A Christian Romance II

Chapter 2 - A good samaritan

(the picture on top is Brian, the bartender)

A black sports car kept driving around in Double Bay, near the most expensive, awarded, and prestigious restaurant in Sydney. It was Michael who stubbornly tried to find parking, to no avail. After thirty minutes, he capitulated, finally choosing to leave his expensive car at a parking lot located a ten-minute walk away, which also had reserved spots for him and his staff. Cursing, he grabbed his laptop backpack, put it on his shoulders, and began his marathon to the restaurant.

Michael was a tall, long-legged guy, so it took him less than ten minutes to reach his destination. Just as he was walking in, he heard an engine starting. Michael stopped, looked around, and found a car vacating a spot right in front of his restaurant. He furiously clenched his teeth against his lower lip, but soon comforted himself with the thought that another car would clear the spot in less than two minutes. He unclenched his teeth and took a deep breath.

With the matter settled, Michael ventured into his establishment which was closed to customers at that time of the afternoon. As he walked in, the first thing that caught his attention was the bar. He couldn't help but remember Deborah, even if the memory of her face was mostly blurred. He sighed as he reached the bar.

"Mr. Spencer!" Brian, the bartender, was cleaning his cocktail paraphernalia when he noticed him.

"Can you give me some of that sweet and fresh mocktail?"

"But you don't like mocktails...!" Brian was intrigued by his boss's request.

"I just wanna try it. Looks like that black woman appreciated it..." Michael's heart was so full of that woman that he couldn't help but force an occasion to talk about her.

"What black woman?" Brian couldn't think of any black walking into that restaurant recently.

"Some months ago, there was a black woman here and she drank one of your mocktails."

Brian made a quick stop just to look at Michael inquiringly and then resumed to the mocktail. "Why would you remember that?"

"It's not like we have many black people in the restaurant." Michael forced his nonchalant mood.

The bartender was shaking the drink when the image of that black woman came back to his mind. All was clear now. He smirked while pouring the mix into a glass.

"What?" Michael felt that he had been discovered.

Brian couldn't help but smirk. "Sorry," he replied. "I remember seeing you two leaving the restaurant together. So, I can only assume one thing." He barely looked in Michael's eyes, as he slid a cocktail glass to him.

"That obvious?!" He commented while taking the glass to himself.

"Michael..." The bartender proved that nothing went unnoticed at his bar. "Uh!" Brian swept his counter clean. "You're not very comfortable around women, but for some reason, this one seemed to have stripped you until your soul rather quickly." He explained. "Were you bare to her literally as you were figuratively?" He tried a wordplay.

Michael conveniently took a long sip of his drink. Since he couldn't elongate that sip anymore, a lie was all that was left to save him from that conversation, but, fortunately, before he even had the chance to open his mouth, Ferdinand walked through the door stealing Michael and the bartender's attention.

Now Ferdinand - also called Nando among his friends - was known for his outstanding good looks and manners. He had such a magnetism that whenever he entered a room, he was noticed - unless there was something or someone else more distracting.

"Mate, I'm sorry I'm late." Ferdinand met Michael at the bar. "Brian, how are you?" He addressed the bartender.

Brian nodded and left the two alone.