives... I think a pack of them just arrived." Hot damn she's right... about five of them walk in, ready to rumble. At least two have 'I want to speak to your manager' haircuts.