Lauren laughed. She didn't know why but just being in this bar seemed to put her in a better mood. Even if Camila wasn't in her future, Lauren still liked the interplay between Camila and Jim and especially liked having permission to look at Camila. Lauren found herself thankful she'd found the place. Looking around the bar, Lauren had to admit that her initial impressions of the place might have been a bit unfair. True, some of the fixtures and furniture looked old and worn but it looked authentic, worn-in. It looked like the place that had seen many a good time over the years.
"So, Lauren Jauregui," Camila said, "What's your story? The abridged version, if you like."
"Like I said--"
"Like I said," Camila interjected, "We're going to get to know each other if you're going to be a regular. You can leave out the drinking parts, I just need backstory,"
Lauren thought it over. She could manage revealing something. She tried to give the Cliff's Notes of her life.
"Well, I'm twenty-six. Grew up in Southern Florida. Mom left when I was three. Dad raised me in his auto-body shop. Died when I was nineteen. Joined the Army as a mechanic. Served for five years. Have a sixth to go. Found a bar with a nosy bartender."
"Fair enough."
"How about you?" Lauren asked
Camila shook her head."Wasn't part of the deal."
"Fair's fair," Lauren insisted, putting her empty beer bottle down on the bar. Camila nodded and grabbed another from the fridge.
"Uh, raised here. I'm twenty-five. Pretty normal I guess. Went to art school. Realized photography was not the get-rich quick guarantee I'd always assumed it to be. My Uncle died and left me his bar," Camila recounted.
"To Alejandro," Jim interjected, raising his whiskey to a small framed picture behind the bar. It was of an older, heavy-set man with a small girl that Lauren recognized as a younger version of her bartender. "He knew more about baseball and was a faster pourer than his wastrel of a niece."
Camila reached back for a bottle of the stuff and took a swig herself. "Yeah, but I'm better scenery." Camila winced at the straight shot of whiskey, even as she nodded her agreement with Jim. She turned back to Lauren to continue, "So anyways I decided to go with struggling small business owner over starving artist which means technically you found a bar with a nosy owner, not a nosy bartender,"
Lauren nodded. There were things about the story that didn't entirely add up to her though.
"Wait, if you own the place, then what was the deal yesterday? About the bar policy and you not being able to change it?" Lauren questioned sharply, proud of herself for catching Camila in a lie.
"God's honest truth, I'm afraid. It was in the will, most I can charge anyone in or retired from the service is five bucks" Camila said plainly, continuing to wipe the bar down. "Alejandro served most of his life before he opened this place. His policy."
"Oh," Lauren said
" I'm not inclined to change the policy, being a grateful patriot and all that," Camila said genuinely. "I mean, if not for your sacrifices and the sacrifices of those before you I wouldn't have all this."
Lauren tried to figure out if that were sarcasm at the state of the bar or genuine sentiment. She gave up without coming to a decision.
Camila continued "Besides, even if I were inclined to do so, Jimmy here served with Alejandro and would totally rat me out to the lawyers if I thought of changing things."
Jim nodded his agreement. "Too right I would."
"So, wait," Lauren said. "Me and Jim are the only ones here. And we're both vets. And the most you can charge either of us for drinking all day is five dollars?"
"Like I said," Camila shrugged, "It's a struggling business,"
"And you get by, in this economy?"
"Eh, it's not all bad. My uncle owned the building outright which includes the apartment upstairs so, you know, no rent either way there," Camila explained. "And every now and then someone gets drunk and buys one of the photos."
Camila motioned to the bar and Lauren followed. She hadn't noticed them before but rather than the typical photos of sports teams or bar patrons most places had, O'Flaherty's had black picture frames, filled with images that even Lauren, who cared little for art, found striking. There were various buildings and images of the waterfront, even one of Jim, beer in hand. Lauren had thought of him as just an old drunk but looking at the photo, she saw another side. The photo made him look wise and gregarious and someone who fit perfectly into his surroundings. Lauren had to admire the skill, even if she didn't know how to describe it.
"Oops," Jim said, having turned slightly towards Lauren and then back to Camila. "She's looking at the photos,"
"I am." Lauren nodded. "They're awesome."
"Plus," Camila said, changing the subject, "I totally flirt with all of the beer and booze distributors for a discount."
"I'd give you one," Lauren had to admit as she took a sip of her beer.
The banter continued for a while. Lauren found herself relaxing even more, enjoying herself immensely.
Camila, for her part, seemed to welcome a change of pace from her constant interaction with Jim. Lauren was plain spoken and smart and Camila warmed to her quickly. The three of them quipped for a few minutes before they were interrupted as Jim stood up and made his way to the bathroom.
"Remember, it's accuracy, not speed," Camila called after him as he disappeared behind the bar. She turned to walk to Lauren's end of the bar, propping herself up on her hands and lifting herself up to sit next to where Lauren's beer was. It was the closest Camila had been to Lauren and she was again reminded of just how attracted she was to the beautiful younger woman. Lauren inhaled deeply. She wasn't sure how, but even in this place Camila had the unmistakable smell of vanilla and something else.
"So let me ask you," Camila said, her voice dropping a bit, "how did you know you were gay?"
Lauren looked up at her, surprised slightly by the boldness of the question for a moment before realizing it fit perfectly with what she knew of Camila so far. Camila did not strike her as being cautious and conservative and had a tendency to speak her mind. If Camila wanted to know how Lauren had known she was gay, Lauren realized decorum or a lack of familiarity would have held her back. Lauren thought about it for a second before responding somewhat defensively.
"I don't know," Lauren said with a sip of her beer. "How did you know you were straight?"
