Less Than Nothing

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I feel overdressed." I tell Ryan, as he leads me by hand through the doors of some old bar called Wilky's. There are many bars in the city that are upscale. This is definitely not one of them.

The vibe is much more on the casual side. Reminds me of the bars my friends and I used to drink at in college because they never paid attention to the shitty craftsmanship of our fake IDs. These kinds of places are usually a lot more fun than the upscale ones. Too bad I'm still in my work clothes, sticking out like a sore thumb. Ryan refused to let me go home and change first.

"You look great," he says, and brings me towards the bar. "Sit," he says.

I take a seat on the barstool, and spin around to face him. This is the last place I expected to spend my evening. He's the last person I expected to spend my evening with. It's kinda crazy, this morning he was a stranger that I couldn't stand, and now we're out for drinks, all chummy.

"Do you come here often?" I look around the place. It's not empty, but not too crowded. Couples, and groups of friends sit around the bar, fits of laughter all around.

"Yeah. I have been for a long time, actually."

"Yeah?"

He nods.

"I'm not a heavy drinker or anything. This place just kinda has some sentimental value to me."

"How?" I push a strand of hair behind my ears. "If you don't mind me asking."

"I was literally almost born here." He laughs."Do you see that bright red neon sign of a tiger?" he points to the other side of the bar.

"Yeah..."

"My parents were out Christmas shopping. My mom is the sweetest woman you'll ever meet, but she gets a bit...much around the holidays. Naturally, my dad was tired of her antics, and needed a drink. So they came here. Keep in mind, my mom was nine months pregnant with me.''

"Okay."

"My dad orders a beer, and my mom tells him to be quick because they still have shopping to finish. Seeing as though she's pregnant, she didn't feel comfortable sitting at the bar," he slides his hand across the table, before pointing to the neon sign again, "so she stands over there and waits. Can you guess what happens next?"

I open my mouth to speak, but he doesn't even give me the chance.

"Her water breaks!" He exclaims. "Pregnancy juice all over the floor!"

This story is an absolute roller coaster. It went from Christmas shopping, to beer, to...pregnancy juice?

"Oh shit," I gasp. My hand flies over my mouth, trying to suppress my shocked laughter. "Are you serious?"

His expression stills, and he looks me deeply in the eyes.

"Nah," he cracks a wide smile. "I'm just fucking with you."

I roll my eyes.

"You annoy me."

The bartender eventually comes around to us. I order a cotton candy martini, and Ryan requests a grilled cheese sandwich from the kitchen. Kind of odd, but then again, bar food is superior.

"In all seriousness..." He continues, "I actually have been going to this bar for quite some time. Since undergrad, actually."

I bring the martini glass to my lips, and take a sip. It's delicious. I can hardly taste the alcohol, but will definitely feel the buzz.

"The annoying part about New York City is that everywhere you go, you're always bound to run into somebody you know. Even in the most obscure places." He shakes his head. "Not here though. This is where I come when I just want to be alone."