With her father on a fast track to political stardom, Anna's quirks and "out there" personality have always been looked down upon. After years of struggling with her stifled emotions, she ends up institutionalized, surrounded by strangers and lost i...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Daisy, the owner of The Dry Martini, has one of those faces and types of personalities that make one feel like you've known her forever. Her long, dark brown hair is tied back in a low ponytail with loose strands framing her kind eyes. Anna presumes she's in her late 60's but her style and persona communicate a more youthful soul.
"We're very excited you two came today," Daisy says, jumping up on one of the barstools. Her accent is strange. A funny mix of American and English. Anna makes note to ask her about the curious detail at some point. "I've known Harry for quite some time and when he called me he spoke very highly of you. You have the job, so take a big sigh of relief." Daisy squeezes Anna's hand and takes a deep breath with her new employee. "I like to meet everyone before officially bringing them onto the team is all. I hope you don't mind the formality."
"I don't want you to feel obligated to hire me though!" Anna digs into her messenger bag and retrieves a small stack of papers. "I prepared my resume for you. I don't have much experience but I'm really eager to learn."
Anna looks around the establishment. Bottles of every and any kind of liquor line the back wall of the bar. The color pallet is mainly black and gold. Very Great Gatsby. Just as Harry described. And he was right. The aesthetic is very much in her wheelhouse.
"I'll take a look but mainly because I'm curious about who this 'Anna' is that Harry's been telling me so much about." Daisy takes the papers from Anna and flips through the details.
A dozen or so lights dimly illuminate the small space as Harry stands in the background behind Daisy, speaking with the house band. Already staring at Anna, he sweetly and innocently waves. The bartender behind the counter passes a cup and saucer over to Daisy. Billows of steam rise of over the ceramic as she steeps the bag of herbs into the hot water.
Daisy turns and observes the interaction between her newest employees. "He's a sweet boy," she comments, blowing on her scalding beverage. "You know he called me from Shady Oaks?"
"Did he?" Anna asks, breaking her line of sight from Harry's.
"He did. He's had a job lined up here for years but he's never taken me up on the offer until his last discharge. His past is troubled, as I'm sure you know, but I told his mom long ago that I'd take care of him. As much as he'd allow, anyways. I swear, he's so bloody stubborn."
"You can say that again," Anna replies with a laugh. Her face turns solemn, forgetting that Harry's gaze is still on her. "Last discharge... how many times have you been through this with him?"
Anna's curiosity couldn't help itself. She's always been a fairly nosey girl and Harry's mysterious years prior to meeting her piqued her interest. How is it that she could feel so connected with someone but know so little about them? He's a rubik's cube in human form. A jigsaw puzzle with several pieces in the center hidden in dark corners of a house. Not unable to be solved. Not lost forever. But terribly difficult to crack.
