hundred percent grateful.
“Didn’t know we were having drinks tonight?” Paddy said, already with a beer in hand.
“Who is this?” Malokin asked.
He looked alarmed. And why did nobody know who the hell Paddy was?
“Name's Paddy.” He held out his free hand to Malokin, who still looked ill at ease.
Malokin shook his hand and I saw a flash of apprehension shoot across his face. Malokin relinquished his grip and pulled his hand away a little too quickly.
“What are you doing here?” Malokin asked. That was an odd question for someone he didn't know. Did he know him, or not? What was going on here?
“Can't an old guy enjoy a beer out?” Paddy replied, but I had the strangest feeling that wasn't what Malokin had meant at all. I was pretty sure Paddy knew that as well.
“I'll be going.” Malokin smiled stiffly and then reached into his pocket and laid a business card on the bar before me. “Call me. Soon.” He looked at Paddy one last time before he stood and left.
Paddy took his vacated stool as I looked down at the card. The only thing on it was his first name and a phone number.
“Now that's a bad sort you might want to watch your step around.”
I took a sip of the wine I'd initially wanted to decline. “What's that say about you then? If you're scaring off the bad element?” Malokin had taken off pretty quickly after Paddy's arrival.
“Oh no, lassie, we aren't going to go down that path again today, are we?”
“You mean the one where I ask who you are and you ignore me or give me some lame recruiter explanation? Nah, I'm done getting stuck on that dead end myself. Keep your secrets. Just know that they come at a price.” I had a bigger issue. I pocketed the card, hoping I wouldn’t ever need to look at it again.
He sighed in agreement. “When do they not?” He took a swig of his beer. “So, how've you been settling in?”
“Cliff jumping is starting to lose its appeal.” I spun my cell phone on the wooden bar top.
“I'll take that as a good sign.”
“I thought so.” I took another sip of wine. “Hard to get cell service up there, anyway.”
“You know, you're a lot like me.” Paddy plunked his draft down on the bar, causing the beer inside to splash over the rim, but somehow not get the bar wet. When he lifted it, I waited to see if there’d be a puddle left behind, but there was nothing.
“That statement might mean something to me if I knew exactly who you were. As it is...” I shrugged and then pushed the wine to the edge of the bar and asked for a Maker's Mark on the rocks. Wine felt too refined for the life I led now. My existence was definitely more in line with bourbon. I was even contemplating switching to straight up.
I turned my head back to Paddy, just in time to see him smile before he vanished. There wasn't really a point to looking around the room for him. He was an old hat at the vanishing act, and I'd become almost as experienced at ignoring the oddities that surrounded him. Still, it was a nifty trick I wished I could pull off.
I'd have to settle or my own less impressive skills for now. A guy with bad karma was sitting a few stools down. I blew out a gentle breath and watched as his money flew off the bar and into the bartender's tip cup. It was enough to entertain me while I worked on a nice bourbon buzz.
Chapter Eight
Some things stick .
“Why are we here? Do you have a drinking problem? I can set up another intervention,” Luck said, looking down at the glass in her hand, the cleanliness of it slightly in question. Her eyes scanned the bar room next, as something close to a cringe started to appear.
“I don’t have a drinking problem.” What I had was a stalking problem; as in too many people were following me around lately.
Ever since I’d met Malokin at my usual haunt, it hadn't felt as comfortable as it once had. When I went to the office, I felt Fate’s presence more than ever, just waiting for that ticking time bomb
“Didn’t know we were having drinks tonight?” Paddy said, already with a beer in hand.
“Who is this?” Malokin asked.
He looked alarmed. And why did nobody know who the hell Paddy was?
“Name's Paddy.” He held out his free hand to Malokin, who still looked ill at ease.
Malokin shook his hand and I saw a flash of apprehension shoot across his face. Malokin relinquished his grip and pulled his hand away a little too quickly.
“What are you doing here?” Malokin asked. That was an odd question for someone he didn't know. Did he know him, or not? What was going on here?
“Can't an old guy enjoy a beer out?” Paddy replied, but I had the strangest feeling that wasn't what Malokin had meant at all. I was pretty sure Paddy knew that as well.
“I'll be going.” Malokin smiled stiffly and then reached into his pocket and laid a business card on the bar before me. “Call me. Soon.” He looked at Paddy one last time before he stood and left.
Paddy took his vacated stool as I looked down at the card. The only thing on it was his first name and a phone number.
“Now that's a bad sort you might want to watch your step around.”
I took a sip of the wine I'd initially wanted to decline. “What's that say about you then? If you're scaring off the bad element?” Malokin had taken off pretty quickly after Paddy's arrival.
“Oh no, lassie, we aren't going to go down that path again today, are we?”
“You mean the one where I ask who you are and you ignore me or give me some lame recruiter explanation? Nah, I'm done getting stuck on that dead end myself. Keep your secrets. Just know that they come at a price.” I had a bigger issue. I pocketed the card, hoping I wouldn’t ever need to look at it again.
He sighed in agreement. “When do they not?” He took a swig of his beer. “So, how've you been settling in?”
“Cliff jumping is starting to lose its appeal.” I spun my cell phone on the wooden bar top.
“I'll take that as a good sign.”
“I thought so.” I took another sip of wine. “Hard to get cell service up there, anyway.”
“You know, you're a lot like me.” Paddy plunked his draft down on the bar, causing the beer inside to splash over the rim, but somehow not get the bar wet. When he lifted it, I waited to see if there’d be a puddle left behind, but there was nothing.
“That statement might mean something to me if I knew exactly who you were. As it is...” I shrugged and then pushed the wine to the edge of the bar and asked for a Maker's Mark on the rocks. Wine felt too refined for the life I led now. My existence was definitely more in line with bourbon. I was even contemplating switching to straight up.
I turned my head back to Paddy, just in time to see him smile before he vanished. There wasn't really a point to looking around the room for him. He was an old hat at the vanishing act, and I'd become almost as experienced at ignoring the oddities that surrounded him. Still, it was a nifty trick I wished I could pull off.
I'd have to settle or my own less impressive skills for now. A guy with bad karma was sitting a few stools down. I blew out a gentle breath and watched as his money flew off the bar and into the bartender's tip cup. It was enough to entertain me while I worked on a nice bourbon buzz.
Chapter Eight
Some things stick .
“Why are we here? Do you have a drinking problem? I can set up another intervention,” Luck said, looking down at the glass in her hand, the cleanliness of it slightly in question. Her eyes scanned the bar room next, as something close to a cringe started to appear.
“I don’t have a drinking problem.” What I had was a stalking problem; as in too many people were following me around lately.
Ever since I’d met Malokin at my usual haunt, it hadn't felt as comfortable as it once had. When I went to the office, I felt Fate’s presence more than ever, just waiting for that ticking time bomb
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