The Friendly Bar

We had been open 10 minutes when Brit came in.

"Cheerio! Jolly good to be back I must say. My usual, please, Newbie."

He sat down at a table, and Angela looked a question at me, a hand close to the bottles in the special department. I smiled and shook my head.

"Tea to begin with, special brew, no bags, and scones, two pieces with strawberry jam. I'll take care of it."

While the buns were in the oven I readied the tea with one sugar cube and a slice of lime. When the scones were ready Anne brought it all out to him on a tray, placing everything on the table and bringing back the tray with a:

"Your tea and scones, Sir!" and curtsied.

"Thank you kindly, my dear lass. Jack, have you forgotten your manners while you were gone?"

"Sorry, Brit, I guess I have. This is Anne, starting practice today, and the other lovely lady is Angela who will assist me while I need the crutches. Anne, Angela, this is Mr Carstairs, commonly known as Brit among the regulars."

With the formalities taken care of we could all relax for now.

"Where have you been, Newbie?" he asked without his snobbish British accent. "On vacation skiing?"

"No, nothing pleasurable. I ran into some trouble and then I was in the hospital."

"Oh, really? Nothing serious I hope!"

"Three bullets in the leg, one in the arm and one in the ass."

"You're joking! You were shot?"

"Unfortunately, yes, and it was definitely no joke: it hurt like hell!"

"You must tell me everything later, but are you in the clear now? From the one who shot you I mean."

"Oh, yes, they won't shoot anyone again. The Feds killed them."

"Hooray for the Feds then. Nasty development in the world otherwise."

We were interrupted by new customers arriving and had no more chance to talk privately. Before he left two hours later, Brit came over to me and leaned over.

"I like the girls, Newbie, you should try to keep them. Very polite and nice both of them. Think about nicknames before anyone gets rude, won't you?"

"I'll see if I can come up with something. Thanks Brit."

Anne stayed the whole evening, and when we closed she was picked up by Jessie. Angela and I walked the few blocks home, me on my crutches, and I sank back into the couch with a relieved sigh. It hurt everywhere despite standing behind the counter the whole evening. Angela noticed my grimace.

"Pain?

"Yep."

"You shouldn't be working yet Jack, you know that. Where does it hurt?"

"It's easier to tell you where it doesn't hurt. It will pass with time. After laying in a bed for weeks I just need to start over again. Can you hand me the mail, please? Might as well look at it now since I won't be able to sleep in a while anyway."

"You should go to bed." she said as she handed me the bunch. "I could give you a rub-down to help you relax."

"Thanks. Maybe later, but I'll look through these first."

She disappeared into the bathroom and I started sorting out the mail, putting bills in a separate heap. There were well wishes from Copcop and a few others from the old bar, lots of flyers and other crap, and near the bottom an unmarked, brown, envelope. I almost threw it away without opening it, thinking it was another flyer, but ripped it open anyway. The paper inside had FBI's heading and I looked at the address again, suspecting it was for Angela, but it had my name on it. It was signed by Director Hollyfield.

It was one and a half pages long, half of it columns with numbers. I read through it once, then one more time before letting it lay on my lap.

"Angela!" I yelled. "Angela, come here a sec please."

She came running, toothbrush in her mouth and an open bathrobe flowing around her.

"What is it? Are you ill?" she asked worriedly.

I handed her the letter.

"Read this and explain it to me. I don't get it, I think it's some screw-up, wrong letter to the wrong address or something."

She took it and sat down reading, toothbrush still in mouth and an arm holding the robe about her. After finishing she looked over the columns with numbers again.

"No, it's no mix-up, and it's signed by the Director so it is legit. What is it you don't get?"

"I don't understand anything. Or, I understand the part about paying the costs for the hospital, but the rest?"

"You were shot during an FBI operation and are compensated for that. I recruited you for that operation so you are also compensated as an injured specialist with a part-time pension. A lump sum of half-a-million and a monthly payout of 10.000 until the age of 60, after that 70% of that sum. Any further costs for medical treatment due to these injuries will be compensated for."

"You don't find this odd, do you? You sound as if I'm strange questioning this."

"Yeah, I think you are a bit strange. Look, this is money paid to keep your mouth shut. I made a mistake bringing you in and you were injured. They don't want you to take it to the press, so they compensate you like this."

"I get half-a-million dollars and a pension, and you get fired after a successful operation and you think that is normal? Okay, I am strange I guess, 'cause I feel that you should be the one getting the money, but that's me!"

"Jack, honey, it is the real world. You agreed to take risks that you didn't have to take to rescue a friend. You deserve the money. I understand that you think it's strange that I get fired at the same time, but there are reasons for it that you can't understand. Leave it as it is and take the money, if nothing else so for my sake."

"For your sake? I must be stupid 'cause I don't get that either."

"I know, that's because you are the man you are. To put it simple: I feel guilty for you getting shot and worse if I think about what could have happened. If they had hit your head we wouldn't have this discussion now. Do you understand now? A persons life, Jack! Someone who volunteered to take risks for another persons best could have been dead and that is the worst part about the job I had. Not the risk of getting killed yourself, but causing someone else's death."

She was crying and I started to understand what she was talking about. Anne had said the same thing about Jessie. The worst thing isn't your own wounds but the ones you cause others.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her towards me.

"I'm sorry Angie, I do understand but it's difficult for me to put myself in the other position. I guess I usually think more from your side of it. I didn't mean to make you upset, it was just the surprise the letter gave me. It's not every day you get half-a-million bucks."

"I know, and this is the reason why I had to either start all over again or get fired. It isn't a punishment, it is for protection, mine as well as others. You can't think with your emotions, it's too dangerous. Jack, will you hold me tonight, in your bed? Just hold me, nothing else."

"I'd love to. Come on then."

That was why I woke up with Angela's head on my arm the next morning. Not a bad experience at all when I think about it. She was already awake and was looking at me with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Good morning, Jack. Did you know that you look innocent when you are asleep?"

"Good morning. No, I didn't know that. Is that good or bad?"

"Depends. I have a theory that your face when you sleep shows the real you. Innocence is usually good but it can also mean inexperienced and that can be a problem sometimes."

"What do you look like?"

"I have no idea, but I doubt that it is innocent. After all I have killed a few people over the years. Thanks for holding me, Jack, I needed that."

"You're welcome, and I will be happy to do it again. Anytime."

"Are you still in pain?"

"No, just itching under the cast. I can tell you it will feel great to get rid of it next week."

"Then take it a bit easier today so you don't cause any damage. After all you are supposed to rest."

"I'll take a break on the couch in the office if I need it, I promise."

"Anything on the agenda today?"

"Not really. I have a few things to check on but I can do that over the phone anytime. You?"

"I have to talk to my landlord about the schedule for moving back home. I'll be gone for an hour or two but will be back before we need to go to work."

After she left I picked up the phone and made two calls, the second resulting in a short trip in a cab to visit an office and then a longer trip with the person I met there. It gave a positive result and I was pleased when I got back home. Angela was waiting by then but I had left a note for her that I was out and I didn't explain anything about my trip.

When the cast was removed I felt like a whole person once more. I'm used to being independent and doing everything myself and it had hampered me quite a bit. Just being able to drive my car was great. I still had the crutches for support but used them less each day. Another two weeks later I left home early, driving out of town and staying away until it was time to open the bar. Angela was curious about where I had been and I think she was a bit hurt when I didn't tell her, but she said nothing more about it.

The following Saturday I invited Angela, Anne and Jessie on a picnic and they agreed to come. I drove out of town and followed the same route I had taken when I was out on my own. We drove for 20 minutes, through a forest and stopped at a large timbered cabin by a lake, the forest ending where we parked and a sandy beach stretching down to the water on the other side of the cabin.

"Nice place." Jessie commented. "But are we allowed to be here, isn't it private property?"

"Yes it is private, but don't worry. Bring the coolers will you?"

I walked to the cabin and unlocked the door, letting them inside.

"Welcome to my new home, everyone."

"Your home?" they sputtered. "This is yours?"

"Of course, otherwise we would be trespassing, and you wouldn't want that."

"But you have never mentioned that you had a lake cabin before."

"That is because I didn't have one. The deal was finalised a week ago."

"And how can you afford a place like this?"

Jessie didn't give up, but a light went up for Angela.

"The compensation for being shot. You bought it for that money, didn't you?"

"Clever girl! Some of that money went into this, about half of it. What do you think?"

"I like it, it's charming and the beach is great." Angela confessed.

"It's okay for a house outside of town." was Anne's comment.

"But it must be huge judging by the outside, and you don't like to clean." Jessie teased.

"It's actually two homes. The main part is four bedrooms and the smaller one has two, but they are totally separated with kitchens and everything. There isn't even a door between them."

"And you are moving here? Driving each day to and from the bar?"

As I said, Jessie didn't give up. She was sceptical about the whole thing it seemed.

"To be honest I haven't decided yet. Maybe I will move here permanently, or during the warmer half of the year, or maybe it will be just a recreation home for when it feels right to stay a night. But please, have a look around. Enjoy the view, walk down the beach, breath the clean air."

I opened the doors to the lakeside sun-deck and the second part of the house and then brought out the garden furnitures from the spacious living room. They all disappeared to snoop around and I sat down with a beer in the sun. From time to time I heard squeals from different directions and smiled to myself. During the past week furnitures had been delivered and a few upgrades had been made. I hadn't in fact seen all of them myself yet, but I knew what I had ordered and had seen photos, and some of it was very nice I must say. I would inspect them later to make sure they were there.

Jessie was the first to come out to me and sit down. I was a bit disappointed over her lack of enthusiasm.

"You don't like it Jess."

It was a statement of fact from me, not a question.

"Yes I do, it's nice. But . . ." she broke off.

"But what? You can be blunt with me."

"I will miss you in town if you move here. I know we haven't seen each other that much, but just knowing you were five minutes away made me feel close to you. I know that I'm being selfish and that I should be happy for you, and I am, but it makes me sad that you might leave."

"Jess, it's only a dozen miles, not the other side of the planet, and as I said, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, there is the other part of the house so you could stay here too, or move out here. Wouldn't that be nice?"

She didn't get the chance to answer as Anne and Angela came out to us.

"It's gorgeous!" Anne sighed. "A hot-tub outside and a big bathroom with jacuzzi."

"And a sauna." Angela added with a wink.

Then she went silent, sensing something was wrong between us.

"What is it?"

"I guess I'm being a bitch." Jessie lamented. "I have a hard time accepting he will move from town."

"But I told you . . ." I tried.

"I know what you told me, but in the end it's not for me to decide over your life, Jack. I will accept it in time when I get used to it. I am happy for you, I really am, just give me a little time to adjust."

"Well then, I might as well bring up the other things I wanted to talk about so you can all think about it at the same time. The thing is that the part-time pension allows me to hire an assistant at the bar, and I hoped that Angela would be interested. However, the bar does bring in enough revenue to hire a waitress also, and I thought of either Jessie or Anne, but Anne should complete High school and go on to college so I decided to offer the job to Jessie if she wants it. Then there is the question were to live. Like I said I haven't made a final decision yet, but I must confess that it feels good to share my apartment with Angela, so I thought we might continue to do so, or move here together. I have already suggested that Jessie can move to the other half here if she wants to. That way we can get rid of at least one apartment, or two, or all three, although it could be nice to keep one anyway, if we should all move here. That is a summary of my ideas. I might be nuts, but I'm sure you will tell me so in that case. Think about it for a week, a month, a year or whatever."

There was dead silence after I finished and the different expressions were interesting to see. Jessie looked perplexed, Angela at the same time shocked and pleased and Anne simply confused. Then they all started talking at the same time until they went silent again. Anne held up her hand like a little school-girl and I nodded to her.

"What do you mean with high school and college? I don't even know how long I will stay here."

"He is right, honey." Angela supported me. "For now I am equal to a foster parent for you and I'm quite sure that it will stay that way until you turn 18, so don't worry. We should get you back to school as soon as possible. The practice at the bar was merely a social thing, but if you want to, you can continue from time to time if schoolwork allows it."

"And where will I live? It looks like you would move around quite a bit."

"Where do you want to live?"

"I like staying with Jessie, we have a lot of fun. Living here would be awesome I think, but not alone. I guess it depends on what you decide and where I am welcome. After all Jessie have no reason to take care of me."

"You can stay as long as you like." Jessie assured her.

"Then I don't see any problem. You can decide for yourself." Angela promised and Anne's face split in a grin.

"Other questions?" I wondered.

After a few moments hesitation Jessie made up her mind.

"Did you mean that, about the job-offer and me moving out here?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have said it otherwise. Interested?"

"I accept the job-offer at once. About moving here it looks as that is a question I should discuss with Anne, so I will get back to you."

"Angela?"

"I take the job too. I really like it. But moving together is a big step, so for now it's no. We have to talk it over a lot more if that is to happen."

"Fine then. At least I have the staff now, that's a start. If Jessie is past her sad spell now, might I suggest a bath?"

"Your joking, we have no suits with us. You should have told us to bring them." Anne complained.

"You have your underwear, use them. The difference compared to a modern bikini is not worth mentioning anyway. Come on, last in the water must sun-dry naked!"

That got them going. Anne looked as if she would lose, but at the last moment Angela slowed down to a walk and was passed. A tactical decision indeed. When she was to pay the penalty she waited for us to take our positions and then went around to the other side of the house.

"You never said that I had to be in sight, did you?" she laughed as she left us.

I spent many nights at the cabin, occasionally accompanied by the others, and I found out that the distance wasn't a problem. It took three times as long as it took to walk from the apartment, so I made my decision to move out permanently. The winter would be an issue, sure, but it would be worth it, I was certain of that. The furnitures in my apartment wasn't needed so I sold off most of them. An old idea from when I offered Jessie a job in the old bar resurfaced, an overnight room at the bar. The store-room was large enough here too, with a shower and toilet in place, so I started work on it as an emergency plan if a blizzard should isolate the cabin while in town. When finished the few furnitures left from the apartment made a liveable place for a few days if needed.

Anne started school again, and she and Jessie decided to stay in town for the time being, waiting to see how it worked out for me first.

Angela and I talked about my idea to move together and it turned out to be an interesting discussion.

"How did you mean?" was her first question. "Did you mean 'living together' or 'sharing a home', there is a difference there?"

"Frankly, I don't know. I just felt comfortable with you around and thought it would be both nice and practical, that's all."

"Not sharing beds then?"

"Hell, I don't know! I really like you, Angie, I do, but I guess that would be a question for later. If it felt right for both of us we would do that, but I didn't mean it as a proposal. We don't have enough time together for that in my opinion."

"And if one of us should meet someone else?"

"We would have to deal with that then I suppose, but if we weren't lovers it should be no problem, and if we were lovers it shouldn't occur. I don't see a problem with that. But you are asking me all the questions. What do you think?"

"I think that I have come a bit further than you in our relationship, but there are issues. I liked sharing a home with you and I really like you, a lot! You are considerate and honest, funny but still serious when it counts, compassionate, one of few decent guys I have met. You haven't made a move to get me in bed with you, which is rare. I have no doubt that we would get along. But there is the question what would happen if we met others. I don't say that it is likely, but still. I think jealousy would come into play. Then we would both live and work together. What if, hypothetically, we get pissed at each other at work and we have to stay under the same roof at home? We would never get a chance to get away and calm down, eventually exploding."

"I think you over-think this. As long as we talk I think it would solve most of the problems, and if worse comes to worse there is the back room at the bar and the doublet in the cabin to get away."

"Okay, and if I try to seduce you?"

"Then I guess we will see what happens. Simple as that."