Tangled Paths | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 4: Pretty Eyes

4
Pretty Eyes

(US/British Allied) Austria November 3rd, 1944

The town was surprisingly full and lively for a Friday night, Especially at The ProudStone Hideout. It was the most popular US Military friendly bar in the town. When Soldiers needed a night to unwind and forget about the problems of the war for a while it was where they'd go to have a few drinks with friends and blow off some steam. The face of the bar was the reason for the name. At first glance, it looked like any other business front on the strip, so it was easy to miss if you were in a hurry or not paying attention. The one thing that did make it different than anything else on the strip however was the slated white stone face it had. Everything else on the block was white brick or plaster. The Proudstone was the only building made from stone, also the only bar in a few blocks' radius.

The windows held a false face, they had little platforms just inside them, that were dressed with backdrops of a women's clothing store with mannequins in the display. From the outside, it seemed as if it was any other normal business, but inside held the time of people's lives. The floors were solid hardwood that used to be polished, in some areas it still existed but in others, the amount of foot traffic had stripped it and began to wreck the floors. The bar sat against the right-hand wall and spanned all the way down to the divider that separated the front of the bar from the back, the entire bar sported red walls and solid wooden furniture, booths and tables occupied the front area, and through the open doorway that lead to the back housed a small stage, and few more tables, a dance floor, and the bathrooms. Tonight no band played, instead music played from the jukebox, amplified by a makeshift sound system a few of the regulars had created as a gift to the bar to keep themselves and the other patrons happy when there was no band to play.

On this particular Friday night, four girls were working. Two were bartending and two were serving. Darla ran the show with her best friend and colleague Betty. All four girls sported the same uniform. Dark blue rompers with a white waist apron and their choice of comfortable black footwear. The only difference was that Darla sported a red clip-on hat, which worked into her pinup hairstyle. Each one of the girls was wearing a similar face of makeup, red lipstick, eyeliner, blush, and mascara. Darla had her nails painted to match the uniform to celebrate her second anniversary of the job.

The smoke began to haze up the bar, so Darla hit the switch to turn on the ceiling fans. Then the phone began to ring. Darla grabbed the receiver off the wall and tangled her fingers in the curly cord as she pressed it to her ear.

"The ProudStone Hideout, Darla speaking!" Darla chimed into the phone. She grabbed the pen that was tapped to a string tacked to the wall beside a notepad expecting to take a note for one of her co-workers. Only a select few people had the phone number to the bar. Family and close friends of the staff or the occasional trusted regulars.
"Hey Hunny," the voice on the other end of the phone sounded into her ear. Darla dropped the pen and turned away from the wall to keep an eye on the crowd.
"Hi Daddy, wa cha need? Darla asked as she scanned the room to make sure all the patrons were happy.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be staying at the base again tonight. They've got me working with some guys that just came in and they need a thorough briefing. I think I'll be here really late so I'm just gonna sleep in my office." He explained.
"Alright Daddy, thank you for letting me know so I didn't worry," Darla replied as she heard the door chime open. Her eyes shot toward the noise and her eyes landed on the man who walked in alone and was star-struck by him, his eyes met hers and he smiled as he approached the bar.
"Alright Hunny, I've got to get back to work, I love you." The man said on the other end of the phone.
"I love you too, Bye Daddy, " Darla said without turning away from the man. She hung up the phone without turning to look.  She cleared her throat and approached the front of the bar.