I'm going to miss it when it's gone

I was there for lunch with some of the guys and later returned after work with some of the same guys. Fridays I’ll usually stick around for the shift change because usually D² is on the schedule. Eventually, all my work friends left so I started talking to the bartender on what was happening at the bar.

D² came in three minutes before five, before all the drama she would come in twenty minutes early. After all the hellos, the bar and all its customers disappeared as the two bartenders entered into conversation. I started slow drinking my beer, I knew it was going to be awhile.

Once the two rejoined our world J rolled her eyes at the ongoing situation and then asked for my next order. She only asks for my order when she gets tired of serving me beer. I asked for a draft anyway and then opened it up to her suggestions.

“A drink.”

“Yeah, I know a drink but what?”

She thought for a moment and then said “I don’t know.”

Normally I would have given her a hard time but her mind was elsewhere.

“How about a Raspberry Margarita?” I offered before her gaze focused on a different something another million miles away.

“Sounds good. With salt?”

“No”

“No salt? What about sugar?”

“No”

“Is it because I made fun of you for the salt?”

“No, it’s just a lot of work.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No. It’s a lot of work for me.”

“Oh! I’m sorry that I thought you were making things easy for me.”

For payback she let me know that ordering a Scotch on the rocks for my next drink didn’t increase how people perceived my station in life.

I hung around awhile and then asked for my bill.

“I think J took care of it” D² said after checking the register. I did some quick addition and the bill should have been upwards of forty dollars. I looked at her and shook my head. She just shrugged her shoulders. I called to the other bartender as she walked by because my bill was being rung in under her name.

“J, D² won’t give me a bill.” She looked at me, balled up her hands and then rubbed them beneath her eyes as she feigned a pout. I laughed.

“Bye, Timmy” they seemed to say in unison.

“That ain’t right,” I said as I shook my head and tossed some money on the bar before I left.