approached him.
“Hey, Ryan. A few of us are going over to Charlie’s Pub and grab a few beers. You wanna come along?”
Ryan smiled at Buddy as he stood in front of him. He nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
“I’m in that white pickup truck over there. Just follow me.”
2.
Ryan followed Buddy’s truck into the parking lot of Charlie’s Pub. The sun hung low in the west and the sky was already getting dark in the east. There was a slight chill in the wind that twisted its way through the parking lot.
He parked his car and got out. The parking lot was about half-full, not too crowded. He met up with Buddy and followed him to the small building. It was a brick building with a row of dark windows along the front with neon signs advertising different brands of beer.
Ryan and Buddy entered the pub. To Ryan’s right was a small hall that led to some restrooms. A few feet down was a bar that took up the whole side of that room. The other side of the pub had a few tables and chairs, three booths tucked away against the far corner in shadows, and one pool table. The paneled walls were covered with signs and framed photos and other memorabilia. There didn’t really seem to be a theme to the pub. A bull skull hung on one wall right next to an Oregon State football jersey. Fishing gear hung on another wall right next to a poster for a Clint Eastwood movie. An old-fashioned juke box blared out a country song that Ryan had never heard before (or if he had, he didn’t remember).
There were two men playing pool, and Buddy went right over to them and greeted them. One of the men was John – Ryan didn’t know the other man, but he’d seen him at the jobsite. Buddy introduced the man as Scooter. Scooter shook Ryan’s hand.
After a few laughs and slaps on the back with Scooter, Buddy looked at Ryan and gestured at the bar. “You ready for a beer, Ryan?”
“Sure.”
John chalked up his pool stick as he watched Ryan and Buddy sit down at the bar. Scooter leaned against the pool table and watched John with a smirk. “You gonna shoot some time tonight, or what, man?”
John turned back around and eyed the table; he aimed his stick at the cue ball.
“Buddy sure seems to like that kid,” Scooter said with the smirk on his face as he tried to get in John’s mind and disrupt his game of pool. “I mean it’s only his first day, and he’s just a laborer, and they’re already hanging out at the bar.”
“There’s something weird about that guy,” John said as he slid the stick back in his hand and struck the cue ball. The cue ball smacked into the number three ball and smashed it into the corner pocket, and then the cue ball rolled all the way back down the table and sunk in another corner pocket. A scratch. “I’m going to find out what his story is.”
Buddy and Ryan sat side by side at the bar.
“So how was your first day?” Buddy asked Ryan.
Ryan smiled. “I loved it. I know I don’t have a lot of experience, but I want to help out.”
“You did a fine job, today.”
Ryan was about to respond but his words were caught in his throat as he saw Amber push through the swinging doors from the kitchen with a rack of glasses in her hands. She took the rack of glasses to the middle of the bar and squatted down to put them away on a shelf underneath the bar.
Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off of Amber. She was beautiful, but there was something more about her. Something almost familiar. Did he know her?
“Hey, Amber,” Buddy called down to Amber as she put the last of the glasses away. “Two beers please. Whatever you got on draft.”
Amber stood up and smiled. “Hey, Buddy.”
Buddy looked at Ryan. “Draft beer okay with you?”
Ryan’s eyes were on Amber the whole time. “Huh?” he finally asked. He looked at Buddy and smiled at him. “Uh…yeah. That will be fine.”
Amber poured two draft beers. She set the mugs down in front of Buddy and Ryan.
“This is Ryan,” Buddy said as he nodded at
“Hey, Ryan. A few of us are going over to Charlie’s Pub and grab a few beers. You wanna come along?”
Ryan smiled at Buddy as he stood in front of him. He nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
“I’m in that white pickup truck over there. Just follow me.”
2.
Ryan followed Buddy’s truck into the parking lot of Charlie’s Pub. The sun hung low in the west and the sky was already getting dark in the east. There was a slight chill in the wind that twisted its way through the parking lot.
He parked his car and got out. The parking lot was about half-full, not too crowded. He met up with Buddy and followed him to the small building. It was a brick building with a row of dark windows along the front with neon signs advertising different brands of beer.
Ryan and Buddy entered the pub. To Ryan’s right was a small hall that led to some restrooms. A few feet down was a bar that took up the whole side of that room. The other side of the pub had a few tables and chairs, three booths tucked away against the far corner in shadows, and one pool table. The paneled walls were covered with signs and framed photos and other memorabilia. There didn’t really seem to be a theme to the pub. A bull skull hung on one wall right next to an Oregon State football jersey. Fishing gear hung on another wall right next to a poster for a Clint Eastwood movie. An old-fashioned juke box blared out a country song that Ryan had never heard before (or if he had, he didn’t remember).
There were two men playing pool, and Buddy went right over to them and greeted them. One of the men was John – Ryan didn’t know the other man, but he’d seen him at the jobsite. Buddy introduced the man as Scooter. Scooter shook Ryan’s hand.
After a few laughs and slaps on the back with Scooter, Buddy looked at Ryan and gestured at the bar. “You ready for a beer, Ryan?”
“Sure.”
John chalked up his pool stick as he watched Ryan and Buddy sit down at the bar. Scooter leaned against the pool table and watched John with a smirk. “You gonna shoot some time tonight, or what, man?”
John turned back around and eyed the table; he aimed his stick at the cue ball.
“Buddy sure seems to like that kid,” Scooter said with the smirk on his face as he tried to get in John’s mind and disrupt his game of pool. “I mean it’s only his first day, and he’s just a laborer, and they’re already hanging out at the bar.”
“There’s something weird about that guy,” John said as he slid the stick back in his hand and struck the cue ball. The cue ball smacked into the number three ball and smashed it into the corner pocket, and then the cue ball rolled all the way back down the table and sunk in another corner pocket. A scratch. “I’m going to find out what his story is.”
Buddy and Ryan sat side by side at the bar.
“So how was your first day?” Buddy asked Ryan.
Ryan smiled. “I loved it. I know I don’t have a lot of experience, but I want to help out.”
“You did a fine job, today.”
Ryan was about to respond but his words were caught in his throat as he saw Amber push through the swinging doors from the kitchen with a rack of glasses in her hands. She took the rack of glasses to the middle of the bar and squatted down to put them away on a shelf underneath the bar.
Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off of Amber. She was beautiful, but there was something more about her. Something almost familiar. Did he know her?
“Hey, Amber,” Buddy called down to Amber as she put the last of the glasses away. “Two beers please. Whatever you got on draft.”
Amber stood up and smiled. “Hey, Buddy.”
Buddy looked at Ryan. “Draft beer okay with you?”
Ryan’s eyes were on Amber the whole time. “Huh?” he finally asked. He looked at Buddy and smiled at him. “Uh…yeah. That will be fine.”
Amber poured two draft beers. She set the mugs down in front of Buddy and Ryan.
“This is Ryan,” Buddy said as he nodded at
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